Each day after work, the Vochatzers went home, kicked back and were themselves. It was a different story during the day, though, for UC Davis men's and women's track-and-field coaches Jon and Deanne Vochatzer.
Co-captain Rachel Lee said the club's success took awhile to register. With their first national tournament bid in club history, it's likely they have now captured not only their own attention, but many others as well. "(The nationals) were on the radar," said captain Rebecca Musser. "We just had to put in the work to get there. Last year was a building year and it came together this season."
For the last four years, senior Polly Gnepa has been hurdling himself into UC Davis track history. The Turlock, Calif. native won the 110-meter high hurdles with a career-best 13.79 at the Big West Conference Championships and holds the second-fastest time in school history for the event. Before the NCAA West Preliminary Championships, Gnepa took some time to talk with Aggie Sports Writer Matt Wang about his four years as an Aggie, the recent successes of the track program, and his leadership as a senior.
Ken O'Brien. J.T. O'Sullivan. Quincy Amarikwa. Urijah Faber. These are just a few of the UC Davis alumni that have or are currently establishing themselves at the professional level of their sport.
Only one Aggie remained. The rest of the team was done for the summer, but All Big West Conference First Team selection Austin Graham was teeing up at Olympic Course in Bremerton, Wash. to take part in the NCAA West Regional Championships as an individual.
Men's golf: UC Davis missed its chance to compete as a team in the NCAA West Regional Championships by virtue of a sixth-place finish at the Big West Conference Tournament.
This season was supposed to be a transition year. The UC Davis men's lacrosse team had won a grand total of just four games in its two previous seasons. The team began the year with a brand new head coach. The Aggies were ranked last in their conference heading into preseason play.
Who to watch: Power can come from unexpected places. Left fielder Heather Zimmerman is third on the team in homeruns, despite having half as many at-bats as the two sluggers ahead of her.