Sunlight and a slight breeze washed over Spaulding Field as UCLA football finished another week of spring practice. The players huddled in the middle of the field for a weekend send-off, the usual cheers such as “D-line, showtime!” filling the air. Read more...
Photo: (Ceci Sheng/Daily Bruin)
Monique Billings leapt across the stage at a ballet recital when she was 6 years old, but she looked more fit for a jersey than a tutu. Read more...
Photo: Senior forward Monique Billings has been an integral part of UCLA women’s basketball for four years, but her reach extends far beyond the hardwood. She has dedicated much of her time off the court to inspiring young women across the country. (Keila Mayberry/Daily Bruin staff)
During UCLA gymnastics’ season-opening meet against Ohio State, sophomore Gracie Kramer had the opportunity to prove her competition struggles were behind her. She was in the vault and floor exercise lineups for the first time since February 2017 – when she registered a fall on both events. Read more...
Photo: During part of her floor exercise routine, Gracie Kramer makes the motions of making it rain. The sophomore stumbled last season but has scored a career-high 9.95 on the event this year. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Éloïse Bélanger spent a year dreaming of using her local pools’ diving boards when she was a child. Divers had to be 7 years old, but Bélanger was only 6 at the time. Read more...
Photo: Junior diver Éloïse Bélanger began diving at the age of 7. Since then, she has competed on the Canadian senior national team and has won the Pac-12 Championships in 1-meter and 3-meter. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Margaux Verger Gourson and Sandra Soe have shared classes, a suite on the Hill and even the same major, sociology. As the only two distance swimmers on the UCLA swimming team, they also share a demanding training schedule. Read more...
Photo: Senior swimmer Margaux Verger Gourson finished just .01 seconds ahead of junior swimmer Sandra Soe in UCLA’s dual meet against USC earlier this month. The two flipped positions in the 1650 when Soe took first and Verger Gourson took second at the same meet. (Ken Shin/Daily Bruin staff)
Rarely had Kris Wilkes struggled to score. A five-star recruit who tore through Indiana high school basketball, the freshman guard started the year looking like he might do the same at the college level, averaging 16.8 points a game in his first four outings. Read more...
Photo: Kris Wilkes came into UCLA as a five-star recruit, and the freshman guard has been a fixture of the Bruins’ starting rotation ever since. The Indiana native has started every single game for the Bruins in 2018-2019, averaging 13.5 points per game during his rookie campaign. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
When the weather got bad, and practice was canceled, most kids would go home and enjoy the rest of the day. Emma and Dylan Schanz’s passion for swimming kept them by the pool. Read more...
Photo: Junior Emma Schanz has already qualified to compete in her third consecutive NCAA championships this season. Schanz also competed in the Olympic trials in 2016. (Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin)
