This was never the plan – sports writing, that is.

In fact, I had no plan. I didn’t know what I wanted to spend the majority of my college life doing.

That was until a friend showed me an advertisement in The California Aggie. It said “Want to get paid to write about sports?”

Paid? Yes. Sports? Yes. Write? Well… Do I get paid? Okay, yes.

Less than two years later, I fell into the position of sports editor and the slot on “The Backstop” where I greet you every Monday with one of my UC Davis athletics-related rants.

Now, I am still paid – not much considering the state of the UC budget and worse yet, The California Aggie’s budget.

But, hey. It wasn’t a bad gig.

During this year, I was able to see our football team play at Fresno State (forget the result), a former Aggie soccer player lace up for the San Jose Earthquakes, the men’s basketball squad snap a 70-year streak, our women’s basketball team cut down the nets and the women’s volleyball team take down No. 23 UC Irvine in a packed Hickey Gym, just to name a few.

What began as a brilliant year in UC Davis sports for me became tumultuous, though, when the announcement was made that UC Davis was going to have to eliminate anywhere from five to nine sports from the athletic program.

To my pleasant surprise (but not to some) only four were cut. It wasn’t all pleasant, though. For me, it was an honor to say that I was the editor of a sports desk that covered 27 intercollegiate teams, not to mention club sports.

Now that number is 23 – a sour note on which to end what was a phenomenal year in UC Davis athletics.

I know I’ve shoved it down your throats a thousand times, but we won seven conference titles this year! Add individual wrestling and cross country league titles to that, too.

Yep, this was a solid year on the Aggies’ end. That’s not it, though. What about those who have left UC Davis to pursue their sport professionally?

Tommy Hernandez and Bakari Grant each signed National Football League deals. Daniel Descalso is one phone call away from his major league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals. Quincy Amarikwa finished his first full season in Major League Soccer. Urijah Faber is emerging as one of the top pure athletes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The point is that UC Davis’ sports teams accomplished a lot of great things this year. These achievements shouldn’t be mitigated, minimized or sullied because of the fact that four sports were cut.

Hell, I would be the first one to tell you I wish we could get those sports back. However, having spoken to those close to the situation and worked for a newspaper that has undergone tough financial times, I’ve come to realize it was an unfortunate but necessary fate.

Had enough from me yet?

That’s fine. This is the last time you’ll have to hear from me, at least about anything related to Aggie sports. Like Adam Loberstein, last year’s sports editor, I have decided to forgo staying on the sports desk for another year and instead take my talent to the next level.

Okay, not quite. Yeah, I’ll be moving up to a higher calling. Talent, though? I’ll let you be the judge.

In all seriousness, however, I’ll be the Managing Editor of The Aggie for the next academic year. So, if you need a job that provides good hands on and academic experience, work for The Aggie. There are a wide variety of positions (writers, copy readers, layout artists, ad reps, distributors, cartoonists, columnists, etc.). See where to email me below.

So don’t fret. You know where to find me. I won’t be far and hey, you may even see me lurking around football and basketball games with my media credentials attached to my belt loop because I hate wearing it around my neck.

And maybe you’ll come up to me and talk about UC Davis sports and it will bring me back to the good ole’ days. You might also ask how many conference titles the Aggies will win in the upcoming year.

I say, let’s go for eight.

MAX ROSENBLUM happily passes the sports editor torch off to Jason Alpert. You’re going to do great things. MAX can be reached at managing@theaggie.org.

Nine male and seven female Aggies traveled to Austin, Tex. to compete in the NCAA preliminary championships in hopes of qualifying for the NCAA championships held at Eugene, Ore.

They would not only need to race with the best they had all season, but also be ready to perform and come out on top.

“When the gun goes off, you have to be ready to go,” said men’s coach Jon Vochatzer. “[Athletes] from those southern schools run fast and jump high. I think our kids got a good taste of what other track programs in the country achieve.”

Though they faced the best track and field athletes from the best schools, UC Davis will send Polly Gnepa to Eugene. Gnepa ran the 110-meter high hurdles in 13.77 seconds despite knocking down seven of the ten hurdles.

“He was really over-excited,” said Jon. “He has developed so much. He’s been trying to put the perfect race together and we hope to see that in Oregon. I hope his last races will have that perfect moment that he’s been searching for his last four years.”

Gnepa wasn’t the only Aggie that hit the ground running this weekend as several other athletes posted career bests.

Ray Green and Igor Seriba both broke personal records in the triple jump, going 50-6.75 and 49-9.75, respectively. It is the first time that Green cleared 50 feet.

In her last event ever for UC Davis, Sirena Williams finished seventeenth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 13.56. She was the only Aggie to keep her time under 14 seconds.

“She had a good, solid race,” said women’s coach Deanne Vochatzer. “The kind of times required [to advance] were ridiculously tough in the sprints, jumps and hurdles. It was going to be a tall order. Still, she ran only two-hundredths of a second slower. Her growth, finishing up as a captain, leader, school record holder-she had a great career as an Aggie.”

This weekend was also a time of transition as retiring coaches Deanne and Jon didn’t travel with the team. Instead, coach Byron Talley went with the team to try his hand in bringing a team to a top competition.

“After this many years, all we want to do is help coach Byron with any transition and stay out of the way,” Deanne Vochatzer said. “[Coach Jon and I] want to take a step back. This was my fortieth year of my coaching career. I want to reenter civilian life as I call it.”

MATT WANG can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

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.

“It was all about working, teaching classes and being the head track-and-field coaches,” Jon said. “We were five feet away from each other in our office, but in all the years of coaching, we never drove to work together. We left at different times. We never even parked next to each other.”

The Vochatzers will retire in June, but their dedication to UC Davis throughout the nearly 50 combined seasons of involvement will be remembered.

Jon began his Aggie career in 1979 and earned Coach of the Year honors seven times before the program joined the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

From that point on he guided the Aggies to 14 Big West Conference championships and coached 80 NCAA All-Americans, including nine national champions.

Additionally, he earned West Region Coach of the Year honors – six times for indoor and seven times outdoor.

Beyond the university, Jon assisted at the Olympic Festival in 1995 and the World University Games in 1997. In 1998, he was named to the United States coaching staff for the 1999 IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Spain.

“I’ve had a great career as far as wins and losses and championships,” he said. “Every award I received was special. If I look at all the special moments, there are so many that I could highlight.”

But he said the respect he gained on a national and international scale was not the pinnacle of his track and field career.

“People always say it takes so long to get through all those years of work, but the years at UC Davis went by so fast,” Jon said. “It’s an ever-changing environment with new athletes coming in, going through, graduating and getting out into the real world. That’s what these years have been about.”

According to the Vochatzers, this is because the UC Davis athletic department “gets it.”

“I’ve had numerous opportunities to move on to different universities,” Jon said, “but I’ve chosen to stay at UC Davis. We’ve always had the family-type atmosphere in our program over the years, making sure the kids have a great experience, and that’s what I would like to leave behind with our new staff.”

His wife could not have agreed more.

“I want to win, absolutely, but I also understand what happens when those kids graduate and walk out the door,” Deanne said. “They have to be ready to take on Corporate America, which goes beyond the Xs and Os and the stopwatch.

“We’re just as concerned with them graduating in their chosen majors as we are with them running fast, jumping high and throwing far. I hope that never changes.”

In Deanne’s career at UC Davis, she helped guide the program into its NCAA Division I era, and build the foundation for the successful program.

In 1999, she won Region Coach of the Year honors in both indoor and outdoor, and also garnered the NCAA Division II National Women’s Coach of the Year honor.

In 2001, Deanne was named West Region Outdoor Coach of the Year. In 2003, she received her fifth of such honors for the CCAA.

Beyond track and field at the university level, she was named the head coach of the 1996 U.S. Team at the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.

As the third woman to ever be offered the position, Deanne said she wanted to share the experience with her squad.

“The team was very excited,” Deanne said. “They went on the trip with me as far as sharing every aspect of [the Olympic Games]. It was wonderful to share that with the kids and the coaches on staff, and it was really a community experience.”

With years of experience under their belts, the Vochatzers’ colleagues in the athletic department would say that the husband and wife team has had a solid impact on the Aggies.

“The Vochatzers are synonymous with track and field at UC Davis and are among the most respected coaches in the country,” said Athletic Director Greg Warzecka. “They have had a positive impact on hundreds of student-athletes and coaches, and it’s that mentoring which might be their greatest contribution to UC Davis.”

Overall, the respectable team of Jon and Deanne Vochatzer has enjoyed its years in the program.

“We’re probably the only married couple in the country at the same school, the same sport and both head coaches.” Jon said. “It’s been a great opportunity to work together and it’s been a fun time all the way.”

GRACE SPRAGUE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

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.

Why do you love hurdling and running?

I love to sprint. Hurdling is one of those things that either you like or you don’t. It’s not for everyone. If you like to sprint and love the challenge, hurdling is definitely for you.

Where did you get your start running track?

It was in junior high P.E. where we did some track. We did hurdling, and I thought that it was kind of fun. In junior high, I was an okay hurdler, so when I got to high school, I tried out for hurdling and took it from there.

Could you describe the season for yourself so far? You’ve been here a couple of years, what do you see in this one that makes it stand out?

I think it’s gone really well in comparison with two seasons ago, where I didn’t start running well until the end of the season. From early on this year I started hitting the times I wanted to hit. For the team, we are trying to get new guys in the relays. We have two freshmen that we’re trying to get in the mix and trying to get prepared. Hopefully, they’ll carry the torch for the years to come. Otherwise, I’m really happy. At the Big West Conference, I hit 13 seconds in my event.

As a senior, how do the previous years rank up to this one?

As a freshman, I was just starting out – but these last two years, I’ve been getting the times. I’ve been getting my form down, and my speed up. [This year] has been going great. I can’t wait for the [NCAA preliminary championships], to run and drop my time down even more at nationals.

Everybody expects you to run faster each year, and that’s not necessarily the case. What are you doing to improve every year?

I’ve had my share of bad races where I don’t see any improvement. I have to keep telling myself it will work. I have to keep on pushing, doing drills, and I know it will click. One of these races, it will click. Last year, it clicked. I now have something to look back to and know if I stay with my program, the times will drop and that matters.

Coach Jon and Deanne Vochatzer [cq] have been instrumental to your improvement over the years. What do you think of coaches Dee and Jon Vochatzer retiring?

I remember when they told us at picture day. They got us all together and made the announcement. I was thinking, “What? Did they say what I think they said?” I remember coming in as a freshman wanting to go to Davis. As I looked through the different coaches at different schools, I saw what [the Vochatzers] did and was blown away. This was definitely a place where I can grow as an athlete. They’ve helped me throughout my career. [Laughs]. When you think of track and field, you have to think of Coach Dee and V. It’s sad to see them go.

How have the Vochatzers prepared you for NCAAs, Big West Conference Championships and life?

The coaches have definitely changed me a lot. Coming in as a senior in high school I had this attitude of, “They may change me a little bit, but they’re not going to change me a lot. There’s not much that they can do.” I’ve definitely changed a lot and it’s been tremendous. To get me to the top of the meets – I’m definitely thankful for that.

You’re traveling this year to Texas with 15 other teammates for the NCAA Preliminary Championships. It’s pretty much your entire squad that went to conference. Does going with people you know give you an edge because you can feed off of each other’s energy?

Definitely. Anytime you can have people you know it gives you an extra boost. We may not see them, but it’s definitely a plus. At regional’s last year, some people had huge teams. The bigger teams brought more people, and it felt like a conference meet because they were all cheering.

Do you have anything to say for the students who know nothing about track? What do you want all the students to know?

Either if you’re a big diehard track fan or not, our track program is something you should watch out for. We’ve been getting a lot better. We’ve been up there at the big meets, and we’re up there with the different coaches in the region. We are definitely not there yet, but we’re getting more people and expanding. We are going to get back to the point where our dreams are for the top spot at the Big West Conference Championships. Just head out some Saturday and cheer. There are great athletes and great people from a lot of different schools. If you’re not a fan yet, you’ll become one in the days to come because we’re ready to run.

MATT WANG can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

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.”

Because the club is divided into two teams, A and B, the accomplishments were twice as many. Team A and B compete in Division I and II, respectively, but are members of the Western Women’s Lacrosse League (WWLL).

While Team A earned much of the spotlight of the 10-2 WWLL record, it’s easy to overlook that this was the first time Team B played competitively together. The second team was provisional last year, but they came out hard this season to post a 6-3 record.

“I started as a sophomore and to see how far we have come, it has been great to be acknowledged as a team,” Musser said.

Team A earned a playoff spot and finished in third place in the WWLL. Their strong play gave them the bid for the Women’s Division Intercollegiate Associates National Championship, hosted in Scottsdale, Ariz.

In their first national competition, the No. 4 seeded Aggies seemed poised as ever and handily defeated No. 13 Boston College in the opening round.

They went on to play Cal Poly in what was a hard-fought game, but fell in the first 30 seconds of overtime.

“Going into the game, we felt a little pressure,” Lee said. “They had made it (to nationals) every year. It came down to who wanted it more. We wanted it just as much, but I think experience helped them in the end.”

Despite the loss, the Aggies finished seventh in the nation by winning their last game against Brigham Young.

This has been a team that hasn’t needed that extra push from their captains all year. There’s no point since they are always pushing themselves.

“The team is self-motivated. When we have fun, we play our best,” Musser said. “It’s the drive within us. It’s not just the effort of the leaders.”

Nicole Crayton said they have a special way to stir up players before competition.

“We each have our own way of motivating,” Crayton said. “Each game, we have pump-ups. Sometimes it’s a song or a cheer. We use them to get us going and ready for the game.”

Being just one-year removed as a player, head coach Erica Jue helps the team realize that concentrating on the next game is all that matters.

“With Erica being on team last year, the coaches knew we were talented enough for nationals,” Musser said. “We do have players with talent, but I would say what’s unique about us is everyone’s capable of helping the team.”

Lee says, however, there are still skills worth honing for next season if they want repeated success.

“Our attack needs a little work,” Lee said. “We need to learn to read each other better and play more cohesively.”

Although the Aggies have to deal with loss of some key teammates, the camaraderie around the team keeps their spirits constantly high.

“We are only losing four seniors,” Musser said. “We’re one of the smallest teams in the league. Our team is such a family and keeping it small is key.”

Crayton was in awe of the national attention the team received all season and with a little more improvement sees no reason it should change in the future.

“The recognition on the national level even increased after the (Cal Poly) loss,” Crayton said. “It could have easily been us (in the championship).”

The Aggies have refused to settle on just making it back to the national championships. With a few minor tweaks, the teams may finally have the national experience that hindered them against more seasoned competitors on the big stage.

MARCOS RODRIGUEZ can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Teams: UC Davis at UC Riverside

Records: Aggies, 25-27 (8-13); Highlanders, 29-21 (11-10)

Where: Riverside Sports Complex – Riverside, Calif.

When: Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m.

Who to watch: In order to extend their four-game winning streak, the Aggies will need to be firing on all cylinders.

One facet of the game that could dictate the outcome of this series is the starting pitching. There is no man more important to the UC Davis rotation than southpaw Dayne Quist.

The sophomore who hails from Santa Cruz, Calif. is 7-4 on the year with a 5.38 ERA in 88.2 innings pitched. In addition, his 76 strikeouts on the season rank fourth in the Big West Conference.

Did you know?: Tuesday’s non-conference game against Stanford was cancelled due to rain and will not be rescheduled.

That, combined with the fact that this will be the Aggies’ final series of the season, means that UC Davis must sweep UC Riverside in order to finish the year with a winning record.

Preview: While efficient pitching is a key to victory, there is no question that the Aggies are best at the plate.

Aided by Big West Field Player of the Week David Popkins, the UC Davis offense has been strong all season.

Popkins, who leads the team in slugging percentage (.590), on base percentage (.478), runs (38), RBI (38), hits (67) and triples (3), also sports both the team-best and sixth highest batting average (.387) in the conference.

While the slugger has been unstoppable at the plate, he will need help from hitters like Scott Lyman, Eric Johnson, Justin Schafer and Kyle Mihaylo in order to out-hit a tough UC Riverside opponent.

As important as the offense is to UC Davis’ success, pitching will be integral to an Aggie victory.

Throughout the course of the season, the UC Davis pitching staff has been both incredible and disappointing. Quist began the season on a tear as all three of his complete games came in his first four starts. Closer Matthew Lewis is tied for second in the Big West in saves with seven, but he did not successfully close out his first contest until UC Davis’ 25th game of the year.

While consistency has not been their strength, the Aggies know that their pitching staff will need to show up this weekend if they hope to finish its 2010 campaign with a winning record.

“To end the season on a positive note is really important to us,” said coach Rex Peters.

– Mark Ling