The California Aggie’s fall spotlight team was selected by Aggie sports editor Jason Alpert and Aggie sports writers Grace Sprague, Trevor Cramer and Matt Wang.
Name: Josh Reese
Sport: Football
With redshirt freshman Randy Wright under center, the Aggies are going to have a run heavy offense. Running back Josh Reese has stepped up to the plate. The Davis local leads the Aggies in net yards on the ground with 137 and has two rushing scores on the year. Reese earned Great West Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors for his 104-yard, two-touchdown performance against University of San Diego on Sept. 18. Look for Reese to cross the century mark in yards more than once this season.
Name: Dozie Amajoyi
Sport: Football
Learn how to pronounce junior linebacker Dozie Amajoyi’s name because you’ll be hearing it a lot this year. The UC Davis defense is going to be crucial to the Aggies’ success this year – and Amajoyi is the key. The San Bernardino, Calif. native leads the Aggies with 26 tackles on the season, one for a loss. Amajoyi also has an interception and one fumble recovered on the young 2010 campaign. Expect to see Amajoyi’s name on top of the tackles list on more than just one occasion this season.
Name: Lance Patterson
Sport: Men’s Soccer
Junior midfielder Lance Patterson has been the unquestioned leader for the Aggies on the pitch. He leads UC Davis with four goals and an assist for nine points. The Aurora, Colo. native has 14 shots on the season, seven of which have been on target. Patterson had the biggest goal for the Aggies on the young season – an overtime, sudden death score against San Jose State to give UC Davis its first win of the season.
Name: Allison Kelly
Sport: Women’s Soccer
The youthful UC Davis women’s soccer team has put up 100 shots in just nine games so far this season. Sophomore forward Allison Kelly has been the centerpiece of the Aggie offense, leading the squad with four goals. The Sacramento native scored the lone goal in the Aggies’ 1-0 victory over rival Sacramento State. In order for UC Davis to compete in the tight Big West Conference, Kelly needs to continue leading the Aggie offense.
Name: Kathleen Brandl
Sport: Women’s Soccer
Scoring is only half the path to victory – a strong defense is just as important. There has been no one as key to the Aggies’ defense than sophomore goalie Kathleen Brandl. The Redwood City, Calif. native has succumbed just seven goals in as many games and has posted one shutout. Brandl will need to be a wall in goal for the Aggies to succeed down the road.
Name: Betsy Sedlak
Sport: Volleyball
The Aggies are young but talented. One of the key veterans is junior middle blocker Betsy Sedlak. She is second on the team with 119 kills but it’s her hitting percentage that really separates her from the rest of the squad. The Pleasanton, Calif. native is hitting a staggering .495 on the season, tops on the squad. Sedlak earned Most Valuable Player honors at the Southern Methodist University Invitational earlier in the season, leading the Aggies to an undefeated record at the event.
Name: Kayla Varney
Sport: Volleyball
Senior outside hitter Kayla Varney is on her way to the UC Davis record books. The Murrieta, Calif. native became the sixth Aggie ever to top the millennium mark in career kills. Varney has stepped into the libero role nicely this season, earning top libero at two tournaments this season. Look for Varney and her leadership to be key for the Aggies once Big West play starts.
Name: Lauren Sawvelle
Sport: Field Hockey
It’s only been two seasons but the UC Davis field hockey team has been making huge strides with each game. The Aggies have already won three games, two more than they did all last season. Sophomore goalie Lauren Sawvelle has been a key to UC Davis’ successes. The San Diego native has been solid in the net this season, racking up 48 saves and giving up just 13 goals. Sawvelle already has two shutouts on the young season.
Name: Aaron Salit
Sports: Men’s Water Polo
Junior center Aaron Salit redshirted last year. It looks like the rest paid off. The Mill Valley, Calif. native is having a commanding 2010 campaign thus far. He has 20 goals on the season in just seven games. What’s more remarkable is Salit’s shooting percentage. The center has made 57.1 percent of his shots, a team high. He already has three hat tricks this season.
Name: Jonathan Sees
Sport: Cross Country
If the Aggies want to be successful this season, senior Jonathan Sees is going to need to be on top of his game. The senior from Newark, Calif. is one of the captains on the men’s side after finishing 12th at the Big West Championships last season.
Name: Austin Graham
Sport: Men’s Golf
Austin Graham is on his way to becoming one of the best golfers in UC Davis history. Graham led the Aggies in scoring, top 20 finishes and 54-hole scores last season. Graham had a busy summer playing as an amateur, winning the Memorial Amateur Title in Sacramento. He needed to sink a 25-foot putt to secure the victory. The experienced UC Davis men’s golf team will look to Graham to lead the way toward a Big West title.
Name: Alice Kim
Sport: Women’s Golf
Division I All American. NCAA Division I All-West Region. First Team All-Big West. And Alice Kim isn’t even done. The senior from Walnut, Calif. led the Aggies with 73.4 average last year. Kim finished 33rd at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitation at the University of New Mexico on Sept. 17 to 18. After a historic campaign last season, The California Aggie’s reigning Team of the Year will look to do it again. The Aggies should be in good hands with Kim leading the way.
The Aggie Sports Desk can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
