University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Five Bruins Named to GTE/CoSIDA District VIII Team
Five UCLA student-athletes were among those named to the 1998 GTE/CoSIDA Academic District VIII Fall/Winter At-Large teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
On the men's side, a district-high three UCLA players graced the team, including two water polo players, goalkeeper Parsa Bonderson (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Aaron Harries (Anaheim, Calif.). Bonderson, a sophomore who holds a 3.908 GPA in Physics, notched 133 saves and compiled a 6.21 goals against average in his sophomore season last fall. He also became the first UCLA student-athlete to earn straight A-pluses in a quarter. Harries, a junior with a 3.83 GPA in Physiological Sciences, was a key reserve who scored 10 goals in 1997. He has earned a 4.0 GPA in three consecutive academic quarters.
Rounding out the UCLA contingent on the men's team is soccer team co-captain, senior Josh Keller (Laguna Niguel, Calif.), who led his UCLA team to the NCAA title in 1997. Keller, a 3.668 student in Psychology, was an honorable mention All-American as well as a member of the Final Four All-Tournament team. Keller currently starts for Major League Soccer's Tampa Bay Mutiny.
Two Bruin women were selected to the women's Academic All-District VIII team -- cross country runner Katherina Kechris (Venice, Calif.) and soccer player Shannon Thomas (Thousand Oaks, Calif.). Kechris completed her senior season as the No. 1 runner on UCLA's women's cross country team. She has a 3.91 grade point average in Applied Mathematics. Thomas, a senior midfielder, led her UCLA team to the NCAA Quarterfinals, UCLA's best-ever showing in the NCAA Tournament. She carries a 3.62 GPA in Biology.
The District VIII winners advance to the GTE/CoSIDA All-American national ballot. The national Academic All-American team will be announced on April 23, 1998.
GTE/CoSIDA Academic District VIII Women's Fall/Winter At-Large Team Name Sport School Year Hometown Mary Bates Soccer Weber State Sr. Highland, UT (3.95, Diagnostic Medical Sonography) Justi Baumgardt Soccer Portland Sr. Federal Way, WA (3.39, Sociology) Maggie Chan Cross Country BYU Jr. Kwai Chung, Hong Kong (3.46, Dietics) Tricia Ferrin Soccer Weber State Jr. Layton, UT (3.92, Chemistry) Katherina Kechris Cross Country UCLA Sr. Venice, CA (3.91, Applied Mathematics) Kaarin Knudson Cross Country Oregon Sr. Anchorage, Ak (3.91, Journalism) Molly Northrop Gymnastics Utah Jr. Peoria, IL (3.92 Exercise and Sport Science) Shannon Thomas Soccer UCLA Sr. Thousand Oaks, CA (3.62, Biology) Lisa Vincijanovic Gymnastics Arizona St. Jr. Scottsdale, AZ (4.00, Zoology/Pre-Med) Hailey Wappett Skiing Utah Jr. Fairbanks, AK (3.92, Civil Engineering)GTE/CoSIDA Academic District VIII Men's Fall/Winter At-Large Team Name Sport School Year Hometown Robert Allaire Water Polo UC Irvine Sr. Carmel, CA (3.61, Physics) Parsa Bonderson Water Polo UCLA So. Santa Barbara, CA (3.908, Physics) Peter Gilmore Cross Country California Jr. Pacific Palisades, CA (3.407, Geography) Matt Harmer Cross Country Weber St. Sr. Salt Lake City, UT (3.7, Psychology) Aaron Harries Water Polo UCLA Jr. Anaheim, CA (3.83, Physiological Science) Alan Herrmann Water Polo Pepperdine Sr. Laguna Niguel, CA (3.75, Accounting) Josh Keller Soccer UCLA Sr. Laguna Niguel, CA (3.668, Psychology) Narkus Leunig Skiing Utah So. Wollerau, Switzerland (3.97, Finance) Byron Shefchik Swimming BYU Sr. Houghton, MI (3.79, Pre-Physical Therapy) Mirko Vuksic Soccer Fresno State Sr. Mission Viejo, CA (3.73, Kinesiology)