University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Olympic Update - Aug. 22
August 23, 2004 | Bruin Athletics
Aug. 23, 2004
Athens, Greece - The USA softball team advanced to the gold medal game, former UCLA volleyball players Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs of the USA and Mark Williams of Australia moved on to the semifinal medal rounds on the beach, and Wiz Bachman and the USA women advanced indoors during Day Nine of the 2004 Olympics Games.
Softball
With her arm and with her bat, Lisa Fernandez led Team USA to a 5-0 victory over Australia in the semifinals that sent the Americans into the gold medal match. Fernandez pitched a three-hit shutout and drove in the United States' first run in the fourth inning. Stacey Nuveman also had an RBI in the game.
For a complete recap, click HERE.
Women's Beach Volleyball
America's two beach volleyball duos won Olympic quarterfinal matches Sunday to set up a showdown for a berth in the gold-medal match. Fourth-ranked Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs defeated the eighth-ranked German pair of Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau 21-17, 21-17 before top-seeded Misty May and Kerri Walsh ousted No. 16 Guylaine Dumont and Annie Martin of Canada 21-19, 21-14.
For a complete recap, click HERE.
Men's Beach Volleyball
Australians Mark Williams (UCLA '01) and Julien Prosser eliminated the team from Germany Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Beach Volleyball competition of the Athens Olympics. Williams and Prosser defeated Christoph Dieckmann and Andreas Scheuerpflug 16-21, 21-19, 15-10 in 62 minutes in a match where the temperatures reached 108 degrees on the sand.
For a complete recap, click HERE.
Women's Indoor Volleyball
The USA women's volleyball team cruised to a 25-22, 25-12, 25-19 victory over Cuba in a must-win match. With the win, the United States finished fourth in Pool B and will play Brazil in the tournament quarterfinals. UCLA alum Wiz Bachman did not play.
Track & Field
Sheena Johnson advanced to the finals of the 400m hurdles by placing third in semifinal one with a time of 54.32. Joanna Hayes won her qualifying heat in the 100m hurdles, advancing to Monday's semifinals with a meet-best time of 12.71.
Five-time Olympian Gail Devers injured her leg during qualification of the 100m hurdles and did not finish her race.
"I can say I had a great run at all my Olympics," Devers said. "I knew before I got in the blocks that it was gone already. My head said `I'm running, and if it's going to pull 10 times in the race, it's just going to have to pull.' The lesson I learned is you have to be tough. If you set a goal for yourself and keep the dream alive, nobody can stop you. It doesn't mean you have to be No. 1. That's what excellence is. That doesn't always mean that you'll get to what other people think is excellence. That's the gold medal that everybody says has eluded me. Do I think I'm a failure? I'm nowhere near being a failure because what God has blessed me with is endurance and mental strength and regardless of obstacles I'm faced with I'm going to conquer them. I believe I conquered them tonight just getting out there and trying when I already knew it was gone. My career is not over. I'm here, I'm alive, I'm not healthy but I'm alive. I've been blessed."
