(Oct. 17, 2005) - The Gary McCord Golf Tournament, scheduled for Monday, October 17, 2005 at the Victoria Club in Riverside, has been postponed due to inclemant weather.

The course received a heavy rain over Sunday night into Monday morning and was made unplayable. As much as an inch of rain is expected over the course of the day.

The tournament will be rescheduled for January or February, depending on the schedule of Gary McCord.

(Oct. 21, 2005) - J.J. Jumper, the official basketball mascot of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, is to appear at UC Riverside on February 9, 2006 for the men’s and women’s Basketball double-header with the women beginning at 5:45 in the Student Rec Center. J.J. Jumper will perform throughout the game as part of the NCAA’s commitment to promote youth basketball participation and sportsmanship.

J.J. Jumper’s purpose is to increase enthusiasm and awareness of NCAA Basketball, while engaging and educating youth on healthy physical, emotional and educational values. J.J.’s mission is to represent both genders and all races. J.J. Jumper is an attention-getting 6’5” green creature with orange hair, size 26 shoes and a big heart that motivates youth to do their best on and off the court. J.J. appears at men’s and women’s basketball games, giving away NCAA Basketball promotional items and performing skits during timeouts and/or halftime.

“We are pleased to support the NCAA Basketball’s official mascot and program, J.J. Jumper, because of the program’s encouragement and support with youth participation,” said Stan Morrison, Athletics Director at UC Riverside. “As a member of the NCAA, UC Riverside sees the true value this program brings to the membership. The program illustrates the importance of sportsmanship, youth participation and other positive values, which are vital facets in intercollegiate athletics.”

The 2005-06 season is the program’s sixth full season. During the past three seasons, J.J. Jumper has made more than 275 visits at member institutions, appearing at almost 600 men’s and women’s basketball games. J.J. performs at men’s and women’s basketball regular season games in all three divisions. Conference tournaments and all NCAA Basketball Championships.

Tickets for the men and women’s games on February 9th are available today and can be purchased by calling 951-827-4292. For information, contact Kurtis Matzkind at 951-827-4292 or visit www.gohighlanders.com, the official website of the UC Riverside Highlanders!

To learn more about J.J. Jumper, please visit NCAA Kids at www.NCAAsports.com

UCR Announces Television Schedule for Men's and Women's Basketball in 2005-06

(Oct. 27, 2005) - UC Riverside will have a total of eight games televised in the 2005-06 season, including six men's games and two women's games.

Five games televised by Charter Television and KHIZ Channel 63 in the Los Angeles Area. The play-by-play will once again be called by veteran broadcaster Dan Hubbard and will be directed by James Trotter. The schedule will open on November 26 as the Highlanders host the University of San Diego. The remainder of games will be conference games, as the Highlanders host Cal State Fullerton on January 14, Cal State Northridge on Thursday, February 9, the only midweek game. The final appearance will be Saturday, February 11. The women will play San Diego State on Nov. 26.

The Highlander men and women will also each be featured on KVMD-TV as part of the Big West package. The men will be featured on Jan. 19 as they host UC Irvine,while the women will be featured on February 16 as they host Cal State Northridge.

Finally, the men will be featured on Fox Sports West 2 on January 21 as they host Long Beach State University.

Sport	Date		Opponent	Time	Station
Women's Basketball	Saturday	Nov. 26	San Diego State	1:30 p.m.	KHIZ
Men's Basketball	Saturday	Nov. 26	U. of San Diego	4:05 p.m.	KHIZ
Men's Basketball	Saturday	Jan. 14	CS Fullerton	4:05 p.m.	KHIZ
Men's Basketball	Thursday	Jan. 19	UC Irvine	7:05 p.m.	KVMD
Men's Basketball	Saturday	Jan. 21	Long Beach St.	5:00 p.m.	FSW2
Women's Basketball	Thursday	Feb. 9	CS Fullerton	5:45 p.m.	KHIZ
Men's Basketball	Thursday	Feb. 9	CS Northridge	7:45 p.m.	KHIZ
Men's Basketball	Saturday	Feb. 11	Pacific	4:05 p.m.	KHIZ
Women's Basketball	Thursday	Feb. 16	CS Northridge	7:00 p.m.	KVMD

 

Highlander Women Picked Fourth, Men Selected Seventh and Eighth in Big West Preseason Polls

(Nov. 2, 2005) - UC Riverside has been selected to finish fourth by both the media and the coaches in the 2005-06 Big West Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll, it was announced Wednesday. In addition, sophomore center Kemie Nkele was voted to the preseason All-Conference team by the media at the conference’s annual basketball media day in Irvine.

Nkele (San Diego, CA/Mira Mesa HS) took the Big West by storm as a freshman, earning First Team All-Big West and All-Big West Tournament honors, as well as being named the conference’s Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-1 center led the Highlanders with 17.2 points per game while topping the conference with 11.5 rebounds per game, 3.3 blocks per game and a 56.8% field goal percentage.

Nkele was joined on the Preseason All-Big West list by Crystal McCutcheon of Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara’s Jenna Green, Pacific’s Tina Sanerivi, Angie Ned of UC Irvine, and Ofa Tulikihihifo of Cal State Northridge.

UCR received 29 points in the coaches’ poll and 42 in the media poll. Top to bottom, the polls were identical with 11-time conference champion UC Santa Barbara picked to repeat with Long Beach State second and Cal State Northridge third. UC Irvine was fifth with Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly, and Pacific rounding out the polls.

UC Riverside went 16-13 last season, finishing fifth in the Big West with a 10-8 conference record. The Highlanders tied the school Division I record for wins and advanced to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2001-02 under first-year Head Coach John Margaritis.

• • •

On the men’s side, the Highlanders were chosen to finish seventh in the media poll and eighth in the coaches’ poll. Cal State Fullerton was selected first in both polls.

The men’s Preseason All-Big West team consisted of Christian Maraker of Pacific, Jibril Hodges of Long Beach State, Bobby Brown and Jamaal Brown of Cal State Fullerton, and Ross Schraeder and Aaron Fitzgerald of UC Irvine.

Ten Highlanders Named to 2005 Big West Conference All-Academic Fall Team

(Dec. 16, 2005) - Ten UC Riverside student-athletes were named to the 2005 Big West Conference All-Academic Fall team, the conference announced Thursday.

To be eligible for the All-Academic team, student-athletes have to maintain a 3.2 cumulative grade point average, complete one full academic year at the member institution prior to the season for which the award is being received (at least a sophomore academically), and compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests.

In all, 95 student-athletes from the eight member institutions were honored.

Women's Volleyball
Valerie Bueno	Senior	Biology	Culver City, CA
Kymberly Murphy	Senior	History	San Diego, CA
Women's Soccer
Danielle Geiger	Senior	Business Administration	Claremont, CA
Lindsay Hellman	Senior	Liberal Studies	Temecula, CA
Angela Reling	Senior	Liberal Studies	Costa Mesa, CA
Renee Scachetti	Senior	Liberal Studies	Torrance, CA
Men's Soccer
Juan Gutierrez	Senior	Business Administration	Santa Ana, CA
Andrew Villalobos	Sophomore	Philosophy	Whittier, CA
Men's Cross Country
Michael Buell	Sophomore	Film & Visual Culture	Winnetka, CA
Raul Lara	Sophomore	Neuroscience	Santa Ana, CA

 

Julie Hall Hired as Assistant Athletics Director for Development at UCR

(Jan. 13, 2006) - Julie Hall has been named the new assistant athletics director for development at UC Riverside, Director of Athletics Stan Morrison announced Friday.

Hall will be responsible for providing the leadership for a major gifts fundraising program and increasing private support to meet the financial requirements for UCR to succeed at the Division I level. She will work in concert with Associate Athletics Director for Development Cliff Dochterman.

Hall joins UCR after serving in similar roles at Cal Poly Pomona, Concordia University in Portland and Eastern Washington.

"Julie Hall has a remarkable appreciation for coaches and their impact on the 'university experience' for student-athletes," Morrison said. "That translates into her own personal appreciation for the experiences she had as an athlete and the ensuing passion is felt by all in her presence. We are excited by the addition of Julie to our UCR Athletics Team."

A former Division II student-athlete in volleyball and basketball at University of Alaska-Fairbanks and Cal State Hayward, Hall has spent more than 15 years working in higher education. She was most recently the director of athletics development at Cal Poly Pomona from 2003 through 2005 and prior to that was the director of athletics development at Concordia from 2001 through 2002. She also served as assistant alumni director and director of athletics development at Eastern Washington from 1990 through 2001 and was director of programming, marketing and intramurals at Cal Poly Pomona from 1996 through 1998.

Hall, a native or Hoffman Estates, IL, attended the University of Alaska, where she played basketball and volleyball, setting a school record for hitting percentage in 1986. She earned a bachelor's of science degree in recreation from Cal State Hayward in 1990, then went on to earn her master's in public administration in 1995.

Pentland Hills Residents Set Possible Record With Longest School Name Spell-Out In History

(Jan. 20, 2006) - Members of the UC Riverside's Pentland Hills Residence Hall got into the Homecoming spirit Thursday as they attempted to set a "world record" with what is believed to be the longest "school name spell-out" in history.

Forty-eight members of the hall spelled out "University of California Riverside Highlanders!", complete with spaces. The group was presented on the floor at halftime of the game between UC Riverside and UC Irvine and was shown on the KVMD broadcast of the game.

UCR Director of Athletics Stan Morrison challenged the members of the residence halls early in 2005 to make his vision or a record size school name spell-out" come true, and Deepak Sharma, resident programming director for Pentland Hills picked up the gauntlet. Sharma, who also served as the second "H" in Highlanders, oversees the programming that is put on by the Pentland Hills coordinators and pulled together student staff and residents for the event.

The raucous group enjoyed the game, despite the Highlanders' defeat, cheering loudly and leading one of the first successful "Waves" in the history of the Student Recreation Center.

A Google search for "longest school name spell-out" did not produce any information about a standing world or national record for an event of this kind. As such, this will be considered a record until proven to be otherwise.

Above, two more views of the spell-out. Click on the photos to download a copy of the full size image for printing.

 

Highlander Games to Be Available Via CSTV Streaming

(January 30, 2006) – Fans of three NCAA Division I leagues – America East, Big West and the Patriot League -- can watch their basketball teams online as all three conferences are partnering with CSTV Networks to provide games live via the internet. The Big West Conference [www.bigwest.org] season package gives access to all nine member institutions in the Big West for $24.95 per month. Over 90 men’s and women’s basketball games from conference play will be streamed leading up to the Big West Conference Tournament in March. CSTV and the Big West officially kicked off their partnership in November, as CSTV.com provided live video streaming coverage of the 2005 Big West Basketball Media Day.

The America East Conference [www.americaeast.com] and Patriot League [www.patriotleague.com] packages are both incorporated into CSTV’s overall XXL broadband subscription package at www.CSTV.com as well as each league’s official site, available for $14.95 a month or $99.95 a year. The America East Conference package features approximately 18 men’s and women’s basketball games streaming live for the first time in conference history, including the women’s championships on March 11.

The Patriot League’s online schedule includes seven pivotal games in the Patriot League’s final three weeks leading up to the men’s championships. CSTV will also air one men’s and one women’s Patriot League semifinal contest as well as the Women’s Patriot League Championship on March 5. All three broadband packages include games as well as extra content such as coaches’ shows, press conferences and highlights, and everything is archived on the site for viewing on demand.

“College fans have voracious appetites for their teams and their sports,” said CSTV CEO Brian Bedol. “CSTV is dedicated to making games available through as many platforms as possible, and online programming certainly provides one of the most convenient and effective delivery systems for fans anywhere in the world. We’re delighted to be extending the reach of online viewing to these terrific leagues and schools.”

These three conferences include the following schools:
• America East: Albany, Binghamton, Boston University, Hartford, Maine, UMBC, New Hampshire, Stony Brook and Vermont.
• Big West: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, Long Beach State, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis and University of the Pacific
• Patriot League: American University, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy

CSTV Networks, Inc., now part of CBS Corporation, is the leading digital and cable programming network dedicated to college sports. Connecting more fans to more college sports than any other company, its many platforms for programming distribution include CSTV:College Sports TV, televising regular-season and championship events for 35 men's and women's college sports; CSTV.com and its network of nearly 250 official athletic sites; CSTV All Access, broadband services providing live audio and video of more than 7,000 events annually; as well as satellite television and radio, in-flight entertainment, wireless networks and more. CSTV was acquired by CBS in January 2006. Further information is available at www.CSTV.com.

UCR Athletics Director Stan Morrison Named to
NCAA Men's Basketball Committee

(February 27, 2006) – UC Riverside Athletics Director Stan Morrison has been appointed to the NCAA Men's Basketball Committee, the NCAA announced. The committee is responsible for the oversight and administration of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, including selecting the 65 teams that participate.

Morrison was selected to the post by the NCAA Championships/Competition Cabinet. His five-year appointment to the 10-member committee begins on September 1, 2006.

"I am thrilled to be selected to the men's basketball committee and am really looking forward to helping administer one of America's greatest sporting events," Morrison said.

Bueno and Steinmeyer Honored at Big West Breakfast

(June 7, 2006) – The UC Riverside Athletics Department announced the winners of the 2005-06 Season Ending Awards at the Athletics Department Awards Barbeque on June 7.

The event featured the presentation of seven awards - The Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year, the Harper Scholar Athlete Award, the Lindy Award, the Dr. C. Michael Webster Braveheart Award and the Rob Roy Award.

Female Student-Athlete of the Year

Senior women's soccer player Renee Scachetti has been named the recipient of the UC Riverside Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award for 2005-06.

The award is presented to the female student-athlete who has exemplified herself athletically, academically and in the area of sportsmanship, and who has demonstrated respect for teammates, coaches, opponents and officials during the 2005-06 school year.

Renee Scachetti

In her senior season, Scachetti showed her outstanding leadership ability on and off the field, helping the UCR women's soccer team to the best season in program history. UCR finished the season at 11-4-6 and reached the 2005 NCAA Tournament. UCR was ranked 14th in the Western Region and finished with an RPI ranking of 38th, second in the Big West.

Individually, Scachetti led the conference in scoring with 13 goals and five assists. She led the team in scoring in both her junior and senior seasons, helping the team post a 24-6-10 record along the way. Following the 2005 season, Scachetti was named to the All-Big West First Team and the All West Region Third Team, receiving both honors for the second year in a row. She was team captain in each of her four years and was instrumental helping UCR evolve from a brand new program to a nationally ranked program in just four years.

"Renee has played every position on the field," her coach, Veronica O'Brien said. "If we had just left her on the attack, she probably would have blown away the Big West scoring record. She was the engine of our team, starting every match. She played defense when we needed to mark out a big-time forward, and she would play forward when we needed a goal. Either way, she was the absolute go-to player in crunch time."

"At the end of each of our conference matches, the coach from the other team congratulated Renee on her great career. They also said they were thankful that they would not be playing against her anymore," O'Brien said.

Renee has also been a ubiquitous presence in and around the athletics department, having worked at various athletic events throughout her career. She has been instrumental in assisting the CHAMPS/LifeSkills program start its GET-60 fitness program at Hyatt Elementary School. She will graduate in June with a degree in liberal studies and will play for the Colorado Force in the W-League of the United Soccer League.

Male Student Athlete of the Year

Junior men's tennis player Mark Contreras has been named the recipient of the UC Riverside Male Student-Athlete of the Year Award for 2005-06.

The award is presented to the male student-athlete who has exemplified himself athletically, academically and in the area of sportsmanship, and who has demonstrated respect for teammates, coaches, opponents and officials during the 2005-06 school year.

Mark Contreras

Contreras posted a 17-11 record in singles play, the best mark in the program's Division I history, and became the first Highlander ever to earn First Team All-Big West Conference Singles honors in 2005-06. He teamed with Joe Cartledge to earn Second Team All-Big West honors as well. He was also named the winner of the tennis team's Top Gun Trophy and the Highlander Award.

What is more remarkable is that Contreras had his outstanding season at No. 1 and No. 2 singles despite suffering form debilitating shin-splints, which were taped and treated throughout the season, and a severe wrist injury that at times made it difficult for him to grip the racquet.

"I could tell the pain he was suffering was considerable, but Mark never complained," Head Coach York Strother said. "We talked about sitting him in some matches, but he looked straight at me and said 'Coach, I can do this.'"

The best example of Contreras' courage and spirit came during the match against two-time defending Big Sky Champion Montana State. He had both shins wrapped as well as his wrist. Between points he was flexing his fingers to control the pain. With the overall match score tied 3-3, Contreras came from behind to post a 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 win to give the Highlanders the match.

"This is the kind of courage and productivity that I have seen few times in 20-plus years of coaching," Strother said. "Mark performed in this manner from the first day of practice to the last day of the conference tournament. Every day was just another day. He never brought attention to himself or wanted others to know. He just did his job."

Harper Scholar-Athlete Award

Senior volleyball player Kym Murphy has been named the winner of the University of California, Riverside Harper Scholar-Athlete Award for the 2005-06 academic year. It marks the second consecutive year that Murphy has received the award.

The award is selected by a committee of scholars and is presented annually to a student-athlete whose athletic and scholarly achievements are deemed most outstanding.

Kym Murphy

A history major with a 3.92 GPA, Murphy is four-time UCR Regents' Scholar, a member of UCR's Rhodes Scholar Program and a four-time invitee to the Undergraduate Honors Convocation. She was an Alumni Scholar in 2002-2003. In addition, she was named to the Big West Conference All-Academic team in each of her four years.

She has also participated as a volunteer coach with the "Mommy and Me" volleyball clinic in 2004 and 2005, in UCR volleyball camps and as a member of International Student Volunteers, doing conservation work in Australia in the summer of 2004. This past winter she studied in Italy as part of the UC Study Abroad Program.

A three-year starter for the Highlanders, she had an outstanding collegiate career. In her final season in 2005, she led the league in assists and service aces and was 41st in the nation in assists per game at 12.51 in 2005.

"She is a model student-athlete who demonstrates her work ethic and determination on the practice court, in the weight room, on the track and during the match," Coach Sue Gozansky said. "This same sense of purpose and drive for excellence that she demonstrates in her athletic endeavors in seen in her academic accomplishments. Kym will be a great ambassador for UCR and for women's athletics."

Lindy Award

Junior softball player Kristie Martinez has been named the recipient of the Lindy Award for the 2005-06 academic year. The Lindy Award is presented annually to the student-athlete or service group member who has demonstrated exceptional dedication by participating in extracurricular activities in the community and at the university, and who is in satisfactory academic standing.

Kristie Martinez

Martinez is a member of the UCR Golden ARCHES Program, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program and Co-Director of the Student-Athlete Mentors. She was selected by the NCAA to participate in the annual NCAA Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, in May and also received the Student-Affaris Award, given to individuals who show exceptional leadership qualities.

"It is an absolute pleasure and honor to work with someone like Kristie Martinez," CHAMPS/Life Skills Coordinator Doug Everhart said. "She is a true representative of the 'Braveheart is Alive' mantra, as she has transformed various personal challenges into her passion and motivation to making a difference and being a resource for others."

"Whether it's being a role model for children through the 'Get 60' Program, providing guidance and support to a teammate or another student-athlete, or educating and raising awareness through presenting programs, Kristie is constantly looking for more ways to make a difference and share her passion," he added.

"I have never known Kristie to say 'no' to anyone who needed help when it came to representing our softball team and this athletic department at community events," Head Coach Connie Miner said. "She is often the one who comes up with an idea to get out to our community."

On the field, Martinez had an outstanding year, hitting .298 with five home runs and a team-high 43 RBI. She earned Big West Honorable Mention honors following the season.

"If I were to describe Kristie to you, I could use the criteria of this award to cover almost everything about her," Miner said. "She lives the ideals of the Lindy Citizenship Award.

Dr. C. Michael Webster Braveheart Award

Junior men's basketball player Dedrick Bates has been named the recipient of the Dr. C. Michael Webster Braveheart Award for Exceptional Courage for the 2005-06 school year.

The Braveheart Award is presented to a student-athlete, coach or staff member who has shown exemplary courage during the current school year.

Dedrick Bates

Bates saw his break-out 2005-06 season cut short when he tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament in his knee, but it is efforts on and off the floor before the injury that earned him this recognition.

Bates' collegiate career has been all about overcoming stereotypes. A native of South Central Los Angeles, Bates lost his father as a child, but with the help and guidance of his mother, Deborah, he avoided the gang culture that permeates the area, stayed in school and earned his high school diploma and his pick of universities. Upon arriving at UCR, he overcame the ideal that he couldn't walk-on to the basketball team, finally realizing his dream of playing Division I ball by appearing in two games in 2003-04. Then this season, he overcame the stigma of being a walk-on, and the stereotypes of being too small to play regularly at the Division I level to put together an outstanding campaign.

Given the opportunity to play on a regular basis, he became both a team leader and a fan favorite with his heart and hustle. When his season was cut short, he was the top shooter on the team among guards, averaging 42.0% from the field, and led the team in rebounding at 5.1 per game. Both stats held up throughout the season, and his 9.9 points per game scoring average was third on the team.

Perhaps more impressive was Bates' defensive ability. He was frequently called upon to shut down the opposition's top scorer, and it was a job he did well. So well, in fact, that the conference coaches tabbed him as the conference's Defensive Player of the Year as well as naming him Honorable Mention All-Big West despite his only playing half of the conference season.

"Dedrick did everything we asked of him, offensively and defensively," Head Coach David Spencer said. " He was our energy guy, somebody who just brought everyone else on the floor up."

"It would be easy to say we were giving Dedrick this award because of the knee injury, but that is not it at all. Dedrick has shown the 'Braveheart Spirit' throughout his collegiate career, and particularly this season," Director of Athletics Stan Morrison said. "He would never quit, never stop. He played at one speed, 100% all out, and he gave his all for this program."

"He is currently in the midst of the hard road of rehabilitating from his knee injury, but there is little question that Dedrick Bates will be back playing for the Highlanders in 2006-07. He wouldn't have it any other way," Morrison added.

Rob Roy Award

Associate Athletics Director Michael Scarano has been named the recipient of the Rob Roy Award for exceptional integrity for the 2005-06 school year.

The Rob Roy Award is presented to a student-athlete, coach or staff member who has shown exemplary integrity.

Michael Scarano

"Quite simply, this award could just as easily be named the 'Michael Scarano Award,' as there is no one in this department with a higher commitment towards integrity and towards doing what is right than he," Director of Athletics Stan Morrison said. "The NCAA rulebook is complicated, and all too often we hear of institutions slipping from the path. I have great confidence that with Michael in the lead, UC Riverside will not have that problem."

"Michael's job demands integrity, and he is consistently able to deliver," Head Women's Tennis Coach Mark Henry said. "He is always available and works for everyone in the department at all times. No matter the situation, he is always doing his best to make sure that we meet the standards set by the NCAA and UCR."

Scarano came to UCR in February, 1998 and was promoted to his current title in July, 2005.

Complete Big West Spring Academic All-Conference Team

(June 14, 2006) - UC Riverside placed 16 spring sport student-athletes on the Big West Conference All-Academic teams, it was announced by the conference office Wednesday. To be eligible for the All-Academic team, student-athletes have to maintain a 3.2 cumulative grade point average, complete one full academic year at the member institution prior to the season for which the award is being received (at least a sophomore academically), and compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests.

UCR’s breakdown included four baseball players, four softball players, four men’s track and field athletes, two women’s track and field athletes, one men’s golfer, and one women’s tennis player. They bring the Highlanders’ total to 24 student-athletes honored this year by the Big West. In total, 129 student-athletes from the eight member schools were included on the spring sport list.

A complete list of UCR’s award winners is below: