While 2021 has a few more weeks until its completion, ucirvinesports.com wanted to take a look back at a few of the best moments we shared during the past 12 months.

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SHINING IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Women's soccer clinched the Big West regular season title on season finale. The Anteaters entered the regular season finale needing a win against Cal Poly to earn a share of the regular season title, and they did just that in Anteater Stadium thanks to Desiree Mendoza's 7th-minute game-winner and an insurance strike from Destinee Manzo in the 54th minute for a 2-0 shutout win. 

The two teams would met again in the Big West Championship game with UCI's capturing the program's second Big West Tournament title and first since 1997 with a 1-0 victory over Cal Poly at Anteater Stadium. Alex Jaquez's laser in the 32nd minute proved to be the winner for UC Irvine, securing a NCAA automatic tournament berth. Defender Maddy Chavez was named the Big West Tournament MVP.

The Anteaters would travel to UCLA for the NCAA first round and pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the nation and school history. A 14th-minute goal by Alyssa Moore and shutout by Glo Hinojosa and the defense shocked No. 2 national seed and No. 3 nationally-ranked UCLA who had not lost in 26 straight matches. UCI advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010 where they lost to Wisconsin. 

SEASON TO REMEMBER
UCI baseball clinched its second Big West title with 10-4 win over Cal State Fullerton in Anteater Ballpark, capping a historic 2021 season that featured a Big West record 32 wins with its first-ever home series win over the rival Titans to close out the regular season and earn an NCAA Tournament bid. 

UCI's postseason was highlighted by wins over Nevada (7-0) and North Dakota State (18-3) and a comeback win versus Stanford in NCAA Regional elimination game. UCI would trail No. 7 Stanford 4-2 with five outs to play before the Anteaters would score six runs in the bottom of the eighth highlighted by a game-tying, two-run double from Nathan Church and a single from Thomas McCaffrey to give UCI the lead for good in an 8-4 win and extend the season another day. 

Nathan Church broke a 33-year program record, registering UCI's first 100-hit season and had an NCAA-best 2.8 RBIs per game in the postseason tournament. He finished as the NCAA leader in triples with eight in 2021. 

Dillon Tatum broke the UCI single-season homerun record with 15. The catcher hit a titanic blast in the NCAA Regional Final for his 15th of the season to break the record. His home run season included two 3-game HR streaks, two multi-homer games, and a walk-off to defeat Oregon State. 

FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS
Josh Farmer became the fourth Anteater in program history to advance to the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in the decathlon, and first since his father, Matt, in 1991. Farmer earned second-team All-America honors with a 16th-place finish in the two-day, 10-event competition. He qualified for nationals with a personal-record 7,648 points at the APU Franson Classic Multis. That mark ranks second in school history and was the top score in the Big West in 2021.
 
ANTEATERS REACH THE TITLE GAME TOGETHER
For the first time in school history, UCI had both the men's and women's teams playing in the Big West Basketball Championship games.
 
The UC Irvine women's basketball team defeated UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly to advance to the Big West championship game for the first time since 1997. The second-seeded Anteaters opened the tournament with a 92-90 win over No. 7 seed UCSB in the quarterfinals. They established postseason program records in points (92), field goals made (33) and field goal percentage (55.9%). The 'Eaters also defeated sixth-seeded Cal Poly, 68-59, in the semifinals. Chloe Webb and Kayla Williams were both named to the Big West All-Tournament Team.
 
On the men's side, the Anteaters were No. 2 seed, advancing to the championship game of the Big West Tournament for the fourth-consecutive year. UCI entered the contest riding a season-best six game win streak which included victories over Cal Poly (58-51) and UC Riverside (78-61) in the first two rounds. Collin Welp and Brad Greene were named to the All-Tournament Team. UCI finished the season, ranking sixth in field goal percentage defense (38.7), 11th in rebound margin (7.7), 21^st in rebounds per game (39.59) and 25^th in total rebounds (1,069) in the nation.
 
BRINGING HOME A BIG WEST TITLE
A pair of men's soccer grad transfers helped UCI clinch a share of Big West regular season title on finale at Cal State Fullerton. Coach Raz's club entered the regular season finale needing a win and a UCSB loss for a share of the Big West title. Ryan Khedoo provided his first goal of the season at the most opportune time, making it 1-0 in the 62nd minute. Fellow grad transfer, Gordon Botterill, stepped up in the 77th minute stopping a penalty kick attempt to preserve the shutout, lead, and win to help secure UCI's second title in three seasons. 

RECORD SETTING PERFORMANCE AT THE BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIPS
Women's golfer Megan Yang fired a round of 65 on the first day of the Big West Championships, recording a new school record, bettering the 66 posted by Jane Chin in 2008 and Patty Chawalitmetha in 2007.The Anteaters led the tournament field for the first two days of action, posting a school record 282 on the first round. The team's round of 282 bettered the old mark of 284 set during the second of the 2009 NCAA West Regional. 

HOME SWEET HOME
Hosting the Big West Track & Field Championships for the first time since 2012, UC Irvine had one of its best performances in recent years, winning titles in five individual events and one relay. Kayla Richardson led the way, earning Big West Women's Track Athlete of the Meet honors after sweeping the 100m and 200m, while also joining forces with Natalie Koppel, Mia Marquez and Aryel Coats to win the 4x100. Brianna Villanueva, the Women's Field Athlete of the Meet, took home the discus crown, and Hannah Chau secured the Anteaters' first Big West 10K title in 19 years. On the men's side, Kyle Tsu claimed top honors in the shot put.
 
CONTINUED SUCCESS
The women water polo team earned a No. 4 preseason national ranking by the CWPA, marking the highest ranking in program history to open a season. The Anteaters advanced to the championship game of the 2021 Big West Tournament before falling to No. 1 seed Hawai'i, 9-8. UCI entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed and upended No. 2 seed and host UC San Diego, 12-11, in the semifinals. UCI has advanced to the championship game 11 of the last 12 years, including each of the last four seasons.
 
LEAVING A LEGACY
In men's volleyball, a couple of individual achievements by seniors stood out. Outside hitter Joel Schneidmiller became only the second Anteater (Carson Clark) to be named All-American all four years. The three-time first team All-Big West selection tied his career-high with 28 kills versus UC San Diego. The 28 kills were the most by a Big West player and are tied for sixth most in the country in 2021 as well as fourth most all-time by a Big West player. Middle blocker Scott Stadick, a three-time All-American, became the school record holder in career solo blocks (101), block assists (496) and total blocks (596). He also holds the Big West records for blocks in a career and season. 

SNAPPING STREAKS
On April 11, UC Irvine men's tennis defeated UC Santa Barbara, 5-2, ending the Gauchos' 35-match win streak against Big West opponents. The Anteaters won the doubles point and got singles victories from Ali Amiri, Mike Mkrtchian and Mateusz Smolicki. Their fifth point came by way of forfeit with UCSB fielding a five-man lineup at the time.
 
OLYMPIC GOLD
UC Irvine affiliates had a very successful Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, bringing home three gold medals. Former UCI All-American and two-time National Champion Kevin Tillie won gold in indoor men's volleyball with France, while UCI head women's water polo coach Dan Klatt and assistant coach Alys Williams along with former UCI assistants Kaleigh Gilchrist and Melissa Seidemann won an unprecedented third straight Olympic Gold medal with the U.S. women's water polo team. Former UC Irvine men's volleyball assistant coach Michelle Bartsch-Hackley helped the U.S. women's indoor volleyball team to its first-ever gold medal.
 
In all, UC Irvine had 16 representatives at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. Seven former Anteater student-athletes were in action, four competing as athletes and three as coaches.