Members of the Sofists, the English Department's IM Softball team, pose for a pic.

My name is Paulo Camacho, and this is Macho Sports.

When one thinks of the English Department, perhaps the stereotypical English professor comes to mind: a distinguished gray-haired, mustachioed gentleman, with his sweater vest, khaki pants and wire-rimmed spectacles. Maybe it is the constant essays, grammar exercises and aptitude tests one had to take when they were in middle school.

However, one particular branch of the UC Davis English department – the creative writing graduate program, to be more precise – has inadvertently bucked that image. Not through any literary work, poetry workshop or scholarly practice. Surprisingly, it has been through the softball field.

For a period of five weeks during the spring quarter, the men and women of the creative writing program at UC Davis have participated in one of the university’s numerous intramural (IM) softball leagues. Run by Campus Recreation, UC Davis intramural sports offer 27 programs in a wide array of activities, from basketball and football, to ultimate Frisbee and dodgeball. For a designated fee of up to $50, a group of people can form intramural teams in any league they desire. Ian Afflerbach and the creative writing program did just that.

“We [in the department] all talked about it last year, and missed the deadline,” explained Afflerbach, a second-year English Student, currently in the PhD program. “This year I got the emails started early enough to make sure we had a team.”

Team organizer Ian Afflerbach (right) and Nick Falgout discuss logistics before the game.

From there, the team was formed – a bunch of like-minded creative writing graduate students, all looking for an athletic outlet. While prior experience in sport was not a requirement to participate, much of the team has had a background in athletics. Julia Jackson, a first-year creative writing grad student, grew up in Davis, with a background playing AYSO soccer, as well as rowing for the crew team. “I always tried really hard [at AYSO],” Jackson replied, “but was never all that good.”

Other creative writing graduate students, like Marissa Tinloy and Nick Falgout, also had an affluence for sport growing up. Tinloy, like Jackson, grew up playing soccer, and played softball in middle school. Falgout, meanwhile, participated in baseball in college, but listed hockey as his specialty, as he played in high school.

“I played some softball in college, casually,” he explained. “I was expecting to translate here – and it [only] sort of did.”

“It’s surprising how athletic all of us are,” Tinloy exclaimed. “We only see each other at our desks, and in the hallways, and here we are […] to have fun.”

Besides the athletic benefits, IM softball was also a chance for the creative writing students to bond as a grad program. “It sounded like a fun opportunity to get to know people in my department in a non-academic way,” Jackson explained. “I like the idea of forming a community that isn’t focused on one idea or shared discipline […] We can connect socially, as well as academically.”

They call themselves the Sofists. Apparently, it is a play on the term “Sophist”, meaning an ancient teacher of philosophy and rhetoric. “More specifically a sophist is someone who uses fallacious or entangling logic,” explained Nicole Kenley, another member of the softball team. “Obviously, this is analogous to what we do in the English department.” Kenley, a PhD graduate student at UC Davis, has had numerous experience with the sport, having played three seasons of IM softball as an undergrad at UC Berkeley.

“Our team back then was called the Dollar Hot Dogs,” she said, “because the Oakland A’s have dollar hot dog nights on Wednesdays.”

As with most of the intramural leagues run at UC Davis, IM softball is a recreational sport, usually for those not interested in an intensely competitive environment. Just don’t tell that to the members of the Sofists. Many of the participants were very enthusiastic about the opportunity. So much so, that one of their members, first-year PhD student Kelley McKinney, went above and beyond the call of duty, providing custom-made shirts for the team. The idea was a group effort – another way for the department to bond.

“We actually had a bidding war for a few weeks about which color [to use],” Jackson said. The team even went so far as to give themselves clever nicknames. Names like “The Baron” (Afflerbach), “Action Jackson” (Jackson), “The HATTU” (Falgout) and “Cheerio!” (Tinloy) were adorned on the various custom shirts during IM games.

Sofist jersey designer Kelley McKinney (right) and Julia Jackson show off their new duds.

As the season went underway, many of the Sofists had to get used to the modified rules of intramural softball. Games are slotted for 45 minutes, as the number of teams participating do not allow for an indeterminable amount of time. As a result, various guidelines are enacted in order to keep the action going.

For example, all batters begin with a 1-1 count (1 ball, 1 strike). All strikes count as a missed swing, a foul ball, or the ball reaching home plate. Foul balls, unlike in baseball, count for a strikeout. Because it is a co-rec (coed) league, walks allow for the male runner to take two bases, and female runners take only one. While they are useful to keep with the abbreviated nature of IM, it can be irritating at times for the players.

“The stupidest rule has got to be that when you walk a guy, it’s extra bases; but when you walk a girl, it’s not,” Kenley exclaimed. “I resent the heck out of that rule.”

“The pitching regulations are tight enough that some teams can sit there and just not swing and hope to get walked,” Afflerbach added. “You put a little sexism together with a little bad sportsmanship, and occasionally you get some games that turn a little sour.”

Despite the rules, the Sofists still enjoy the experience of playing together. Why else would a merry group of English students, in the middle of an otherwise hectic spring quarter, want to play intramural softball? After three years of softball experience, Kenley still loves the simple things, especially the camaraderie, of the game. “Nothing’s more fun that getting a team together, throwing the ball around, scoring some runs, and hearing that infield chatter,” she opined.

Marissa Tinloy winds up to crush a softball in IM play.

“Really fun – I’m terrible, but I’m learning about the sport,” Jackson said of the experience. “In all seriousness, it has been a really great way to get to know some of my classmates and friendly faces in the department.”

“It’s been great,” Falgout added. “I think there should be more teams,[and] we should [play softball] for longer.”

Their enjoyment was indicative during one of the Sofists’ final games of the season. Creative writing grad student Naushad Ulhaq, as a spectator, recalled a particular play involving the opposing team. “There was a high fly ball, and she was trying to run under it,” he reflected. “It just sort of fell right into her glove, and she was just so happy. I think everyone on both teams were cheering, when that happened. That was a really heart-warming moment.”

Ultimately, the Sofists ended on a high note, winning a high-scoring game. But, like most things in sport, the most important thing is not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game; and the Sofists played to have fun. “It looks like everyone’s having a good time,” said Ulhaq, a part of the creative writing program. “I like the fact that our team isn’t taking things too seriously, [and] I think we have a really good balance between wanting to win, and having fun.”

Not bad for bucking the traditional English student’s image, isn’t it?

Two novice fencers stand ready at a UC Davis Fencing Club event.

My name is Paulo Camacho, and this is Macho Sports.

It is a sport primarily known for two things: 1) While not popular in the mainstream, it is most often known as an Olympic sport; and 2) It is more widely known in the mainstream as action fodder for movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Three Musketeers” and “The Princess Bride.”

However, one club organization has been at the forefront in promoting the sport to the UC Davis community. In the process, it has provided an athletic outlet for those who would not otherwise be involved in sporting endeavors. It has also housed and produced an impressive program of fencers that are competitive in regional circuits. This is the UC Davis Fencing Club.

Considered the oldest established sports club on campus, the UC Davis Fencing Club was founded in 1954, and has an ever-growing reputation in the local and national governing bodies of fencing. They meet officially twice a week, and all levels of experience are welcome. On top of that, however, the club officially has 40 active members that compete in the collegiate circuit four times a year.

The club is headed by head coach Thom Cate, an active member of the United States Fencing Association (USFA) going on 16 years, and a fencing teacher for over 11 years. He currently holds the rank of Moniteur de Fleuret – a professional trainer in foil fencing – in the United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA). He had established fencing programs and clubs at UC Santa Barbara (1995) and the University of Vermont in Burlington (1998) before taking the head coaching position at UC Davis in 2004.

“He’s a lot of fun,” said Justin Smith, current president of the fencing club. “He’s a good coach, so he knows his material, and can work with a lot of fencers. But, he’s also a fun guy, so he can hang out with the college kids. It’s a good, energetic dynamic.”

Smith, a third-year Physics major at UC Davis, had been fencing since his freshman year in high school. He has long been involved with the fencing club, working with many of its members as a de facto instructor. As club president, teaching is one of his main duties; he is also involved with organizing and leading club meetings and practices, as well as external affairs, such as communicating with other schools. Above all, however, he is a dedicated member of the sport.

“Since coming to college, I’ve been active [in fencing], competitively,” Smith said about his current relationship with the sport. “Fencing is kind of my main extracurricular [activity].”

Vice President and club secretary Corinne Geisler has also had a history of fencing before joining the fencing club. “My mom wanted me to do something extracurricular [in my sophomore year of high school], so I wasn’t [focusing on] school,” she explained. “She signed my brother up for fencing, and she thought, ‘No, Corie won’t want that.’ And, I thought, ‘No, I really want to do this – this looks pretty cool.’”

As VP and secretary of the fencing club, Geisler’s responsibilities include scheduling practice times, organizing travel, and recruiting new members. To her surprise, she has found recruitment (at least, this year) at a relative ease; 20 new members have joined the fencing club in 2010.

One of those new members was freshman Angelea Weber. “I had a previous interest in fencing; I had always been involved in some sort of sport or martial art,” she explained. “Fencing just seemed like an appropriate way to get to know a fantastic group of people … they did a really good job of tabling at the ARC, and it was easy for me to [join the club].”

Weber has expressed that she has felt at home with the fencing club, in terms of the camaraderie, as well as the experience. “I can say that [joining the club] was probably one of the best decisions I ever made,” she said. “I get sort of a relief from the daily grind … it’s sort of this giant family that allows you to leave your problems at the door.”

“And, if you’re a little upset,” she added, “you get to poke people with 34 inches of steel. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

The fencing club has, admittedly from its officers, an interesting dynamic to its membership. Perhaps, because of its nature, welcoming novice and experience fencers alike, many who gravitate to the club happen to be less inclined to be interested in athletics, in the first place.

“There is this odd trend in fencing where a lot of fencers … are terrible at other sports,” Smith admitted. “[Personally,] I was atrocious at baseball, almost moderate at soccer, yet I am often considered our best fencer.”

“Really, we get a lot of people who want to do something with sports, but aren’t very good at other sports, or feel like they don’t fit in with the other sport clubs,” added Geisler. “Lots of nerdy people, actually. We have a lot of science majors in our club, which is interesting … Lots of people, lots of different interests … but it’s fun.”

All in all, it is an eclectic group of people with a passion for a unique sport. As they wield their swords in unity, they will continue to welcome all comers who wish to know more about the art of fencing.

Members of the UC Davis Judo Club at rest during practice.

My name is Paulo Camacho, and this is Macho Sports.

It is held three nights a week in the second floor of the UC Davis Activities and Recreational Center. Random walkers-by could take one look at the events taking place in the martial arts room, and have little comprehension as to what was going on. One thing was for certain – it looked like it hurt. But through the evident physical pain, through the endurance of the various throws and grueling drills held at practice, athletes were, no doubt, being groomed. Champions were being trained. And, most importantly, a disciplined lifestyle was being instilled. This was the UC Davis Judo Club.

Certified as an official university sports club in 2006, the Judo Club was formed in 2005 as a recreational group. Despite its humble beginnings, it gradually grew into a competitive club that, at its height in 2009, produced the second-ranked Judo team in the nation. Today, the club continues to produce some of the most talented Judokas – practitioners of Kodokan Judo – in the country. The club is taught by Sensei Harry Vincent Kendall.

Kendall, a third-degree black belt, has been teaching with the Judo Club since its inception, when a former student at his Oakland dojo offered him the job. His Judo experience dates back to when he was a child, growing up in Philadelphia. His father was a judo instructor, and subsequently picked up on it at an early age. He had been competing in tournaments up until 1989, when he suffered an athletic injury. The opportunity to teach opened up, incidentally, due to his young daughter’s troubles at school.

“She came home one day, and said that the boys were pushing [her and her friends] around, so I knew it was time to start teaching,” he said. “I was living in San Francisco at the time, and I went over to the YMCA in Japan Town. I said, ‘I will teach your Judo program for free; the only thing I want you to do is have the price low enough so that all the kids in the local community would come in.’ … that’s where I got hooked on teaching.”

The current members of the UC Davis Judo Club

In the six years since he began teaching at UC Davis, the Judo Club has attracted people from many different backgrounds. Kelli Jocoy, a 19-year-old microbiology major hoping to go to medical school, was first put on to Judo Club by a friend from Kendo Club. “I’ve always wrestled with my brother and such, so I thought [Judo Club] would be interesting,” she recalled. “From the moment I went there [a year ago], it was very fun … I’ve really enjoyed it, I continued to train over the summer, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Senior Roger Parks, the club treasurer, came to Judo Club when he was a freshman. Though he had never tried martial arts before, he was convinced to try Judo by a fraternity friend. “Judo was one of the first things [on campus] that I tried,” he recalled. “I ran into a guy at a fraternity party, and he was saying I should come out and give it a try. I met him out there on the mat, and [realized] it was a really good fit.” Through Judo Club, he has received a brown belt, along with a novice Judo State Championship in 2010.

Travis Shuler, a Senior studying Mechanical Engineering, is the current club president. As an official club officer, he mainly deals with the club’s organizational responsibilities. However, he is still an active member, participating in demonstrations and tournaments with the rest of the team. Sensei Kendall praised his commitments to the team and to the club. “When you take on an officer’s role, you train hard in addition to doing all the team management stuff,” he said of Shuler. “The amount of work he puts in is incredible.”

Shuler joined the club as a junior, looking for a new form of exercise. “I had wrestled in high school, so a lot of the mat work looked very similar,” he explained. “It looked very appealing.”

Despite his experience in athletics, Shuler admits that practices can be very challenging – especially for first-timers. “Our workouts … [are] actually a lot more physically demanding than people really recognize when they first come to the club,” he said. “In the course of [my] two years [in the club], I think there have been one or two … new people that have entirely gotten through the warm-up without having to sit out for something. It’s kind of the expectation that you need to be in really good physical shape.”

Walter Lam, a UCD Junior majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, echoed these sentiments, as he recalled his first time in the martial arts studio. “I was at the ARC one day, and I just finished lifting – went upstairs to watch what was going on,” he said. “I was watching the martial arts room, and Sensei [encouraged me to come in next practice]. I came in … and I had the workout of my life.”

At the claim that Judo Club practices tend to be grueling, Sensei Kendall light-heartedly scoffs. “The training is geared toward the level of competition,” he insists. “A lot of [my students] want to be competitors … but I don’t want them to get hurt. In order to not get hurt, there’s a certain level of conditioning that you [need to have] … Anything lower than that, and we’ll be rolling you back in a gurney, instead of coming back and having pizza and beer at Woodstocks.”

Kendall went on to say that, due to the level of training, and as a credit to the Judokas who undertake it, the club has produced two National Champions. It is because of this level of training that has put Davis on par with schools like Stanford and San Jose State – the latter of which had produced collegiate National Championship teams for 44 straight years.

Not to say that the Judo Club is all business. Sensei Kendall, in his training, also likes to keep it loose with his students before and after practice. He is a very personable man who is easy to talk to, and has a mode of presence that the students can enjoy being around. He can also be seen constantly recruiting new members – whether competitive or recreational – to the club. One of the first things I remember him saying to me was something along the lines of, “Are you coming to join us next week? You really should.”

The club plans on big things in the future – and with a dojo full of talented Judoka, Sensei Kendall sees big things for the club. Currently, the Judo Club is planning on fundraisers in the next two months, and preparing for the California Judo Inc. State Championships on the weekend of May 28. There, Kendall expects to not only see UC Davis’ reputation as the No. 2 Judo team in the nation to remain intact, but set themselves up for greater things in 2012. “Collegiate National Championships are going to be held [next March] in San Jose,” he explained. “It would be very easy for guys like Travis Shuler, Calvin Diep, Kevin Yoo […] to be, not only state champions, but I’m anticipating that we’re going to have a number of national champions next year.”

With the ambition and discipline seen in his students at the UC Davis Judo Club, there is little doubt that national championship dreams can become a reality. As it goes, their first test will come in late May – but, in the meantime, Sensei Kendall hopes to keep spreading the word about Judo.

“I think the people and students of UC Davis should see our tournaments,” Kendall insisted. “Certainly see our tournament that we’re hosting here on the 21^st of May, because they’re going to have a group of guys that are going to be collegiate national champions next year.”

Giants fans gather at the Grad to watch the defending World Series Champions.

My name is Paulo Camacho, and this is Macho Sports.

The 2011 Major League Baseball season has only begun, but the buzz over the area’s revered local team, the San Francisco Giants, is still as loud as ever. For the first time in the city’s history, the Giants come into the new season as the defending World Series Champions, after an unprecedented postseason. On MLB’s Opening Day, hundreds of fans flocked to various sports bars all over Davis to watch their Giants begin the season against the arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

As a Giants fan, the memories of San Francisco’s championship run are still fresh in my mind: from their division title win on the final day of the regular season, to Tim Lincecum’s 14-strikeout debut against the Atlanta Braves; from Cody Ross’ two home runs off Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay to Juan Uribe’s epic home run to seal their second World Series appearance in eight years; from their unexpected offensive explosion against nigh-untouchable postseason pitcher Cliff Lee in Game 1 to their shutout by rookie sensation Madison Bumgarner in Game 4.

For many Giants fans reading this article, you may ask, “What about Game 5?” After all, it was the culmination 54 years in the making for the city of San Francisco. With two of the best Major League pitchers facing off in Cliff Lee of the Texas Rangers, and Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants, many believed the rematch of World Series Game 1 would be an epic battle – and it was, until a three-run home run by Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria gave San Francisco the lead for good. As closer Brian Wilson delivered the final strike to Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz, all of Giants Nation rejoiced in a sea of pure, unadulterated joy. It was an epic moment for Giants fans whose motto was “Torture” for an entire 2010 season.

And I went and missed it.

Ironically enough, I had watched the game up until the 6th inning – the inning before the moment Renteria made Giants history. I left to fulfill a prior commitment to another story I was working on at the time. In retrospect, I probably could have skipped it to watch the game, as many Giants fans could attest.

“Missing … [the Giants] winning [the World Series]? No, not at all,” exclaimed Stephen Rishwain, a UC Davis student who had been following the Giants for over 12 years, when asked if there would be a reason to miss the title-claiming moment. “An emergency hospital trip for family or a close friend, or something. That’s about it.”

“I pretty much watched every [Giants playoff] game,” added Mike Marinakis, a substitute teacher in Woodland, and a Giants fan since childhood. “There’s no way [I would miss] any playoff game, at all, let alone a World Series game.”

Will Arnold, emcee at The Davis Graduate, could only sympathize for my plight. “I’ve had that experience, before,” he bemoaned. “Not quite to that level, I suppose … I have watched important games on my phone, refreshing for the score, and, obviously, it’s not quite the same, [because] you don’t get to share the moment … it’s too bad.”

But I digress – because, despite my ill timing back in early November, Giants fans in Davis were on hand to witness the historic moment. Many of which were, incidentally, at the Grad – like Arnold, who was emceeing for Monday Night Football that night. However, because of the World Series, it was obvious the establishment was not focused on football.

“I really had genuinely waited for this for a long time,” Arnold recalled. “When I was a little kid, playing baseball, or just pretending to be playing baseball, I would have this kind of [fantasy] … it would be the Giants winning the World Series. And, [when it happened,] there wasn’t any disappointment or anything like that. When people have been waiting for it, and then there it is, a lot of times with those type of situations, you’re kind of let down, [but] it was exactly how it was supposed to be. It was exciting; I was in a room full of people who were excited; I was with friends that I know had waited their whole lives for it.”

Grad employee Sherman McMurtry, also saw the madness of Brian Wilson’s final strikeout of Nelson Cruz, to seal San Francisco’s World Series victory. “Ridiculous … Ridiculous chaos,” he said. “People were jumping up and down, everybody was hugging each other, people were crying, people were ecstatic, speechless … I was very, very happy and very ecstatic.”

Also at the Grad were future graduate students Carolina Bistue and Sophia Eckert. “It was super exciting, because everyone at the bar had the same feeling,” Bistue said. “People were so excited, didn’t know what to do.”

“We were sort of hoping for a home victory, but we were so excited,” Eckert added. “We were hugging strangers, for sure.”

As the final outs played out in Game 5, some fans could not help but be retrospective of the Giants’ recent postseason history, like UC Davis chemistry major, and lifelong Giants fan, Alex Murrain. “I was a fan in 2002 when … THAT happened,” he said, laughing – “that” being the Giants’ heartbreaking World Series loss to the Anaheim Angels. “It was nice to have them redeem themselves, finally, and take it home.”

Rishwain, also at the Grad, shared those sentiments, admitting he was extremely nervous during the ninth inning. “I’m sure a lot of Giants were thinking the same thing I did – 2002, it was the exact same thing: up a few runs, late innings, lead in the World Series, and they blew it. I wasn’t celebrating until the last out was made, because I knew how that turned out.”

Christina Fajardo, a recent UC Davis graduate and a Giants fan for three years, was at nearby Lamppost Pizza to experience the moment. “I felt it was really awesomely overwhelming,” she exclaimed. “Watching them go through all of these close calls and moments of pure torture, then taking the title, it was so awesome. It was unbelievable – probably the most exciting feeling I’ve ever had.”

And, now, with the new season, Giants fans have had an entire offseason to bask in the glory of their team’s World Series championship. They now know what it is like to have a defending World Series champion team, and continue to reap the rewards of that distinction.

“The moment continues when you win a championship for the full year,” Arnold describes. “Because then, you get to relive it, [but] not so much in a visceral sense … Even at the Grad, when we get delivered signs that say, ‘hey, come to Opening Day and watch your World Champion Giants,’ you know, you [say], ‘Hey, that’s right, we DID win.’”

Arnold then recalled an occurrence from earlier this year, as the Little League season began. Two brothers came in – one in a Giants hat, the other in a Dodgers hat. He asked the kid in the Giants hat why his brother was wearing a rival team’s cap.

“He plays for the Dodgers in Little League,” the kid said.

After a second, Arnold came back. “Okay … but he knows who won the World Series, right?”

“Oh, yeah, he knows,” the kid replied.

Because, wherever Giants fans were on that cool November night, the fact that they won was all that mattered.

The Aggies women's basketball team anxiously await to see their NCAA Fate.

My name is Paulo Camacho, and this is Macho Sports.

For most people, Monday, March 14 was probably another ordinary day – just another Monday in a long line of routine Mondays. For students at UC Davis, it was the last day of instruction, with Finals Week for the Winter quarter looming.

But, for one select group of young women, March 14, 2011 meant so much more than that. To them, it was Selection Monday.

The UC Davis women’s basketball team was only 48 hours removed from winning the 2011 AM/PM^© Big West Tournament and punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Behind a game-high 20 points from exalted Senior C Paige Mintun, the Aggies pulled away from the top-seeded Cal Poly Mustangs in the final minutes of the Big West Championship game, to take the title, 66-49. With it, the Lady Aggies, at 24-8, earned the Big West’s automatic bid to the Big Dance. It was a fitting sendoff for Sandy Simpson, finishing his 14th and final year as head coach of the Aggies.

“To be able to send Coach [Simpson] out on a high note was a really big goal of ours,” replied Mintun. “To get into the Big Dance, to get into the NCAA’s, it’s been amazing.”

They came back from Anaheim that night with the Big West trophy, to a procession of locals, including the Aggie Pack and the Cal Aggie Marching Band-Uh!, as well as local members of the media.

“This is huge for Davis; you dream of being in March Madness,” said UC Davis Aggie Pack Emcee Adam Darbonne. “It’s been fun to see how excited the campus and the students and the community have been for this team … You can feel everybody getting behind this – getting excited for this team. They’ve achieved so much, and they deserve every bit of it.”

The Lady Aggies deserved to bask in the glory of a Big West championship. After a season of ups and downs, the Lady Aggies were going up at just the right time.

“We dropped our league opener at home, had a couple burps later on, in the middle of league [play] – kind of took ourselves out of the conference tournament regular season race,” Simpson explained. “But, we regrouped, and we’re playing our best ball the last three weeks … [they] showed a lot of resolve when they weren’t meeting their own expectations. They re-committed, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

It was a team that was forged in experience, resolve and unprecedented talent. With a majority of Senior and Junior players on its roster, six of nine players who averaged over 16 minutes per game this season were upperclassmen. Paige Mintun, named All-Big West Conference First Team two years running, was an immense talent coming out of La Jolla. She possesses a combination of raw speed, power and leadership that is rare in women’s college basketball.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have her,” beamed Simpson. “Jody Winn, [head coach at Long Beach State] … said, ‘You know, you realize [if she was on a Pac-10 school,] she would be All-Pac-10.’ I said, ‘Yeah, we got a steal.’”

Many players, however, provided a key role in the Aggies’ run to the NCAA tournament. Senior Heidi Heintz is considered the “Jane-of-all-trades” of the team, providing a key role in their trap defensive scheme. Sophomore Vicky Deely was recently named Big West Sixth Woman of the Year, with a talent behind the three-point line, as well as a superb inside game. “One of the best three-point shooters, I think, in the country, that can play a power game,” Simpson remarked. Kasey Riecks is the team’s anointed “Rock of Gibraltar” – in her three-year career with the Lady Aggies, she has started every game, save for a three-game stretch in the middle of the 2010-2011 season. Junior Samantha Meggison was tasked to replace 2009-10 Big West Defensive Player of the Year Haylee Donaghe as their main defensive stopper. As Coach Simpson could attest, she has stepped into the role superbly.

Coach Simpson had much praise for his players, from Junior Hana Asano and her ability to run the floor at the PG position; to Junior Lauren Juric’s contributions from the bench, playing “the best basketball of her career”; to Hannah Stephens, a transfer from the University of Utah, and her significant contributions as a backup point guard; to Blair Shinoda’s talents as a scorer, ball-handler and defender.

And, there they were, at the Davis Graduate, gathered together with friends, family and supporters, to witness their tournament fate, live on ESPN2. The tournament special was aired on the big screen at the Grad, and everyone in attendance – including members of the local media – watched intently. As the anchors listed the teams that would play in the given regions of the tournament, the anticipation of their inevitable announcement was palpable. It was believed that the Aggies would be paired up with women’s college basketball power Stanford, as a 15- or 16-seed.

Then came the announcement. (Follow the link HERE.)

The excitement of the NCAA tournament stayed with the team long after the announcement was official. “This is all-new ground for Davis,” exclaimed Mintun. “The second we saw our name up there, it was surreal. We were all on SportsCenter!”

“I think there’s been a lot of pinching of ourselves,” added Simpson. “When you’re [a child], when you first became aware that there was a women’s NCAA Tournament … your dream is to, first of all, play Division I college basketball, and, eventually, to advance to that tournament. The [players are] realizing that dream right now, and they’re not going to take it for granted.”

And, as for their upcoming game against a familiar foe in the Stanford Cardinal – despite the recent historical success against the Pac-10 school, it would be a lot to expect the same against the No. 2 team in the country.

“Stanford is just one of the premiere programs in college basketball, and has been ever since Tara VanDerveer took over,” Simpson said. “Their athletes are big, they’re fast, they’re strong. They don’t have that real weak spot … If we can get them into a half-court game, and don’t give them transition baskets, and try to hold them to one shot in as many possessions as we can, then I think it could be an interesting game. But, you know, there are a lot of teams who try to do that and aren’t successful against Stanford.”

Despite the monumental task at hand, the Aggie Pack will be with them every step of the way.

“We’re working on getting a couple Unitrans double-decker busses to bus down to the game, to bus students down [to Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto],” said Darbonne. “We’re looking forward to it.”

Win or lose, however, the Aggies have done their school, and their city, proud. They brought their fellow students something no Aggie class has ever experienced – an NCAA championship berth. With that, comes an all-new realm of possibilities for Aggie athletics.

Good luck on Saturday. Go Ags!

Sophomore Ellie Edles went 2-0 against the UOP Tigers.

My name is Paulo Camacho, and this is Macho Sports.

March 4th, 2011. The UC Davis Women’s Tennis Team was set to face off against the UOP Tigers. It was an especially cloudy day, with no real threat of a rain-out. That didn’t bode well for the Tigers – after all, at 3-4, and facing their first conference opponent, it was unclear how they would come out. As for the Aggies, they were enjoying their best start in decades. UC Davis was 9-2, having only lost to the Sun Devils of Arizona State and the Stanford Cardinal – two high-powered Pac-10 programs.

To a discreet, yet dedicated, audience of people, the two tennis teams gathered at Center Court. Both teams were refreshingly cordial, as the starting lineups were introduced. UC Davis head coach Bill Maze and Pacific head coach Bob Chiene did the honors in presenting their starters. Afterwards, the Aggies gathered together, and let out their traditional pregame cheer:

“U … C … D … AGS!!!”

The participants then went to their designated tennis courts to begin the match.

College team tennis is a fairly different animal than the professional tennis events most would see on television. First of all, points are accumulated in a best-of-seven format, based on singles and doubles matches played. Teams play six singles matches, with each victory accounting for one point. Doubles matches, however, are scored differently: the team that wins two out of the three doubles matches would come away with the crucial doubles point.

“[It’s] slightly confusing for the viewing public, but you only get one point for winning,” Maze explained. “That doubles point is huge; against a tough team, where it’s going to be close, it’s much easier to win three out of the six singles than it is to win four out of the six singles to win the overall match.”

Apparently, this aspect of Division I tennis has been a point of contention for years. “Division II actually counts every one of the doubles matches as a point, so you could be up 3-0 after the doubles,” Maze said. “The argument is that, if you win all three doubles matches, and you’re up 3-0, there’s just too much of an advantage when you go into the singles.”

The day’s play began with three doubles matches, that were held simultaneously. “They are eight-game pro-sets, meaning the first doubles team to win eight games wins that match,” Maze explained.

The Aggies’ star player, freshman Megan Heneghan, and No. 2 starter Kelly Chui went up against an imposing duo in Pacific’s Jennifer Widjaja and Julia Hansen. Widjaja, a senior from Sao Roque, Brazil, was recently a ranked player on the WTA, before playing for UOP. Hansen, a sophomore from Hamburg, Germany, an impressive singles player moving up in the ranks on the team. Meanwhile, sophomore and No. 3 starter Ellie Edles teamed up with freshman Nicole Koehly, as they faced off against Shabby Eslami, a freshman from San Marcos, California, and Summer Irvin, a junior out of Brisbane, Australia. Then, on Court 3, it was the veteran team of Lauren Curry and Dahra Zamudio going against senior Olga Gumenyuk, from Kiev, Ukraine, and freshman Susan Te, returning to her hometown of Davis as a member of the lady Tigers.

The match got off to a rough start, as Heneghan and Chui fell behind early to the veteran team of Widjaja and Hansen, 4-0. The young Aggie duo looked to be overmatched against their more experienced counterparts, as error-prone play and superior placement by UOP knocked them out of the first doubles match, 8-2.

Despite the setback, the Aggies were still in control of the event, as the other two teams won their matches against Pacific, each with a final score of 8-5. Edles and Koehly cruised to their three-point win after taking the early lead, 4-1.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team tried to give Heneghan and Chui encouragement after the doubles defeat. Leading the way was Senior Shawdee Rouhafza. While this is her last year on the team, she was more than happy to root for her teammates to victory.

“You’re seeing that everyone is doing so well, [and] it’s actually boosting the team to be out there cheering for them,” Rouhafza said, proudly. “It’s a sense of Aggie pride … It’s not too bad, chilling on the sidelines, watching them win. It’s great.”

It was a critical point to win at the time, going into the singles matches. Heneghan and Chui looked to bounce back from their doubles loss, and a split between the six singles matches would earn them the overall victory. Early on, however, things were not looking good – Heneghan, Zamudio, Koehly and Curry all fell behind early, giving new life to UOP. Heneghan lost her first set, 1-6, to the veteran Widjaja; Zamudio ultimately lost her first set to Hansen, 4-6; and Curry was dominated by the Davis native Te, 2-6. As the first set losses were piling up, things began looking bleak for the Aggies.

However, Edles and Chui led the way with their easy victories. Edles dominated Eslami in her match, winning in straight sets. Chui also won in straight sets against Irwin. Combined, Edles and Chui lost a mere three games to their Tiger counterparts. With their singles matches over, they sat out to cheer on the rest of the Aggies, as they needed one more victory to seal the win.

Heneghan’s struggles continued against her senior equivalent in Widjaja, and it was clear that she was frustrated. While she ultimately lost to the former WTA player, Coach Maze was adamant in keeping his No. 1 starter calm and collected throughout the match.

“Tennis is as mental as any other sport, and maybe more so,” Maze explained. “The players have to feel good mentally, as well as physically. They talk to me about their matches, and what’s going on [in] their head, and I try to give them some good advice.”

And, so, it came down to Lauren Curry, Dahra Zamudio and Nicole Koehly to clinch their eighth straight victory. The match was still up in the air, with UOP putting the pressure on a battling Aggies squad.

“You came to a good one,” Maze replied, late in the event.

Sophomore Lauren Curry made a furious comeback in the last singles match of the day.

Zamudio took the second set from Hansen, 6-4, giving new life to the team. Curry, a sophomore out of Walnut Creek, California, also battled back in the second set, 6-2, taking momentum into the third and deciding set. It seemed that Curry had her opponent right where she wanted her.

“I’ve always preferred singles,” Curry admitted. “Singles is much more of a thinking game; trying to figure out my opponent. That’s my thing.”

As Curry’s momentum built to a crescendo in the third set, it was Nicole Koehly who would do the honors of dispatching the Tigers, and sealing the victory. After winning the first set in a tiebreak, 7-6, she finished off Olga Gumenyuk in the second set, 6-3. As the attention turned to Curry and her final set against Te, many members of the team gathered at center court to wrap up the event. Curry finished strong, defeating Te, 6-1, in the third set. With their eighth straight victory, the Aggies were further convinced that they were poised to make a splash in women’s tennis, in the coming months.

“We have a bunch of new freshmen and we all really want it this year,” said Curry. “I think we have a good shot at taking home the prize. There is definitely a lot of fire on the team.”

“We’re excited about how we’ve been playing, and we realize we can’t go on forever,” Maze added. “But, we’re enjoying the win streak, and hopefully we can keep it rolling for a little while longer.”

(From left) Ellie Edles, Melissa Kobayakawa, Kelly Chui and Shawdee Rouhafza.

My name is Paulo Camacho, and this is Macho Sports.

Out by the Memorial Union at UC Davis, next to the bus station, lies the Marya Welch Tennis Center. Many students park right by the complex for easy access to classes, without giving it a second thought. While understated and unassuming in nature, the tennis courts at UC Davis house, quite possibly, some of the finest student-athletes on campus.

The 2010-2011 UC Davis Women’s Tennis team has managed to combine young talent and valuable experience to create, arguably, the best squad the Aggies have seen in decades. So far, the Aggie women have racked up an impressive 9-2 record, losing matches only to powerhouse programs in the Pac-10. Since their two losses to Arizona State and Stanford, UC Davis has piled up a seven-game winning streak. Their unprecedented play was highlighted by key wins versus CSU Northridge – their first win against the Titans in 15 years – and defending Big West champion, UC Irvine – their first ever win against the Anteaters.

“It’s been a great year,” said head coach Bill Maze. “Maybe the best team I’ve had in my time in Davis.”

Maze, an understated man with a laid-back and personable attitude, is entering his 16th year as UC Davis women’s head coach. Having spent two decades at the position, Maze knows that leading young women in a sport like tennis takes much more than training on the court. “I learned about 19 years ago, you should never say ‘That’s not my job’, because every coach has got many, many, many hats,” he explained. “Bus driver, psychologist, teacher, fundraiser, recruiter … It’s always your job – accept it, and do it willingly. No complaints.”

It was this attitude on the court that has earned the love and respect of his team. “Coach Maze is awesome,” beamed freshman Megan Heneghan. “He helps me so much in doubles, especially because I wasn’t that much of a doubles player, before. And now, I just feel so comfortable playing.”

“Bill’s a great coach,” added sophomore Ellie Edles. “He’s really easy to work with. He’s willing to take as much time as you need.”

Maze’s job is made that much easier, however, with the talent that the current team has displayed so far this season. Despite their relative youth – five of the team’s current six starters are freshmen or sophomores – they have shown composure on the court beyond their years. Many of them come in with much experience to begin with, having played competitive tennis since the age of nine. This has helped them all achieve major success at UC Davis.

“We’re really young, so we have a lot of room to grow,” said Edles. “We’re going to be strong for the next couple years.”

A prime example came early in the season, in a non-conference matchup against Iowa State. With UC Davis down to their final match and trailing, freshman Kelly Chui came from behind to win her match, and win the day for the Aggies. “When you have young women who are that young, you wonder how they can handle the pressure,” Maze remarked. “But, they’ve handled it incredibly well.”

The team’s young talent is embodied by their No. 1 starter, freshman Megan Heneghan. Originally from Tustin, Heneghan’s talent and poise has propelled her to the marquee spot. “I don’t love playing freshmen at #1, but she’s earned it, and she’s handling it very well,” Maze said about Heneghan. “When you work that hard, day in and day out, I think the accolades come.”

The accolades came for Heneghan, as she was named Big West Athlete of the Week, in Mid-February. “It was cool,” Heneghan said about learning of the feat. “The weekend before I got that news, we just beat teams in SoCal. I had some good wins down there, helping the team. That was an honor.”

UCD Freshman Megan Heneghan's play has been turning heads in the Big West.

Edles, a sophomore from Costa Mesa, has served as another talented starter for Maze’s Aggies. She owes her success to her family, most of which are tennis players. “My dad’s a coach at [rival school] UC Irvine, so I’ve grown up playing tennis,” she said. “It’s kind of strange [playing them every year], but I feel like I’ve gotten used to it a little bit more.” As the current No. 3 starter for the tennis team, she also won Big West Athlete of the Week honors in early February.

It is quite remarkable for a team like UC Davis to have this level of talent, especially considering their recruiting strategies. In a sport dominated by international players, the top programs in the state, and in the country, are rarely populated with local athletes. “We’re going to play Sac State soon, and not an American in sight, in the entire roster,” Maze explained. “And, they’re very, very good … The international student-athlete has made a bigger impact on tennis than any other sport.” The Aggies, meanwhile, are entirely made up of players from California. Incidentally, the majority of  the team’s starters hail from Southern California – a more competitive tennis environment, insists Maze.

And thus presents the challenge for their match against the Tigers of UOP. Despite coming into their March 4th meeting with a 3-4 record, the University of Pacific boasted an impressive roster, made up almost entirely of international players. They are highlighted by their No.1 player, Jenifer Widjaja, a former professional who played for a number of years in the WTA, before joining up with UOP. “I had a pretty close match with her,” said Dahra Zamudio, a Junior out of Orange, California, and the Aggies’ No. 2 starter. “I know how she plays … I think, as a team, we’re really prepared [for her].”

As Friday’s match approached, the Aggies looked to be prepared for the challenge. With the quality of their recent play, they were encouraged to keep their winning streak alive. Little did they know how much of a challenge Pacific would have in store for them.

TO BE CONTINUED …

The UC Davis Aggies, preparing to face the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

My name is Paulo Camacho, and this is Macho Sports.

With the college basketball season coming to a close, the UC Davis men’s basketball team was focusing on a possible postseason. Even with a 9-16 record coming into Saturday, the Aggies still held their playoff destiny in their own hands. Their two-game out-of-conference stint was meant to be a springboard into the last few games of the Big West Conference schedule, and a winning record the rest of the way would most likely give them a berth in the Big West postseason tournament.

These were the stakes involved in the Aggies’ game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Saturday. With a record of 14-10, Hawaii stood as a major challenge for UC Davis. Ranking 14th in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.389), the ‘Bows lead the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in blocks, averaging 3.92 per game. This would mark the first meeting between the two teams, and, interestingly enough, a primer for a future rivalry: Hawaii will be moving from the WAC to the Big West in 2012.

Aside from the actual contest, however, Saturday held a ton of significance for the Aggies, and the community of Davis. UC Davis’ game marked the celebration of 100 years of Aggies basketball. Alumni from teams past were invited to join the festivities – honorary appearances before the game, as well as a commemorative banquet afterwards. Alumni like women’s head coach Sandy Simpson were expected to attend.

“It’s great to have that support, guys coming back to support our team,” said senior guard Joe Harden. “It’s cool to start a tradition like that, to come back in [five or] ten years.”

“It’s also Special Olympics Day, and Come to College Day: free admission for middle school and high school basketball teams,” Darbonne added. “It’s also Staff & Faculty Day.”

Furthermore, the Aggies and the Rainbow Warriors were just two of 114 teams to take part in the annual ESPNU BracketBusters event, held at 57 venues across the country. This would be the third year in a row the Aggies have participated in the event.

“It’s pretty cool to be able to host a BracketBusters game,” said Adam Darbonne, an emcee for the Aggie Pack, UC Davis’ student-run spirit organization. “It’s a big game; it creates a lot of hype, and it gets Davis a lot of recognition nationally, that we don’t get all the time.”

In commemoration of hosting the Rainbow Warriors for the BracketBuster game, the Aggie Pack were given makeshift leis to wear. Unfortunately, it seemed to help Hawaii more than the Aggies. After a three-pointer from guard Mark Payne gave UC Davis a 3-2 advantage, the Rainbow Warriors used an 13-0 run to take a commanding lead, 15-3. Hawaii was able to keep the Aggies at arm’s length for the majority of the first half, using a barrage of threes by guards Zane Johnson and Jeremiah Ostrowski. Aggie guards Joe Harden, Ryan Howley and Mark Payne were forced to hit three-point jumpers of their own, in order to keep up with the red-hot Hawaii backcourt.

“We never game plan to try to shoot a certain number of threes,” said freshman guard Josh Ritchart, who went 3-for-4 on three-pointers. “I think that just happens when we have a lot of good shooters.”

After Hawaii took a 23-13 lead later in the first half, UC Davis used an 8-0 run of their own to energize the crowd, and cut the advantage to two. With the student section on their feet, Darbonne and the rest of the Aggie Pack officials enacted “Bead Madness” – throwing blue and gold beads into the crowd.

Deep into the first half, UC Davis was still hanging with Hawaii, with timely shots and great defensive stops. A Todd Lowenthal layup with 1:00 left in the first half gave the Aggies their second lead of the game, only to be countered by a Zane Johnson layup just before the half. By then, the trends were clear: three-pointers and turnovers by both teams were keeping the game close, at 38-37. The Aggies committed 8 turnovers while hitting 7-for-16 from behind the three-point line. The Rainbow Warriors, meanwhile, committed 10 turnovers, but hit 5-for-10 from three – guard Zane Johnson accounted for 3-for-5 from behind the arc.

The Aggies’ game plan did not waver, despite Zane Johnson’s performance thus far – prevent the frontcourt, made up of forward Bill Amis and center Vander Joaquim, from getting too much penetration inside, leading to easy shots. It seemed to be working, for the most part, but it left Johnson, who already had 16 points in the first half, to go off on the Aggies from behind the three-point arc.

“He’s just a really great shooter,” Richart said afterwards of the sharpshooting Hawaii guard. “He’s pretty tall, too; he’s got some good size to him, and he can step out to NBA range, too. He was a hard player to stop.”

His two three-pointers to start the second half helped the Warriors attain a double-digit lead, 52-41. Darbonne and the Aggie Pack, in response, decided something needed to be done during a television timeout to get the student section back in good spirits.

“I know you’re getting a little hungry,” he exclaimed. “So, get on your feet for … STEVE’S PIZZA MADNESS!!”

Despite the free pizza, the Aggies were still struggling to get back into the game. Two missed free throws by Payne on a Hawaii technical foul didn’t help their efforts, but jumpers by Ritchart and Harden kept them to within eight points late in the second half.

Unfortunately, that’s the closest the Aggies would get down the stretch. Thanks to a total of nine three-pointers from Zane Johnson, his eighth serving as the final nail in the coffin for the Aggies, Hawaii put UC Davis away in the final minutes, winning 83-69. Afterwards, coach Gary Stewart diagnosed the noticeable change between the first and second halfs.

“Well, we only gave up one offensive rebound in the first half; in the second half, [Hawaii] got two in the first minute,” he explained. “We couldn’t get them stopped. With less than ten minutes to go, it was still a two-possession game. But it always felt it was a larger deficit than six points; we just felt like we were continuing to come uphill.”

Despite everything, though, Stewart and the Aggies are confident going forward, still hoping to find success with the last few games of the regular season.

“I like the way we compete, and we got some tough guys in that locker room,” Stewart said about his team. “They understand what’s at stake. It’ll be good – this is what college basketball is all about.”

Chicago Fire defender Jalil Anibaba (center) at the Davis Soccer & Lifestyle.

My name is Paulo Camacho, and this is Macho Sports.

When one thinks of the city of Davis, a few things come to mind: the iconic British-style red double decker buses of Unitrans; its notoriety as Bike City, USA; and its reputation as a small college town. However, despite these reputations, it is easy to overlook its sporting history – particularly, its affinity for spawning notable college and professional athletes.

For instance, Jason Fisk, a Davis High alum, was a defensive lineman who, most notably, played on a Tennessee Titans team that came within one play of a Super Bowl championship. J.T. O’Sullivan, an NFL quarterback for 11 different teams, was one of UCD’s most decorated football players. Nick Watney, a PGA tour golfer with five professional wins, played on the Davis High school golf team. Recently, the latest in this line of local talented athletes made his presence felt in the professional ranks, and returned to his hometown.

Jalil Anibaba, a standout soccer player who was drafted to Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire less than a month ago, made a long-anticipated appearance at Soccer & Lifestyle in downtown Davis, on January 26th. He was greeted by many of his loyal friends, fans and supporters as he arrived, humbly and without much fanfare. Rami Rashmawi, who played for Anibaba on the local U-11 (Under 11) and U-12 (Under 12) soccer teams, had been a fan for a long time.

“Actually, [the MLS draft] happened while I was at school, so we recorded it and watched it,” Rashmawi said. “It was actually really cool, because we were saying, ‘We know this guy.’”

Born in Fontana, California, near Fullerton, Anibaba grew up in Davis with his brothers, Jammil and Sule, as a soccer enthusiast. It was these memories that stood out the most for Anibaba.

“Playing soccer here in Davis with my closest friends, my family – my brothers and my dad – [is] definitely what I think about when I’m playing at the highest levels, going back to when I was just a little kid,” Anibaba recalled. That’s allowed me to keep playing, and keep it fun and relaxed.”

Anibaba was an alumni of the Davis Legacy Soccer Club, and a standout soccer player for Davis High. From 2004 to 2007, Anibaba received many awards and accolades, including Delta Valley Conference defensive MVP in 2005; being named to the All-Delta Valley Conference team from 2004 to 2006, and the All-Metro team in 2005 and 2006; being named Delta Valley Conference MVP for the 2006-07 season, racking up 16 goals and 12 assists; and winning the California Gatorade Player of the Year award that same year. He also led Davis High to the sectional playoffs in 2007, while winning a championship with the Blue Devils in 2006. On top of everything, he had the opportunity to play on the U-18 (Under 18) and U-20 (Under 20) U.S. National Soccer teams.

His stellar performances as a Blue Devil led him to play at Santa Clara University, where he continued to excel. He was named West Coast Conference (WCC) Freshman of the Year, leading his Santa Clara squad in minutes played. He was named to the All-WCC second team during his sophomore year, and earned Team Captain honors in his junior season, in 2009. From there, he earned All-WCC first team honors, as well as a spot on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-West Regional team. He subsequently transferred to the University of North Carolina in 2010, for his senior season, where he didn’t miss a beat: as a Defender for UNC, he led a defense that allowed only 0.71 goals against average. He was named Second-Team All-America, NCSAA First Team All-Region and First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for his efforts.

Following his impressive college career, Anibaba decided to enter the MLS SuperDraft, taking his game to the professional level. Experts said he was the most impressive at the pre-draft Combine, and a projected top-10 pick. Through the whole process, Anibaba took it all in stride.

“Leading up to the draft, there was just a lot of preparation for the combine, and being physically and mentally ready,” he said. “A lot of talks with my agent, a lot of talks with my coaches, and a lot of talks with my family, definitely.”

After all was said and done, the stalwart central defender was drafted ninth overall by the Chicago Fire. A club looking to rebuild, the Fire is rich in professional soccer history, winning the MLS Cup in 1998, while winning U.S. Cups in 2000, 2003 and 2006. It is evident that they believe the Fire will be successful in replacing veterans C.J. Brown and William Conde, with a talent like Anibaba at the helm.

“It was a lot of relieved emotions, and excitement,” Anibaba said of his experience after being drafted. “I feel ready to go, and really appreciative for the opportunity.”

As he sat at his table at the Soccer & Lifestyle, signing autographs and taking pictures with his fans, he looked the antithesis of a typical professional athlete. By the look in his eyes, it was obvious that he was not letting the prospects of professional soccer go to his head. Some spectators agreed.

“I think it’s great that Davis soccer youth can come and see somebody who made it to the professional level,” said Reem Rashmawi. “We’re very proud of his accomplishments. We knew back in high school he was going to be something great in soccer.”

Let us all hope he will be able to light up a firestorm with Chicago in the MLS, in the next few years. The city of Davis will be watching.

Oregon Ducks fan Jesse Bakay (far left) and friends at The Grad for the National Championship.

My name is Paulo Camacho, and this is Macho Sports.

On Monday, January 10th, Ducks took over the Davis Graduate. Oregon Ducks, that is.

It was the day of the BCS National Championship game, between the #1 Auburn Tigers and the #2 Oregon Ducks. Expected to be a duel of high-octane offenses, the National Championship featured a Heisman trophy candidate in Oregon RB LaMichael James, and the Heisman Trophy winner, in Auburn QB Cam Newton. A Southeastern Conference (SEC) team has won the National Championship every year since 2006, proving the conference’s supremacy in the college football world. This year, Auburn represented the SEC to extend its NCAA dominance. Despite controversies surrounding its Heisman winner regarding eligibility issues, the team’s perfect record in the country’s toughest conference left no doubt they belonged in the title game.

Meanwhile, the Oregon Ducks, powered by their run-heavy offense, went undefeated in the Pac-10, beating fellow national power Stanford along the way. They finished the 2010 regular season as the top offensive attack in college football, leading the nation in points per game (46.8) and total yards per game (530.7). Scoring no less than 42 points in all but two regular season games, and scoring over 60 points in three of them, Oregon’s offense was considered nigh unstoppable by most sports pundits. It was the Ducks’ first opportunity to play for a national championship, and many were hopeful that, despite the challenge in Auburn, they would not squander it.

For many Oregon fans settled in Davis and the surrounding area, there was only one place to come out and watch: the Grad. Hundreds of Ducks fans and alumni were at hand to hopefully watch their team win its first-ever National Championship. One particular Duck fan, Grad Emcee Will Arnold, had been planning for this game since Oregon’s induction into the contest.

“I’ll be here [at the Grad],” he said about his whereabouts on game day. “I’ll be doing trivia questions about the two schools that are playing, and some drink specials when stuff happens during the game.”

While Arnold was preparing for the Championship game festivities at the bar, fans began trickling in around 40 minutes prior to kickoff. By 5:00, however, the overwhelming green and gold-laden fans made it painfully obvious as to who the Grad was going to favor that night. As the pregame came to an end, the eerily quiet Oregon crowd came to life with a smattering of boos, as Auburn appeared on the dozens of TV screens showing the game at the Grad.

By the start of the game, the Grad was crowded with Oregon fans, with no one in the building representing Auburn in sight. “I couldn’t find one person in Auburn gear,” Arnold confirmed later that night. “I guess, West Coast rules out here in D-town, and they’re here for the Ducks, so that’s good.”

Only scattered cheers could be heard as the ball was kicked off to the Ducks, though. Uncharacteristic stalled three-play drives (three-and-outs) by both teams started the game, much to the dismay of the crowd, expecting a matchup between two of the nation’s best offenses. As if on cue, Arnold decided to throw out the first trivia question.

“Oregon went on to finish No. 2 in the nation one other time, in 2001,” Arnold recited. “Their No. 2 finish was behind what team?”

Per usual, the crowd either called out incorrect answers, or spent their time frantically checking their smartphones. Eventually, a patron came up with the school. “That’s right,” Arnold said. “Miami of Florida!”

Meanwhile, people were still trickling in, hoping to find a seat. Jesse Bakay, an Oregon alum and a self-described “huge Oregon fan,” was lucky enough to snag a table just in front of the bar. Despite the slow start from both teams, he was hopeful Oregon would overcome its stagnancy and dominate the game.

“The Ducks have always had a very exciting offense,” Bakay explained. “What’s lacked in the past has been the defense, and it seems like, this year, they really put both sides of their game together.”

Oregon’s defense showed up for the game, holding Auburn’s offense to zero points in the first quarter. Unfortunately for Ducks fans, their offense could not capitalize, and, as the first quarter came and went, the score remained a 0-0 tie. Heading into the second quarter, the Ducks were deep in Auburn territory, hoping for a score. Despite a first-and-goal at the Auburn 3-yard line, however, Oregon could only muster a field goal, taking the lead at 3-0. Oregon’s first scoring strike was quickly erased, however, as the Tigers took only 2:13 to finish off a scoring drive of their own, capped off with a 35-yard TD pass from Cam Newton to WR Codi Burns. And, to make things worse, the Ducks began their ensuing drive at their own 7-yard line.

“Ohh,” Arnold exclaimed. “Drown your sorrows – or celebrate at the bar – with $3.75 yaeger!”

The establishment quickly turned into a powder keg, however, as Thomas threw an 80-yard bomb to WR Jeff Maehl, bringing the Ducks to the Auburn 12-yard line. Thomas proceeded to turn the big play into an 8-yard TD pass to LaMichael James. Inexplicably, Oregon went for a two-point conversion, and succeeded, going up on the Tigers, 11-7. The crowd exploded once again, as Bakay enthusiastically struck people on the shoulder in elation – including myself.

Auburn responded with a long drive of their own, only to be stopped on 4th down, at the 1-yard line, by the Oregon defense. Yet, as Oregon fans celebrated another big play by their Ducks, it was Auburn who ultimately got the upper hand, taking down James in the end zone for a safety. Subsequently, they quickly scored a touchdown on their next offensive possession to take the lead, 16-11, going into halftime.

While the first half went unexpectedly for both teams, those in the Grad had their own opinions as to why. Bakay believed that the Ducks had shied away from their main strength on offense: the running game. “I think we have to get back to running the ball,” he said plainly. “We’re a running team, [and] we’re trying to be too cute [on offense]. It seems like … we’re over-thinking plays, and we’re making mistakes we don’t normally make.”

Arnold had an idea as to why the Ducks seemed to struggle in the first half. “I don’t know why, but the field conditions are a little funny – there’s been a lot of slips … Somebody hurt their ankle because they lost their footing, which is a little bit weird,” he claimed. “That does not play in Oregon’s advantage, because they’re the faster team, and they’re used to playing on field turf.”

The noticeable field conditions seemed to rattle both teams, as neither could take advantage of the other team’s miscues. Other than a field goal by Auburn to start the third quarter, both teams would fail to score for majority of the second half. With the score at 19-11, favoring Auburn, late in the fourth quarter, many of the Ducks fans began to see Oregon’s championship dreams slipping through their fingers. Auburn held the ball with five minutes remaining, and hope was all but lost.

That was until Newton lost a fumble forced by Oregon LB Casey Matthews at the Auburn 40-yard line. The Ducks, as well as the Grad crowd, were given new life. QB Darron Thomas led a methodical drive down the field, highlighted by a critical 4th-and-5 pass play to WR D.J. Davis, good for 29 yards. When James ran in the two-yard touchdown to pull the Ducks within two, the crowd went crazy.

As Arnold announced the drink specials, everyone anticipated Oregon’s next play – a two-point conversion attempt to tie the game at 19. The crowd was on the edge of their seat as Oregon snapped the ball. Thomas rolled out to his right, seemingly finding nothing … only to throw to his left, finding Jeff Maehl for the two-point conversion. To say the crowd in the Grad was ecstatic would have been an understatement: people were hugging each other, jumping up and down, as, once again, Bakay could be seen hitting people in euphoria.

It was now up to Oregon’s defense to somehow make a stop with 2:33 to go in the game, and maybe pull out the game in regulation, or, at the very least, send the game into overtime. There was one problem – 2:33 was more than enough time for Newton and the Tiger offense to make one last drive. And it all swung to Auburn’s favor on one fluky play. On a routine run play by Auburn RB Michael Dyer, everyone, including the Ducks defense, thought they had him tackled after a five-yard gain. Unfortunately for Oregon, Dyer’s knee never hit the ground, and was not ruled down. He rattled off another 32 yards before Oregon could get him down. By then, it was too late – with less than a minute to go, Auburn calmly ran a few more offensive plays before setting up a game-winning field goal. It was obvious that Oregon fans’ spirits were at an all-time low, but Arnold wouldn’t have any of it.

“Come on, everyone,” he exclaimed. “BLOCK THAT KICK!”

It was all for naught, however, as K Wes Byrum sailed the 19-yard field goal through the uprights as time expired, winning the national championship, 22-19.

The crowd, disheartened, filed out of the Grad that night. Though, there was still no doubt that the game brought a fervor to the Grad not seen since late October, when the San Francico Giants won the World Series. The National Championship brought an edge-of-your-seat contest between two of the best teams in the country. And, while it may not have ended the way many have wanted, it did not take away from the experience. As I went over to Arnold after the final seconds ticked away, I lamented for his beloved Ducks.

“It’s okay,” he said. “It was still a great game.”