Pac-Tending 05-14-08

"It's pretty incredible."

- UCLA women's water polo athlete after the undefeated Bruins won their fourth consecutive national title.

Championship season continues at the Creek as UCLA won the national championship in women's water polo, seven teams were admitted into the NCAA softball tournament, four teams advanced into the NCAA women's golf tournament and three teams advanced to the Sweet 16 in NCAA women's tennis tourney.

Arizona State will drop three sports – men's swimming, men's tennis and wrestling – for the upcoming 2008-09 year.

Meanwhile, at NCAA HQ, the basketball rules committee considered several rule change proposals for Division I including a requirement [changed from a recommendation] that all home teams wear light-colored uniforms and all away teams wear dark-colored uniforms and no mutual consent between teams can alter the rule, a new goaltending rule where the ball is considered to be on its downward flight if it has touched the backboard and is above the level of the rim and all rims will be required to be movable [or breakaway] rims by the 2009-10 season.

In volleyball, Washington will host an NCAA regional championship site in 2008 and Stanford will host a regional site in 2009.

Oregon State

In track and field, senior distance runner Jean Marie Peterson ran the fifth-fastest 1500 meters in school history with a 4:30.43 clocking.

Arizona State

In track and field, senior heptathlete Jacquelyn Johnson won her third Pac-10 championship in the heptathlon – scoring 6307 points and breaking the conference record previously held by Wazzu's Diana Pickler.

USC

In men's hoop, the NCAA is investigating claims that former freshman O.J. Mayo may have received improper benefits while in school.

California

In men's golf, the Bears will be making their 10th appearance in the NCAA regional in the last 12 years.

Oregon

In track and field, sophomore decathlete Ashton Eaton won the decathlon championship at the Pac-10 Multi-Event Championships.

Washington

In baseball, sophomore outfielder Kyle Conley was named as the conference's player of the week.

Arizona

In men's hoop, assistant coach Josh Pastner has left the program and become an assistant at Memphis.

UCLA

In men's hoop, LSU recruit J'Mison Morgan has asked out of his national letter of intent and is reportedly interested in coming to UCLA.

WSU

In tennis, the Cougars lost their first-round NCAA tournament match to Louisiana State, 5-0, to end their season at 16-10 overall.

In track and field, senior decathlete Rickey Moody finished second in the decathlon at the Pac-10 Multi-Event Championships.

In baseball, Wazzu swept BYU, beat Gonzaga and took one game of the series against Washington to move to 28-22 overall and 6-12 in conference play with a 29 RPI.

Stanford

In wrestling, head coach Kerry McCoy resigned and accepted the head coaching position at Maryland.

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