By Scott Street
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
In a year marked by such highs as the UCLA men’s
basketball team’s upset of No. 1 Stanford and lows such as
the suspensions of nine football players for illegally obtaining
disabled parking placards, one thing has remained constant: UCLA
just wins national championships.
With last weekend’s tear through the state of Indiana, the
Bruin men’s volleyball and women’s water polo teams
captured national titles No. 4 and 5 for the university on the
year, making this the most successful year in Peter Dalis’
tenure as athletic director. Previously this year, UCLA won
national titles in men’s water polo, women’s indoor
track and field, and women’s gymnastics.
The weekend also gave UCLA 90 national titles outside of
football and basketball, the sports that some say are the
university’s most visible.
“I get very little (outside) comment about national
championships in the Olympic sports,” Dalis said, referring
to UCLA’s other 19 sports. “Football and basketball are
the most visible.”
But in UCLA’s 80-year history, the Olympic sports have
arguably been the most successful, and for the longest period of
time. Just ask men’s volleyball head coach Al Scates, who has
trained enough Olympians to create his own team for the Summer
Games and who won his 18th national title last Saturday.
“There are some programs that really enjoy winning in all
the Olympic sports,” Scates said. “Every sport is
supported and there is a good coaching staff right down the line,
even though the perception of the average fan is just football and
basketball.”
As Scates noted, UCLA is one of those programs.
Dalis credited the athletic department’s success to the
university’s leadership and the ability of the department to
work together in a team atmosphere.
“We were very fortunate having good leadership,
particularly in (former chancellor) Chuck Young and Chancellor
Carnesale,” he said.
Scates agreed.
“The first phone call I got this morning was from John
Wooden,” he said. “It just shows that there is no
jealousy here among the athletic coaches. We all work together
here. This is not your average athletic department where people are
fighting each other for prestige and money.”
With the program’s success has come visibility, though,
and at times that has shed negative light on UCLA, particularly
last summer when it was discovered that up to 19 current and former
Bruin football players had illegally obtained disabled parking
placards.
“When there are problems in the department, our fans
mention it too,” Scates said. “But we don’t hear
much about it anymore.”
In fact, all Scates is hearing now are the accolades that come
with a national title.
“It feels very good,” he said. “This is my
goal and my team’s goal every year, to win the national
championship.”
And as the year comes to an end, the sun is setting on what
could be UCLA’s best year ever for athletics.
“This year has been as successful as any we have ever
had,” Dalis said.
On Sunday, the women’s water polo team made more history,
defeating USC to win its fourth collegiate championship in the last
five years and equal the number of national titles won by the
school in 1981-1982, when men’s swimming, men’s tennis,
men’s volleyball, softball and women’s track and field
all won national titles.
Two of those sports have already won titles this year and the
men’s tennis team, ranked second nationally, will be aiming
for its sixteenth title later this month in Athens, Ga.
Then, UCLA will have a chance to make more history.
A CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR UCLA has won five national
titles so far this year, the most since 1981-82 when the school won
five in men’s swimming, men’s tennis, men’s volleyball, softball
and women’s track and field. Men’s Water Polo Bruins battle back
from 4-1 deficit to beat Stanfod in title game. Women’s Indoor
Track and Field UCLA gets championship performance from thrower
Seilala Sua and vaulter Tracy O’Hara to take first indoor crown.
Gymnastics Bruins win second title in four years. Men’s Volleyball
Al Scates continues to dominate the sport, winning his eighteenth
title. Women’s Water Polo UCLA sweeps the water polo championships,
beating USC.