As we wind down for the summer, I'm delighted to share five stories that truly embody Aggie Pride. From the dedication of former Aggies who remain connected to athletics to a pair of Aggies representing Team USA at the Paris Olympics, we see the strength of our community. Additionally, we celebrate the significant impact of endowment donors, four Aggies participating in a national conversation, and the recent success of Aggie Baseball. With these inspiring stories, I wish you an enjoyable summer and a hearty GO AGS! Rocko' High Fives | June 2024
- Director of Athletics, Rocko DeLuca
Student-Athlete Spotlight: Once an Aggie, Always an Aggie
The Slogan 'Once an Aggie, Always and Aggie' rings true. Especially for the eighteen current UC Davis athletics employees that are former Aggie student-athletes.
- Brena Videll | Track & Field | Assistant Sports Performance Coach
- Cy Williams | Men's Golf | Head Men's Golf Coach
- Tim Plough | Football | Head Football Coach
- Mike Cody | Football | Assistant Football Coach
- Dani Judal | Gymnastics | Assistant Ticketing Manager
- Elliot Hord | Men's Soccer | Assistant Men's Soccer Coach
- Sara Jackson | Women's Tennis | Assistant Women's Tennis Coach
- Emily Aikema | Women's Water Polo | Development Fellow
- Heather Hunter | Softball | Senior Associate Athletics Director & SWA
- Izzy Porco | Field Hockey | Assistant Field Hockey Coach
- Rachael Mack | Lacrosse | Director of Performance Nutrition
- Kevin Nosek | Men's Basketball | Associate Head Men's Basketball Coach
- Lauren Tran | Lacrosse | Events Coordinator Fellow
- JD Mico | Baseball | Assistant Director of Athletics Communications
- Tanya Ho | Gymnastics | Head Gymnastics Coach
- Jen Gross | Women's Basketball | Head Women's Basketball Coach
- Dakota Sturla | Women's Water Polo | Assistant Women's Water Polo Coach
- Janae Gonzalez | Women's Soccer | Assistant Women's Soccer Coach
- Drew Petersen | Cross Country/Track and Field | Assistant Cross Country Coach
- Erika Contreras | Track and Field| Director of Operations for TF/XC
Stand up staff: Going to the 2024 Olympics
One of the greatest honors in the career of an athletics professional is the chance to represent their country on the international stage. This summer two Aggies will receive that honor when they represent Team USA in Paris at the Summer Olympics.
UC Davis Co-Head Team Physician, Dr. Marcia Faustin continues her role as the Co-Head Team Physician for USA Women's Gymnastics. While Director of Performance Nutrition, Rachael Mack will continue in her role as Director of Performance Nutrition for USA Men's Water Polo.
Dr. Faustin's time with Team USA began in 2017 when she volunteered with gymnastics during her fellowship. "I've always loved gymnastics and I knew that I wanted to work with that team," said Faustin. In 2019, that dream became a reality when she took over as Co-Head Physician for USA Gymnastics, a role she maintains today.
Dr. Faustin faces unique challenges when treating some of the world's best athletes on the biggest stage. "The challenges I face when looking to make the best medical decision for an athlete are similar to what I see with the student-athletes here at UC Davis," said Faustin. "What's most important to me in those moments is taking care of the person in front of me, and the goal is to remember to care for the athlete as a human first and not as the world sees them in that moment."
Mack began working with the USA Men's Water Polo team in 2017, shortly after their return from the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. Her role with Team USA has evolved over the years and included working with the team during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
"My role as a performance dietitian is to create an environment that is similar to what we have at home, so the athletes' performance isn't altered by traveling to a different country," said Mack. "It's impressive to see how the athletes have grown. For most of them, the Paris Olympics are not their first and being part of their journey from a nutritional standpoint, as well as an overall growth point of view has been extremely rewarding."
Mack faces her own set of challenges in preparation for Team USA's travel to Paris.
"One of the unique challenges we face while traveling is access to foods typically eaten at home, such as peanut butter," said Mack. "When I travel with teams, I typically bring a nutrition suitcase filled with items that are harder to find in other countries, so the athletes have access to the snacks they are used to at home."
Both Aggies are excited for this opportunity and will proudly represent Team USA in Paris while playing vital roles helping both USA Women's Gymnastics and Men's Water Polo reach their goals while they seek to gain a spot on the podium.
Donor Impact: Endowment Dinner
UC Davis Athletics hosted its annualEndowmentCelebration at the Walter A. Buehler Alumni Center. The event celebratedendowmentdonors support and offers the opportunity for the donors to meet their student-athlete recipients. Close to 100 donors, student-athletes, coaches and senior administration were in attendance. Speakers included Track and Field student-athlete Alexys Ford, the Child and Meisel Families Director of Men's Water Polo Daniel Leyson, and Gregory H. Rosecrans Memorial Award donor Jimmy Trevor.
UC Davis Athletics holds 75endowments supporting grant-in-aid scholarships,programmatic needs and two head coaching positions.
Student-athletes in attendance also took part in a special EVO opportunity with Associate Athletic Director of Leadership and Professional Development, Mike Lorenzen, where they learned valuable professional and etiquette skills.
In the Community: Aggies on the National Stage
Over the weekend of May 23-26 on the campus of USC, four UC Davis student-athletes attended the 2024 Black Student-Athlete Summit, where Cole Pond, Mia Starr, Boston Stovall and Mazatlan Harris had the opportunity to network with and learn from their peers and leaders in the black community.
"The Black Student-Athlete Summit was very inspiring," recalls Boston. "It was great to see other black athletes going through the same process we are in and seeing how they were able to find success. It's a great road map for myself and other black athletes to follow."
This was the ninth edition of the Black Student Athlete Summit, and it was the second-straight year it was held at USC. Speakers ranging from two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis to Sandra Richards (Managing Director, Global Sports & Entertainment at Morgan Stanley) were able to share their stories on how they have navigated the world as black professionals both in sports and outside of sports.
Aggies in Competition: Aggie Baseball on the Rise
College athletics is undergoing a transformation. The era of traditional program building has become a relic of the past. Despite this shift, Tommy Nicholson and the UC Davis Baseball team have demonstrated remarkable improvements with each passing season since his tenure began in 2022.
Nicholson has faced an uphill battle, yet he has consistently propelled the team to new heights. The win totals have soared from six to seventeen, culminating in this recent season's twenty-nine victories. This milestone signifies only the third winning season for UC Davis in the Division I era and the first since 2015.
Reflecting on the journey, Coach Nicholson shared, "The past few years have presented significant challenges. It has been profoundly meaningful for each player to contribute to UC Davis and forge something exceptional this season. It was particularly significant for our seniors, who are departing from this baseball program in a better state than when they arrived, and for that, I am deeply appreciative."
This season's triumphs are not just a series of wins; they are the culture that Coach Nicholson has meticulously cultivated—a culture where adversity is not an obstacle but a catalyst for growth. The Aggies' ascent was marked by a series of program-changing victories that occurred throughout, including their first-ever series win over a Big 12 school, BYU, and a thrilling finish against Cal State Bakersfield with two consecutive walk-off victories.
From the season's outset in February to the peak of summer in late May, the Aggies approached each series with a competitive zeal unprecedented at Dobbins Stadium in recent memory.
In essence, the Aggies discovered myriad ways to secure victories this season. This tenacity played a significant role, and it is a quality that Nicholson has set out to instill since his leadership commenced.
Whether employing small-ball tactics, where fans witnessed the Aggies execute sacrifice bunts in numerous situations or showcasing power-hitting displays like when the team hit four home runs in the same inning at Cal Baptist, UC Davis never depended on a singular strategy to prevail. Instead, their identity was tied to their ability to adapt as necessary. While a versatile offense was a key factor in securing many victories this year, the Aggies also shined defensively, ranking second nationally in double plays executed. This defensive acumen, combined with a pitching staff that consistently performed under pressure, constituted the cornerstone of their strategy. At the forefront of the staff were UC Davis' two All-Big West performers, Bryan Green and Carter Delaney, who gave the program its second straight season with two or more Aggies receiving end-of-season honors.
"I am tremendously excited about the future of our program," Nicholson expressed. "We have a promising recruiting class arriving next year, along with a hungry group of returning players."
The Aggies' tenacity was exemplified in a dramatic come-from-behind victory at nationally-ranked UC Irvine, where they orchestrated an extraordinary ninth-inning rally, overcoming an eight-run deficit.
Moreover, the team's midweek efforts highlighted the robust culture shift and game-to-game mindset necessary to contend in the ultra-competitive Big West. With a 9-1 record in these midweek games, including three decisive victories over Sacramento State—securing UC Davis's first season sweep over their Causeway rivals since 2016—the Aggies seized every chance to maintain momentum into the weekends.
"UC Davis baseball is advancing in the right direction, yet there remains considerable work to be done across all facets," Nicholson acknowledged.
As the Aggies wrapped up their 2024 season with a strong 11-4 surge in their final 15 games, they set their sights on the 2025 season, looking to carry the growth from this year to hopefully secure a postseason berth next year in the Big West's inaugural end-of-season tournament.
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