On the evening of September 28, UC Irvine libraries presented the “Ready, Set, ZOT! UCI Athletics Since ‘65” exhibit in Langson Library to celebrate Irvine’s 50th Anniversary. The exhibit commemorates Athletics’ “dedication to excellence, commitment to success and perseverance in the face of adversity that built today’s ’Eater Nation”.
In its 50-year history, UCI has claimed 28 national championship titles, 76 conference titles and 14 conference tournament championships in round-robin sports.
“What happened before you, matters,” said men’s basketball coach Russell Turner.
Sportscaster Michael O’Sullivan moderated a panel featuring Turner, baseball coach Mike Gillespie, women’s golf coach Julie Brooks and women’s water polo coach Dan Klatt, in front of an audience that included Vice Chancellor Parham and Athletic Director Mike Izzi.
The evening celebrated past and present Anteater success as Klatt shared his experience as a student-athlete at UCI (1996-2001) and how he found his way back to Orange County where he’s since coached the women’s water polo team to a 128-79 overall mark in his eight years at the helm and a 17-3 league record since the ’Eaters joined the Big West Conference.
“I’m just so fortunate to be home,” said Klatt. “I got to come home, and I get to
be home every single day.”
In his ninth season with the ’Eaters, Gillespie described the unique makeup of the Irvine student-athlete saying, “There is a distinct lack of runaway ego and arrogance among our athletes.
“Our men and women athletes throughout our department [are] a blue-collar, lunch-pale crowd. It’s a group that’s unselfish, [they’re] great teammates and [they] come to grind it out every day.”
Those athletes have helped shape Anteater history as it's commemorated in the Muriel Ansley Reynolds Gallery and will be on display through April, 2016.
Anteaters from all eras showed their support Monday to celebrate the display, including second-longest tenured coach in UCI history, Vince O’Boyle, former men’s basketball coach Dick Davis, first female Division I female Athletic Director Linda Dempsey, current professional women’s soccer player Coco Goodson and Chris Duplanty, three-time Olympian in men’s water polo who helped UCI claim the national championship in 1989.
“It’s exciting to see what they’ve done,” said Dempsey, who enjoyed perusing the exhibit that includes Peter the Anteater through the years, photos from various championship teams and even a shoe from current men’s basketball player, Mamadou Ndiaye.
After describing that one of her goals as an educator was to bring visibility to the men and women on campus, she stressed that athletics plays a large role in said mission.
When someone from the audience asked the panel what the Anteater community can do for athletics, the panel responded saying ’Eaters can show their support by attending their events.
Answering the call, ’Eater nation came out in droves Wednesday night when UCI's women’s volleyball team played its conference home opener at Crawford Court.
At UCI, Klatt said, “The pride runs deep.”
As UC Irvine celebrates its first 50 years, it’s inspired to shape what happens in the next 50.
"READY, SET, ZOT"
Story by Olivia Phelps (@OliviaGPhelps). Video by edited Joe Hood.