UCLA sophomore second baseman Caitlin Benyi was
named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association National Player of
the Week for the week of May 3-9. This marks the second consecutive
week that a Bruin has claimed the honor, as pitcher Keira
Goerl took National Player of the Week honors the previous
week. Benyi went 9-for-15 with three home runs and three doubles in
four games against top-10 teams last week. Benyi also tied a UCLA
single-game record with two home runs in Sunday’s 7-1 win
against Stanford. The Pac-10 also named Benyi the Pac-10 Conference
Player of the Week. Benyi leads the Bruins with 18 home runs.
FOOTBALL: Projected starting defensive end
Kevin Harbour underwent successful knee surgery to
repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament injured during spring
practice in April. The typical recovery time is 6-8 months, meaning
that it is likely that Harbour, a redshirt sophomore, could be out
for the season.
MERCEDES-BENZ CUP ENTRANTS: Defending champion
Wayne Ferreira and fellow 2003 finalist
Lleyton Hewitt have committed to play in the 2004
Mercedes-Benz Cup presented by Countrywide. The Mercedes-Benz Cup
will be played on the UCLA campus at the Los Angeles Tennis Center
from July 12 to 18. Ferreira and Hewitt join an early player field
that includes four of the top six American Davis Cup players
““ Mardy Fish, Taylor Dent, Vince Spadea and
Robby Ginepri. The doubles field includes the
world’s No. 1 doubles team of Bob Bryan and
Mike Bryan. Ferreira, a native of South Africa,
beat Hewitt 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in the championship match of the 2003
Mercedes-Benz Cup and at No. 26 in the world rankings last year.
Ferreira is currently ranked No. 61. Hewitt is now No. 9 in the
world and finished No. 1 in 2002, while winning Wimbledon in the
same year. Hewittt also won the 2001 U.S. Open.
MEN’S TENNIS ALUMNI: Former UCLA
men’s tennis star Larry Nagler has been
selected as one of four men who will be inducted into the
Intercollegiate Tennis Association Collegiate Hall of Fame on May
26 during the NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Okla. Nagler, who won
the NCAA singles and doubles championship in 1960, will be the 16th
UCLA player or coach to be inducted into the ITA Hall of Fame. At
UCLA, Nagler was a three-time All-American, and he remains the only
man to win three Pac-10 championships during his collegiate career.
In addition to playing tennis at UCLA, Nagler played basketball
under John Wooden in 1958 and 1959. He was doubles teammates with
tennis legend Arthur Ashe during his time in
Westwood, and he won two NCAA team championships with the Bruins in
1960 and 1961. The Hall of Fame class of 2004 also includes
Jim Delaney (Stanford), Billy
Lenoir (Arizona), and Gardner Larned
(William & Mary). Larned will be inducted posthumously. The ITA
Hall of Fame is located in Athens, Ga.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL: The NCAA denied an
appeal by the University of Hawai’i over a self-reported use
of an ineligible player on the 2002 NCAA Men’s Volleyball
Championship Hawai’i squad. Multiple reports have reported
that the ineligible player was All-American Costas
Theocharidis, and he had played professionally before
playing for Hawai’i. The decision was received from the NCAA
Division I Committee on Infractions on Tuesday and mandates all of
the penalties involved in the original decision. Hawai’i will
have to vacate its 2002 championship, return the trophy to the
NCAA, delete the record of the team’s performance in the
championship and force Theocharidis to return all individual awards
received during the 2002 season to the NCAA. The Warriors will also
have to surrender their place in the final standings, giving UCLA
sole possession of second place in the 2002 MPSF season.
Compiled by David Regan, Bruce Tran and Gilbert
Quiñonez, Bruin sports senior staff.