Sports

In November of 2002, the UC Davis student body voted in favor of increasing student fees to help its athletics program move to the Big West Conference and the Division I ranks.

It paid off last week.

UC Davis distance runners shined at Friday night's New York Road Runners Distance Carnival portion of California's Brutus Hamilton Invitational.

Headlining their performances was junior Russ Pfaff's second-place finish in the steeplechase (8:48.81), which easily qualified him for regionals. Additionally, that time puts him second all-time at UC Davis, No. 2 in the West Region and No. 9 in the nation.

With the season nearing its end, the Aggies came out firing at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament in Palo Alto, Calif.

The Aggies entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed, where they'd face heavily favored No. 4 Denver.

There's a phrase that most rowing coaches use to warn their team: Don't run out of water. The warning serves to remind rowers that in the end - even if they're on the stronger team - the first team to cross the line is still the winner.

Unfortunately for UC Davis this weekend, it ran out of water on Saturday.

Senior Sirena Williams continued her record-breaking season in the 100m hurdles on Saturday, as she clocked a 13.79 to break her week-old record of 13.83.

She finished sixth in the elite section, which was won by Olympic silver medalist Hyleas Fountain.

The UC Davis men's golf team almost wasn't the school's first Big West Conference championship winner.

The women's team finished league championship play at the San Luis Obispo Country Club roughly an hour before the men's field put the wraps on its tournament.

Teams: UC Davis at No. 6 Cal State Fullerton

Records: Aggies, 7-28 (1-8); Titans, 25-11 (6-6)

Where: Dobbins Stadium

When: Friday at 2:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.

The UC Davis men's golf team headed to the San Luis Obispo Country Club for the Big West Conference Tournament with a bad taste in its mouth. The Aggies were nine holes away from winning the conference title last season before letting things slip away. "We let an opportunity go last year," said coach Cy Williams said before the tournament.

Event: Brutus Hamilton Invitational

Where: Edwards Stadium - Berkeley, Calif.

When: Friday and Saturday; all day

Teams: UC Davis vs. Oregon State; No. 22 Cal Poly

Records: Aggies, 21-21 (5-7); Beavers, 22-22; Mustangs 31-9 (10-2)

Where: LaRue Field

When: Today at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.; Saturday at noon and 2 p.m.; Sunday at noon

The Aggies knew they were in good shape to make a run at the Big West Conference title.

UC Davis had momentum on its side. It had posted three top-five finishes in its past five tournaments, and had two players - Chelsea Stelzmiller and Alice Kim - comfortably seated on the Big West's first team.

All they needed was a little luck and a lot of great swings to propel them to that top spot at the conference tournament in San Luis Obispo on Monday and Tuesday.

Teams: UC Davis vs. Sacramento State

When: Saturday; time TBA

Where: Sacramento Aquatics Center - Lake Natoma

Did you know? In crew you can "catch crabs" - no, not the kind you eat.

Event: Brutus Hamilton Invitational

Where: Edwards Stadium - Berkeley, Calif.

When: Friday and Saturday; all day

Event: Big West Conference Championship

Teams: No. 9 UC Davis vs. TBA

Records: Aggies, 22-9 (4-1)

Where: Chris Kjelsden Pool - Stockton, Calif.

When: Saturday at 5:45 p.m.; Sunday at TBA

Event: Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship

Teams: UC Davis vs. Denver

Records: Aggies, 5-10 (2-4); Pioneers, 10-6 (4-2)

Where: Laird Q. Cagan Stadium - Palo Alto, Calif.

When: Today at 6 p.m.