Only two months after the end of her freshman season, UCLA
golfer Jane Park has decided to turn professional and leave the
Bruin team after she competes in the U.S. Women’s amateur
from August 7 to 13, according to multiple reports. Park ended the
2006 season ranked No. 6 nationally and tied for 10th place at the
U.S. Women’s Open. Her decision comes after UCLA junior Amy
Cochran chose to become a professional earlier this month. This
year, Park was tied for the lead on the team in scoring average
with 73.1 strokes, whereas Cochran boasted a 73.3 scoring average.
Both Park and Cochran had five top-10 finishes on the year.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL: UCLA graduate and former Bruin
volleyball player Dan Conners has been hired as the second
assistant coach for the women’s volleyball team. He will be
replacing former coach Mike Sealy, who left the Bruins for the
University of Hawai’i earlier this year. Conners comes from
Cal State Northridge, where he worked as the top assistant coach
for the men’s team.
MEN’S SOCCER: With the departures of Paul Bravo, who left
the Bruins to coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy, and Peter van de
Ven, who left to pursue a career in business, Bruin coach Jorge
Salcedo has hired Eddie Soto and David Comfort as new assistant
coaches. Soto is starting his sixth year as a Division I coach and
embarking on his 14th year of coaching. Soto was an All-American at
Cal State Fullerton in 1992 and 1993, and holds the record as the
second leading scorer in Fullerton history, with 38 goals from
1992-94. Soto and Salcedo were teammates at Cerritos High School
and on the Under-20 U.S. National Team. As a goalkeeper at the
University of Virginia from 1999-2002, Comfort posted 193 saves and
led the team to 19 solo shutouts. After his final season in
Virginia, Comfort was drafted to the MLS in 2003, joining the
Dallas Burn as the 21st overall pick and playing with the New
York/New Jersey MetroStars later that season. Comfort is embarking
on his fourth year as a coach.
Compiled by Bruin Sports senior staff.