Men’s Golf
Competing from Jan. 27-28, the men’s golf team hosted the Mission Cup in which they competed against the University of La Verne, California Baptist University and the University of Redlands. The Highlanders finished at the top of the four-team competition with a score of 380 and ended ahead of second-place Redlands by two strokes, and had a 17-stroke difference above fourth-place University of La Verne. The top UCR finisher was Sam Gillis, who ended in third place with a score of 73. Louis Kim finished in ninth place with a score of 76. Andre Vu and Anthony Bonales both tied with scores of 77.
The Highlanders continue to practice as they prepare for their trip to Lakeside, Calif., at the San Diego State University Barona Collegiate Cup scheduled for Feb. 9-10. UCR’s David Gazzolo will be participating in the Northern Trust Open Collegiate Showcase on Feb. 16, teaming up with UCR alumnus Brendan Steele. They are to compete on Monday, Feb. 16 at the Riviera Country Club in Palisades, Calif.
Women’s Basketball
Hitting the road on Thursday evening, the women’s basketball team defeated Cal State Northridge, 68-56. In the first half, the Matadors had a nine-point lead with 6:30 remaining, but the Highlanders fought back with a 12-0 run and took the lead with a score of 32-29. Soon after, CSUN scored two free throws but ended three points short from UCR with a score of 35-32. For the remaining 20 minutes, the Matadors were not able to follow up as the Highlanders dominated on offense. The Highlanders came out victorious with a score of 68-56.
It was yet another productive night for Brittany Crain as she led the team with 29 points. With the performance she now has a total of 1,439 points, which makes her fourth on the all-time scoring list at UCR, surpassing assistant coach Seyram Bell who maintained a total of 1,426 points during her tenure at UCR from 2005 to 2009. After defeating UCSB, Cal Poly and CSUN, the team improved their Big West record above .500 to 4-3. The Highlanders will be back in the Student Recreation Center Arena on Thursday, Feb. 5 to face Cal State Fullerton.
Track and Field
The men’s and women’s track and field teams traveled this past weekend to Northern Arizona to kick off their first indoor meet of the 2015 season. Danielle Littleton broke UCR’s school record in the 60-meter hurdles Friday morning on the first day of competition. Briana Kennedy-Feldhaus broke the previous record on Feb. 10, 2013 with a time of 8.63. Littleton was a tenth of a second faster than her with a time of 8.53. Breana Jemison also made school history in the shot put with a toss of 14.78 meters, beating the previous record of 14.65 by Evangela Dixon. Following her was Deja Watkins who finished in fourth place with 13.69. In the women’s long jump, Jazmine Harper finished in ninth place, clearing 4.82. Later in the day during the women’s 200-meter run, Regina Bowman clocked in at 26.70 seconds, good enough for a 25th-place finish. Of their male counterparts, Matthew Vasel took home seventh place with a sprint of 22.19 in the 200-meter run. Following him was 12th-place finisher Zachary Lewis with a time of 22.48 and Justin Parker in 17th place, clocking in at 22.73.
Both teams now prepare for the upcoming Indoor Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., on Feb. 13.
Men’s Tennis
During the construction of the new Student Recreation Center, the men’s tennis team had been relocated to Andulka Park, but for the first time in two years they were able to play on campus at the new-and-improved SRC. On Friday, Jan. 30, the team hosted its home opener against Sacramento State. Though the Highlanders were close they fell three points short to Sacramento, losing 5-2. Michael Carella and Marcus Vizcarra each played against Marek Marksoo and Kasparas Zemaitellis and defeated their respective opponents in the three sets, earning UCR’s two points. UCR dropped both doubles matches while losing four of six singles matches. The Highlanders now prepare for an upcoming four-match series. They will hit the road to Las Vegas where they will face New Mexico State on Friday, Feb. 16.
Women’s Tennis
Jan. 31 marked the first win of the season for the women’s tennis team. The Highlanders destroyed Whittier University, ending the day with a score of 7-0. Each singles player won their match in straight sets, with the No. 1 singles spot occupied by Chloe Pham, who won her sets 7-5, 6-2. The No. 1 doubles spot featured Pham and Courtney Pattugalan, who won with a match score of 6-1. The team has now moved up to 1-3 in the season. Pattugalan, Karla Dulay, Natalie Penner, Tamilla Vaksman and Kassie Truong were the remaining winners in singles. They now prepare to face Hawaii Pacific University on a two-match road trip in Hawaii beginning Friday, Feb. 6.
