Top 25 Stories of 2022: January-May

12/29/2022 10:00:00 AM

With 2022 coming to a close, UCSDTritons.com takes a look back at the top 25 stories on our site in 2022. The stories were selected based on number of page views as well editorial input from the Athletic Communications staff.

Today, we look back at the top twelve from January through May. The second half of 2022 will be featured on Friday.

Feb. 11 | Huge Comeback Nets Men’s Volleyball’s First-Ever Win Over BYU

Coming from two sets down, the 14th-ranked UC San Diego men's volleyball team clawed its way back and upset No. 11 BYU in five sets on the road.

Feb. 20 | Triton Women Win First-Ever MPSF Swim Championship!

UC San Diego recorded two team records and the Tritons were on the podium in seven events as the UC San Diego women's swimming & diving team captured the 2022 MPSF Championship for the first time on the final day of the ninth MPSF conference championship hosted at East Los Angeles College. The Triton women finished with 712.5 points to top second place Hawai'i (700).

Feb. 28 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC Call UC San Diego Home Once Again

For the second time in the last three seasons, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer recently wrapped up training on the UC San Diego campus. Vancouver utilized UC San Diego's RIMAC Fields for training in addition to the Spanos Athletic Performance Center facilities for strength and conditioning. The Whitecaps played two exhibition matches inside Triton Soccer Stadium, facing the Tijuana Xolos of Liga MX and the USL's New Mexico United.

Mar. 13 | Kim Wins Saber Title at Inaugural MPSF Championships

Junior Shawn Kim of the UC San Diego fencing team won his second title in as many days as he won the Men's Saber event at the inaugural Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championships.

Mar. 15 | From Grabbing Boards to the Boardroom

He's there when you need him. Whether it's for a late-game moment of refocusing or for help sorting through a grad school application, he's the go-to option. Jake Killingsworth isn't the Tritons' top scoring option. He didn't bring home any Big West Conference hardware. But what he does bring to the UC San Diego men's basketball team is far more valuable.

Mar. 21 | Harrington, Avillion Capture Big West Scholar-Athlete Honors

Former Tritons Gabe Avillion and Sherriah Harrington have been recognized as two of the 22 Scholar-Athletes of the Year by The Big West for 2021. Two student-athletes from each institution – one male and one female – were honored by their institutions and the conference for their accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and in their communities.

Mar. 29 | Harper Announces Retirement, Ustazewski Named Head Coach

After more than four decades of service to UC San Diego – including the last 42 as the head men's water polo coach – Denny Harper has announced that he will retire effective July 1. On the heels of Harper's decision, Director of Athletics Earl W. Edwards has named former Triton standout Matthew Ustaszewski '04 the program's new head coach.

Apr. 8 | Set Up Success: Family Ties + Volleyball Ties

His mom and dad met at UC San Diego. He learned to swim at the pool next door to Main Gym, where his dad spent four years playing Division III men's volleyball as a Triton. His dad handed out flyers to support the student fee referendum that funded RIMAC Arena. And his mom was one of the first students to pay for those fees that constructed the arena he plays in now. Plus, five of his cousins have attended UC San Diego, representing both sides of his family. He was even born at Scripps Hospital on campus.

Apr. 14 | Feeding Her Competitive Spirit

The more she talks about her teams, the more you can tell how much she loves both distinct worlds. The captain of both the UC San Diego women's tennis team and Sitaare, a competitive South Asian a cappella team, Shweta Kumar has grown into her leadership roles over the last four years.

Apr. 18 | Brotherly Love

It doesn't take much to get William Lan and Phillip Lan laughing, especially when they're together. They have more inside jokes than they can count, and they make Timmer Willing, their head coach on the UC San Diego men's tennis team, crack up more often than he'd like to admit. And the twin brothers, both juniors, do nearly everything together. They have for basically their entire lives.

Apr. 28 | Leading From the Stern

It might be hard to imagine real estate and rowing having much in common, but for Bailey Kim, the two worlds are bound together by a common thread: competition. One of UC San Diego men's rowing's coxswains and team captains, Bailey is also a member of the university's team for this year's NAIOP University Challenge real estate development competition. Despite having plenty to prove in her two competitive arenas, she has earned respect in both of them through hard work and caring for her teammates.

May 19 | Williams & Cecil Earn All-Region

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has announced 381 student-athletes from 152 programs have received 2022 NFCA Division I All-Region accolades. Sophomore Gabby Williams earned West Region First Team honors while freshman Jada Cecil earned West Region Second Team honors for UC San Diego. The pair are the first Tritons to earn Division I NFCA honors for UC San Diego as they are in their second year of reclassifying to Division I.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rates among all public institutions in Divisions I and II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.

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