Thursday, July 2

UCLA’s only two distance swimmers share unique bond

Margaux Verger Gourson and Sandra Soe have shared classes, a suite on the Hill and even the same major, sociology. As the only two distance swimmers on the UCLA swimming team, they also share a demanding training schedule. Read more...

Photo: Senior swimmer Margaux Verger Gourson finished just .01 seconds ahead of junior swimmer Sandra Soe in UCLA’s dual meet against USC earlier this month. The two flipped positions in the 1650 when Soe took first and Verger Gourson took second at the same meet. (Ken Shin/Daily Bruin staff)


Freshman guard Kris Wilkes talks Indiana roots, experiences at UCLA

Rarely had Kris Wilkes struggled to score. A five-star recruit who tore through Indiana high school basketball, the freshman guard started the year looking like he might do the same at the college level, averaging 16.8 points a game in his first four outings. Read more...

Photo: Kris Wilkes came into UCLA as a five-star recruit, and the freshman guard has been a fixture of the Bruins’ starting rotation ever since. The Indiana native has started every single game for the Bruins in 2018-2019, averaging 13.5 points per game during his rookie campaign. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)


Bruin propels swimming career through motivation, perseverance

When the weather got bad, and practice was canceled, most kids would go home and enjoy the rest of the day. Emma and Dylan Schanz’s passion for swimming kept them by the pool. Read more...

Photo: Junior Emma Schanz has already qualified to compete in her third consecutive NCAA championships this season. Schanz also competed in the Olympic trials in 2016. (Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin)


Senior gymnast earns scholarship after three years as a walk-on

Some collegiate gymnasts get their start in elite clubs when they first start to walk. Others have parents who were gymnasts, so they grow up around the sport. Read more...

Photo: Senior JaNay Honest’s journey of joining UCLA gymnastics started on a playground in her elementary school years and included some stops in Westwood along the way. (Kristie-Valerie Hoang/Assistant Photo editor)


Former high school rivals develop chemistry, bond at UCLA

Coach Cori Close received an unusual text message from her freshman point guard in 2015. “I don’t think we should recruit Kennedy Burke,” Jordin Canada wrote. Read more...

Photo: After competing against one another at rival high schools for three years, senior guard Jordin Canada and junior forward Kennedy Burke have become inseparable as teammates for UCLA women’s basketball. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)


Softball sisters look to play college game together for first time

During one of Briana and Kylee Perez’s first experiences with softball, then-11-year-old Kylee Perez threw the ball right at then-8-year-old Briana Perez’s face, knocking out a tooth in the process. Read more...

Photo: Kylee (left) and Briana (right) Perez were multisport athletes when they were younger, but as time went on they both decided to focus their efforts on softball. After playing together at the club level and in high school, the Perez sisters are on the same roster yet again. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)


Brothers double up for UCLA tennis, bring camaraderie to collegiate play

Coach Billy Martin can only remember one other pair of brothers on the UCLA men’s tennis team in his 34-year tenure as a coach. And as rare as brothers on the same team is, Austin and Connor Rapp’s support for one another makes their presence even more significant. Read more...

Photo: The Rapp brothers initially played both tennis and baseball when they were little, but then began focusing exclusively on tennis. Austin Rapp played doubles last year on court two, clinching the ITA Kick-Off Weekend with partner Joseph DiGiulio. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)



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