:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48729965/usa-today-8725822.0.jpg)
Women's Tennis
Q&A With Amanda Augustus: Cal Coach Discusses National Indoors, The Kick-Off Weekend And France
BERKELEY - California women's tennis head coach Amanda Augustus chatted with CalBears.com to provide some insight into her sixth-ranked Golden Bears (2-0) ahead of their trip to the ITA National Women's Team Indoor Championship that runs Friday through Monday in Madison, Wisconsin. Fourth-seeded Cal will play the host Badgers in the first round of the 16-team tournament at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
The 2-0 Bears qualified for national indoors after defeating Cal State Northridge, 4-0, and Washington, 4-0, in the Jan. 24 ITA Kick-Off Weekend at home in the Hellman Tennis Complex.
CalBears.com: What are your thoughts on the ITA National Team Indoor Championship draw?
Amanda Augustus: "We're pleased with being seeded fourth. It's about where we expected to be seeded. It's early in the season, and this tournament will do a lot to establish where teams are at this time of year. This will be our first night match in a while. West Coast teams tend to get earlier match times, but Wisconsin is the host and will probably have a lot of fans out there to support them. They're very excited to host this event again for the first time since 2010. Hopefully we'll go there, enjoy their hospitality and have a good match."
CB: How is your team playing heading into national indoors? Weather, of course, affected your January matches - from limiting the Cal Winter Invitational to condensing your ITA Kick-Off Matches into one day.
AA: "We're doing a good job of adjusting to things. We haven't been able to get quite as much practice as we would've liked. But the players have worked hard over their Christmas break. Hopefully we'll try to get better each match we play. The competition should help us round into form."
Baseball
BERKELEY, Calif. - Though Spring has not yet officially sprung, the calendar turning the page to the month of February means that the college baseball season is just mere weeks away. In Berkeley, the California Golden Bears are anxious to get back out onto the field to build off of their successful 2015 season. Cal returned to the postseason for the first time since the magical College World Series run of 2011, playing in one of the most thrilling Regionals of the past year in College Station. Unfortunately for the Bears, as exciting as it was, they fell just short. 2016 is an opportunity for the Bears to push the limits and see things end up in a much more favorable way. Cal returned to the practice field officially on Saturday, following a Friday rainout, looking forward to the opportunity ahead.
"We are getting closer to our first actual competition since a pretty disappointing end to a good year," head coach David Esquer said on Saturday. "I think our guys have really taken that to heart and used it to motivate them throughout their workouts and will do so as we continue to progress through this practice period. "During these next three weeks, for the most part we've got to get them ready to compete and play. There are not going to be a lot of positions to be won or lost, just roles to be defined. We know who we need to get ready to play and hopefully get them ready gradually to be ready for game one, and steadily improve to peak towards the end of the season."
Guess who? @DJefferies22 earns yet another Preseason All-American honor! Today, Daulton was named a Third Team Selection by the @NCBWA!
— Cal Baseball (@Cal_Baseball) February 3, 2016
Men's Gymnastics
Smashing His Limits: Cal Education Helps Gymnast Kyle Zemeir Hone His Skills For Service In The Navy
Growing up on the outskirts of the tight-knit community of Annapolis, Maryland, pride swells for the men and women of the United States Navy. The strong association with this segment of military service and the desire to represent the United States of America drives many in the region to aspire to pursue a career in the armed forces.
Cal senior gymnast Kyle Zemeir is no different; however, his career goals and his preferred role in the service may be in a slightly different sector than most.
Zemeir, a native of Ellicott City - just over 30 miles from Annapolis - has designs on becoming either a trauma surgeon or neurosurgeon for the Navy, and those plans come from a place of giving back to those willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
"I view wanting to become a doctor in this capacity as another way I can give back to my country," Zemeir said. "There are so many men and women who have given their lives and more to the United States, so I want to help those who really need it by following my passion for neurobiology and medicine."
Women's Gymnastics
BERKELEY - Cal cruised with season-high totals on three events and rode the momentum of its home opener to claim a historic win in Haas Pavilion, defeating UCLA for the first time in the regular season since 1985. The No. 21 Golden Bears logged a season-high 196.375 to upset the fifth-ranked Bruins, who tallied a 195.175.
"It was so great to compete at Haas for the first time, and it was really exciting," said freshman Sofie Seilnacht. "It was really awesome to hear all the fans cheering for us. I had a lot of fun, it was a really good experience and I really hope it's like that every single time."
This is the first time since March 2, 1985 that Cal finished ahead of UCLA in a head-to-head meet in the regular season.
"What a fantastic night. First of all, the crowd was amazing. It was a Monday night meet, it was live on the Pac-12 Network, we had a packed house and we had a brand new show on the fan experience side with our brand new scoreboard we have at Haas," said head coach Justin Howell.