UCLA Athletics: Good Things happening in Westwood
By Ryan Kay
The first good thing that happened this past week in Westwood is that The UCLA athletics department annouced that a record eight athletic teams recorded a Graduation Success Rate of 100 percent. Those teams include baseball, gymnastics, women's basketball, rowing, beach volleyball, swim & dive, women's golf, and women's tennis teams.
The second good announcement this week is that UCLA's defensive lineman Laiatu Latu was announced as the recipient of the Lombardi Award as the college football's lineman of the year. He was also named as one of the finalists for the Hendricks Award, Bednarik Award, and the Lott Trophy as well. Latu was named the Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year and was named First Team All-Pac-12.
Not related to any current UCLA athletes but two former Bruins may be convincing UCLA basketball fans to become fans of this NBA team. Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kevin Love have been playing well for the Miami Heat this season. Jaquez was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, for games played in October & November. Love has been a contributor for the Heat this season averaging nearly eight points a game along with approximenty seven rebounds a game. Maybe some fans in Westwood are cheering on the Heat this season.
The Women's basketball team is playing amazing this season as they are currently undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country. They have wins Purdue, Princeton, UConn, and at Arkansas. They are contenders to only win the Pac-12 but to also win the national championship.
The Men's Water Polo teams went 26-3 and made it all the way to the national championship game. As national runners ups, they had some outstanding wins this season defeating 18 ranked teams and they beat USC and Cal three times this season as well.