Sgt. Pepperoni's Anteater of the Week: Josh Farmer

June 12, 2024 

Josh Farmer - Men's Track & Field

Senior Josh Farmer has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his performance at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field.  

In his third NCAA decathlon, Farmer had a career-best 12th-place showing. He compiled 7,647 points over the course of the two-day, 10-event competition.

Farmer opened the meet with a 100m time of 10.97 seconds. He then finished eighth in the long jump with a leap of 7.18m (23-6.75). Farmer was also 10th in the shot put with a toss of 13.87m (45-6.25) and cleared 1.86m (6-1.25) in the high jump. He finished off the day by running a 49.10 in the 400m.  

On day two, Farmer clocked a 110m hurdle time of 15.23 seconds and later recorded a best of 38.87 meters (127-6) in the discus. He went on to clear the bar at his first five heights in the pole vault, finishing at a personal-record 4.71m (15-5.5), which was good for seventh place. Farmer stayed on course in the javelin where he was third with a lifetime-best 56.78m (186-3). He went on to close out the meet in the 1500m where he was eighth overall at 4:38.30.  

Farmer earned second-team All-America honors for the third time in his career.

June 5, 2024 

Caden Kendle - Baseball 

Senior Caden Kendle has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his stellar performance at the NCAA Corvallis Regional.  

Kendle started the weekend with a first-inning home run to give UC Irvine an early 3-1 lead against Nicholls. In a back-and-forth affair, the ‘Eaters found themselves trailing 12-11 in the bottom of the ninth when Kendle’s two-out, bases loaded single through the right side gave UCI the 13-12 walk-off win. Kendle ended the game with three hits, three RBIs, and one run scored.

On Saturday, Kendle recorded one hit and one RBI in a tough 5-3 loss to No. 15 national seed Oregon State. 

In Sunday's elimination game against Tulane, Kendle doubled in the top of the first and eventually came around to score to put the Anteaters up, 1-0. Kendle also had a sacrifice fly in the fourth and continued his hot streak with another double in a nine-run seventh inning that gave UC Irvine a commanding 15-3 lead. He ended the game with three RBIs, two runs and two hits to help UCI to the 17-7 win. Kendle added one hit and one run in the NCAA Regional Final where the Anteaters fell once again to the host Beavers.

Kendle went 7-for-19 (.368) with seven RBIs over the course of the tournament. UC Irvine ended its season with a 45-14 record. 

May 29, 2024

Liam Miksic - Men’s Track & Field

Junior Liam Miksic has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his record-breaking performance.

Miksic broke the school record in the men’s javelin to highlight UC Irvine track & field’s stay at the NCAA West First Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Miksic had an impressive series, throwing for over 64 meters on all three of his attempts. He hit his personal and school-record 68.34m (224-2) in the second round. The Big West champion had the top mark in Flight 1 and finished 14th overall as he was just two spots shy of qualifying for nationals.

It was a career-best NCAA showing for Miksic, who entered his third regional appearance ranked 37th in the field of 48.

May 22, 2024

Ricky Ojeda - Baseball

Freshman Ricky Ojeda has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his work out of the bullpen in UC Irvine’s series win at Big West rival Cal State Fullerton.

In Friday’s opener, he entered the game in the bottom of the sixth and threw 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to keep the Anteaters’ deficit at one. The southpaw gave the ‘Eaters an opportunity to pull even late as Caden Kendle drove home the game-tying run in the ninth. Ojeda struck out four, while scattering two hits in the eventual 10-6 win (12 innings).

In Sunday’s series-clinching 18-4 victory over the Titans, Ojeda was nearly immaculate as he had six strikeouts in two innings of work. He allowed only two batters to reach on a hit by pitch and an error.  

For the week, Ojeda gave up two hits and no runs in 4.1 innings of relief. He struck out 10 of the 18 hitters he faced.

UC Irvine (41-11, 20-7 Big West) will host CSUN in its final regular-season series, May 23-25.

May 15, 2024 

Jo Oyama - Baseball

Senior Jo Oyama has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his efficiency at bat in a series win against Big West rival Long Beach State. 

Oyama started Friday’s game with a three-run blast and ended up with four runs, two hits and three RBIs to lead the Anteaters to an 18-3 series-opening victory.

Oyama kept his foot on the gas and began the second game with his team-leading fourth triple to start the scoring as UCI took a 2-0 lead. Oyama closed out the game with two hits, one run and one RBI to help UC Irvine to an 11-2 win. He also had one hit in the last game of the series as the ‘Eaters swept the Beach to improve to 38-10.  

Over the weekend, Oyama went 5-for-12 (.417) with five runs scored and four RBIs. For the season, he has totaled 56 hits, 52 runs and a career-high 45 RBIs.  

May 8, 2024 

Jolie Robinson – Women's Track & Field

Junior Jolie Robinson has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after defending her title in the heptathlon at the 2024 Big West Multi-Event Championships at Miller & Capriotti Athletics Complex, May 3-4.

After Friday’s action, Robinson was sixth with 3,024 points. She then made her move on day two as she opened the afternoon with a leap of 5.74 meters (18-10) in the long jump which was the top mark of the competition.  

She later took second in the javelin at 39.39m (129-3) and ran a four-second personal-best 2:24.06 in the 800m to secure her spot at the top of the standings with a season-best 5,220 points. Robinson is the Anteaters’ first two-time Big West champion in the heptathlon.  

May 1, 2024 

Hiroki Sakagawa – Men's Tennis 

Senior Hiroki Sakagawa has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his match-clinching singles wins in the Big West semifinals and championship match.  

In the semifinal vs. No. 3 seed Cal Poly, it came down to the wire as the final three singles matches went to a third set, but it was Sakagawa who secured the victory for UCI as he rallied from a one-set deficit to top Joe Leather, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2.  

In the championship match, second-seeded UC Irvine faced off against No. 1 seed and 45th-ranked UC Santa Barbara. The Anteaters pulled ahead 3-1, needing only one more singles win to take the title. Sakagawa did just that as he came back from second-set deficits of 0-3 and 5-6 for the championship clinching 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory.  

UC Irvine punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the last three years.

April 24, 2024 

Lauren Hett - Women’s Water Polo 

Freshman Lauren Hett has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after scoring five goals including the game winner in the regular-season finale against #7 Long Beach State.

It was all Hett in the fourth quarter as she found the back of the net twice to help send the game to overtime at 10-10. Hett converted from long range 30 seconds into OT to give UCI an 11-10 lead. LBSU equalized at 1:58, but Hett continued to shine as she put UC Irvine back in the lead 12-11 entering the second extra period.

LBSU brought the game within one before Hett scored the eventual game winner, giving the ‘Eaters the thrilling 14-13 overtime victory.

UCI earned the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big West Championships where it will travel to Schaal Aquatics Center in Davis, California, to face off against host and seventh-seeded UC Davis on Friday, April 26 at 2:30 p.m.

April 17, 2024

William D’Arcy - Men’s Volleyball

Sophomore William D’Arcy has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the UC Irvine men’s volleyball team to a 3-0 win over No. 1 Long Beach State.

The 6-foot-10 opposite hit a career-high .750 with 13 kills and just one error on 16 attempts. He also had four digs, one ace and tied his career high with three block assists. 

D’Arcy set the tone in the first set as he led all players with five kills (.500) in a 25-17 victory. He was perfect in the second frame with five kills on five attempts, including the 25-21 set winner. D’Arcy continued his flawless performance in the third where he had three kills on three swings in another 25-21 triumph.

The ‘Eaters closed out the regular season with an 18-9 overall record and a 7-3 mark in conference play. They moved up to No. 3 in the national rankings and will open the Big West Championship in Friday’s semifinal at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.

April 10, 2024

Enrique Luque Rico - Men’s Tennis 

Senior Enrique Luque Rico has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his impact on his return from injury this past week. 

Luque Rico immediately made his presence known by leading UC Irvine to a 2-0 Big West start. After Cal Poly erased a 3-1 deficit to even it all up, Luque Rico delivered in the clutch, taking down Noah Berry 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 at the top of the lineup to secure the 4-3 victory. 

Three days earlier, in the match against UC Davis, Luque Rico bounced back from an opening–set loss against Constantinos Djakouris with a 7-6 (8) win in the second frame, allowing the Anteaters to clinch the 4-0 road victory. 

This season, Luque Rico is 8-4 in dual-match singles (2-0 Big West), all at No. 1. UCI is now 13-5 overall and 3-0 in conference. 

April 3, 2024 

Libby Alexander – Women’s Water Polo 

Junior Libby Alexander has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the UC Irvine women’s water polo team to a pair of wins.

On Friday, March 29, Alexander finished with two goals and two assists to help the ‘Eaters to a 10-7 Big West victory at No. 15 UC Santa Barbara. She started the scoring at the 5:03 mark of the first quarter and later converted a five-meter penalty in the second period to bring the Anteaters back into the game after falling behind 4-2.

Earlier in the week, Alexander also had a goal and an assist in a 14-5 non-conference win over No. 21 Brown.

So far this season, Alexander leads the team with 33 goals and 44 points, making it a career-high for her in both categories. 

March 27, 2024 

Woody Hadeen - Baseball 

Junior Woody Hadeen has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for both his defensive and offensive performance in the series against Cal State Bakersfield this past weekend. 

In the opener, Hadeen recorded three runs and one hit in a dominant 10-3 win for the ‘Eaters. 

The infielder continued to shine in game two going 4-for-5 while adding three runs and an RBI in a 12-4 win for UCI. Hadeen also stood out at shortstop with season-highs in assists (5) and putouts (4). 

Hadeen closed out the series with four hits and one run as the Anteaters swept the Roadrunners. The 16th-ranked ‘Eaters are now 19-3 on the season. 

Hadeen and Co. will look to keep their win streak alive as they travel to Hawai’i for their next Big West series starting on Thursday, March 28. 

March 20, 2024 

Déja Lee – Women’s Basketball 

Junior Déja Lee has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her performance at the Big West Championships. 

The 2023-24 Big West Women's Basketball Player of the Year continued to make noise as she led UC Irvine to its second conference tournament title in program history, and first since 1995.

In a 53-39 victory over UC Davis in the championship game, Lee went 8-for-12 from the field with a pair of threes for a game-high 21 points. She added six rebounds and two steals.

Lee also registered 12 points and three steals in a 69-57 semifinal win over Long Beach State.

Lee was named the MVP of the Big West Championships after averaging 16.5 points (54%), 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.  

UCI will now head to Spokane, Washington, to face host and fourth-seeded Gonzaga in the NCAA First Round on Saturday, March 23. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. at McCarthey Athletic Center.

March 13, 2024

Justin Willingham – Men's Track and Field

Senior Justin Willingham has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his record-breaking performance in the shot put at the Ben Brown Invitational.

Willingham opened the competition with a then personal-best 17.77m (58-3.75), but did not stop there as he saw an improvement on his third (17.93m) and fourth (18.23m) attempts. On his sixth and final throw, Willingham unleashed a toss of 18.62m (61-1.25), breaking a nine-year-old school record of 18.44m (60-6), and becoming the first collegiate athlete to surpass 60 feet this season. Prior to Saturday’s meet, Willingham had a PR of 17.24m (56-6.75) at the 2023 Battle in the OC.

Willingham also added a lifetime-best 53.98m (177-1) in the discus, which ranks 10th in program history and fifth in the nation.

Willingham will look to keep the early momentum as UCI returns to Titan Track Stadium in Fullerton, Friday March 15, for the Challenge Cup. 

March 6, 2024

Ricky Tibbett – Baseball

Senior Ricky Tibbett has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his closing performance during the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic over the weekend.

Tibbett started off by entering in the eighth inning with two runners on against San Diego. That was no problem for Tibbet as he picked up the final out before pitching a scoreless ninth for the save and a 3-1 win for the ‘Eaters.

Tibbett also entered the game with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth against UCLA at Dodger Stadium. With UCI holding a 5-2 lead, Tibbett punched out the first batter he faced to stop the Bruins’ threat. Tibbett kept the momentum in the ninth, firing another clutch strikeout for his second save of the weekend and third of the year.

For the week, Tibbett threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts. He helped the Anteaters improve to 9-0, which is their best start to the season in program history. 

February 28, 2024 

Brooke Hourigan - Women’s Water Polo 

Senior Brooke Hourigan has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her contribution to UCI's offense during the Barbara Kalbus Invitational.  

Hourigan started off the weekend scoring two goals while adding one assist and two steals in an 16-11 win over #8 Michigan. 

Hourigan continued her momentum against fifth-ranked USC where she recorded three goals and one assist. Hourigan ended the tournament on a high note against #12 Long Beach State where she notched her second-straight hat trick with three goals, including what ended up being the game-winner with 54 seconds left in the 11-10 win. She also had one assist and one steal.

Hourigan finished the week with eight goals, three assists and three steals. She will look to continue her hot streak this weekend when the Anteaters take part in the Pomona Convergence Invitational, March 1-2.

February 21, 2024 

Luke Spillane – Baseball

Senior Luke Spillane has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his performance in the season-opening series against North Dakota State this past weekend.

Spillane started the first game against the Bison going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored in a 14-2 win for the Anteaters. Both of his hits went for extra bases as he had a double and a triple.

Spillane continued his streak in game two with a 2-for-3 performance, including another double, while adding a stolen base to lead UC Irvine to a 7-2 victory.

Spillane topped the weekend off with his team-leading third double and another run scored in a 10-4 win for the ‘Eaters.

For the week, Spillane registered a .600 batting average (6-for-10) with 11 total bases, three runs scored, three walks and one RBI.

February 14, 2024 

Déja Lee – Women's Basketball  

Junior Déja Lee has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her offensive efficiency in the last two games for the ‘Eaters.  

Lee started off scoring nine points while shooting 57% from the floor in Big West competition against UC Santa Barbara. Lee also added three steals and three rebounds in a dominant 60-38 win for UCI. Lee continued her hot streak against UC Riverside, recording 15 points, six assists, four steals and four rebounds to lift UC Irvine to a 62-53 victory.

For the week, Lee averaged 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game. She did not commit a turnover in 64 minutes played. 

With their 2-0 week, the Anteaters moved into a tie for first in the conference standings.

February 7, 2024 

Reyna Johnson - Women’s Indoor Track & Field  

Reyna Johnson has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her performance at the Riverfront Invitational in Spokane, Washington.

Johnson, who broke the school record in the long jump at the same venue on Jan 13, outdid herself once again as she bettered her previous standard with a leap of 5.93 meters (19-5.5). She placed third overall in a field of 42 athletes.

Johnson also advanced to the 60m hurdle final where she took sixth in a personal-record 8.61 seconds, which ranks fifth in program history.

Johnson and the rest of the Anteaters will be back in action at the MPSF Championships, Feb. 25-26. 

January 31, 2024 

Maxim Grigoriev – Men's Volleyball 

Sophomore Maxim Grigoriev has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading UC Irvine to a pair of wins over eighth-ranked BYU. 

Grigoriev started the back-to-back match ups at BYU recording a career-high 16 kills, and 10 digs while also adding four blocks in a 3-1 win for the ‘Eaters.  

The next day, Grigoriev continued where he left off as he registered 15 kills on .367 hitting, nine digs and four blocks in a 3-2 victory against the Cougars.  

For the week, Grigoriev averaged 3.44 kills and 2.11 digs per set 

January 24, 2024 

Diaba Konate – Women's Basketball 

Senior Diaba Konate has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her contributions in back-to-back wins for UCI. 

Konate put up nine points, four steals, five assists and did not commit a turnover in a 57-49 win over UC San Diego on the road. 

Two days later, Konate continued to shine, shooting 6-of-9 from the field as she recorded 15 points, seven assists and three steals in a 79-61 win vs UC Davis. 

For the week, Konate averaged 12.0 points, 6.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and registered a 6.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. 

January 17, 2024 

Hilir Henno – Men's Volleyball 

Junior Hilir Henno has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his stellar performance in UC Irvine men's volleyball's first three matches of the season.

Henno started off the week with a double-double in a close 3-2 loss to No. 19 George Mason. He recorded 17 kills, 11 digs, five blocks and two aces.

Henno continued his hot streak with 16 kills while hitting at a .429 clip in a dominant 3-0 win over Saint Francis. He finished with two aces to give him 136 in his career, breaking the all-time Big West record.  

Henno finished off the week by tying his own school record with nine aces in a 3-1 win over No. 15 Princeton. He also added 11 kills with two blocks.  

Through the first week of the season, Henno is averaging 3.67 kills, 1.50 digs, 1.08 aces and 0.67 blocks per set. He also increased his career aces total to 145.  

January 10, 2024

Justin Hohn – Men's Basketball 

Senior Justin Hohn has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of Week after leading UC Irvine men’s basketball to two more Big West wins.

Hohn started the week with 17 points and three assists in a 75-67 victory over Cal State Fullerton. He went 6-for-11 from the floor, 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and 2-of-2 at the free throw line. 

Two days later in a match-up between a pair of Big West unbeatens, Hohn made the game-tying layup with four seconds left in regulation to force overtime against UC Davis. The ‘Eaters went on to outscore the Aggies, 12-9, in the extra period for the 74-71 win. Hohn tied for the team lead with 14 points (5-10 FG, 4-4 FT), while dishing out three assists.

For the week, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 15.5 points and 3.0 assists, while shooting 52% from the field.

UC Irvine (11-5, 4-0 Big West) is back in action at Hawai’i on Thursday, Jan. 11.

January 3, 2024

Pierre Crockrell II – Men's Basketball 

Pierre Crockrell II has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading UC Irvine men’s basketball to a 2-0 start to Big West play.

Last Saturday, Crockrell II recorded his second double-double with 10 points and a career-high 16 assists in a 75-56 road win at Cal State Bakersfield. He was one helper shy of tying the single-game school record that was set back in 1995. The fifth-year senior, who accounted for all but four of the Anteaters’ 20 assists on 29 made baskets, is the fourth player in the nation to finish with 16 or more dimes in a game this season, and second to do so against a Division I opponent.

In a 73-66 Big West-opening victory against UC Riverside (Dec. 28), Crockrell II posted six points, seven assists and three steals.

In the two wins, the 6-foot point guard averaged 8.0 points, 11.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. 

Crockrell II shot up the national rankings in both assists per game (7th, 6.6 apg) and total assists (11th, 92), while reaching the top spot in KenPom for assist rate (47.6).

December 20, 2023 

Dean Keeler – Men's Basketball 

Senior Dean Keeler has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his stellar performance against South Dakota.  

Keeler put up 22 points, shooting 82% (9-11 FG) from the field against the Coyotes. Keeler also had eight rebounds and two blocks, adding to an already outstanding offensive showing.  

Keeler had a career high in points and field goals made in just 14 minutes played. He is averaging 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds on the year.  

December 13, 2023 

Shirel Nahum – Women's Basketball 

Freshman Shirel Nahum has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her performance at New Mexico State. 

Nahum shot 54% (6-11 FG) from the field for a career-high 16 points in a 61-55 win against the Aggies. The 5-foot-9 guard was perfect from the free throw line, going 3-of-3 while also adding three rebounds and one steal. Nahum provided a spark off the bench with nine first-quarter points and making five-straight field goals before her first miss with under two minutes to go in the second period.

In only her first year as an ‘Eater, Nahum is averaging 6.8 points per game and shooting 86% from the free throw line.  

December 6, 2023

Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba – Women's Basketball 

Graduate student Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her outstanding performance at Big 12 member Texas Tech. 

In just her third game of the season, Sidi Baba scored a career-high 21 points, shooting 50% (8-16 FG) from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line in a narrow 60-54 loss against the undefeated Lady Raiders. 

Sidi Baba is one of two ‘Eaters with a 20-point performance this year and leads the squad with 13.0 ppg. 

November 29, 2023 

Derin Saran – Men’s Basketball 

Freshman Derin Saran has been named Sgt. Pepperoni's Anteater of the Week for his offensive presence in the Ball Dawgs Classic.  

Saran started off the week shooting 77.8 percent from the field vs. Pepperdine and ended the game with a career-high 16 points in a 76-60 win for the ‘Eaters.  

Saran did not stop there as he continued his hot streak against Toledo and ended the game with 15 points in a win for UC Irvine. The freshman finished off where he started as he scored another 16 points on 58.3 percent shooting in an 83-68 victory against Rice.  

Saran ended the Ball Dawgs Classic averaging 15.7 points per game and shooting 57.6 percent from the field.  

November 22, 2023 

Luka Krstic – Men’ Water Polo 

Sophomore Luka Krstic has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his phenomenal offensive performances at the Big West Championships.  

Krstic started off red hot in the semi-final against UC Davis where he netted five goals and contributed one assist in an 11-10 win to send UC Irvine to the championship game.  

Krstic continued to impress as he led the offense with two goals and four assists in an 11-9 win against UC Santa Barbara. This would help the ‘Eaters win the inaugural Big West Championship title and advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1993. 

Krstic now has a career-high 43 goals and 25 assists heading into the first round of the NCAA tournament.  

November 15, 2023

Luke Pruter – Men's Soccer

Junior Luke Pruter has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his outstanding reflexes in goal during the Big West championship game.

Pruter’s presence in goal kept UC Davis from scoring all through regulation time as well as overtime.

Pruter came up big when it mattered most, as he denied the Aggies’ fourth penalty kick which would have put them ahead, 4-3. His save sent the shootout into sudden death where he secured his second stop to send UCI to the NCAA Tournament with their first Big West Championship title since 2013.

This was Pruter’s seventh shutout of the season, and first penalty shootout win of his career.

November 8, 2023

Ethan Shipman – Men’s Water Polo

Junior Ethan Shipman has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his offensive contributions this past week.

Shipman showcased a season-high four goals and three assists in a 21-3 win over Cal State Fullerton to help UC Irvine clinch the inaugural Big West regular season title. It was their first conference championship since 2000.

Shipman now has 20 goals and 17 assists this season.

November 1, 2023 

Glo Hinojosa – Women’s Soccer 

Senior Glo Hinojosa has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her outstanding performance in the first round of the Big West Women's Soccer Championship.  

Hinojosa came up big for the Anteaters on Sunday night with four saves to keep the game scoreless during regulation time. Her biggest one came in the 75th minute where she blocked a breakaway shot preventing Long Beach State from taking the lead late in the second half.  

The game would go on to penalty kicks where Hinojosa set the tone with a diving stop on LBSU's first attempt. The Anteaters went on to win the shootout, 4-1  

Hinojosa claimed her 28th career shutout as well as her second career shootout win. Her four saves in the match give her 216 in her career.  

October 25, 2023 

Agaton Pourshahidi – Men's Soccer  

Sophomore Agaton Pourshahidi has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his contributions in Big West play this past week.  

Pourshahidi converted two goals in 55 minutes for a 2-0 win against Sac State. One of them being a penalty kick in the 46th minute and the other being an open net goal in the 65th minute. 

Pourshahidi also recorded a shot on goal in a 2-0 win over Cal Poly.  

Pourshahidi has a career high and leads the team in goals with three this season.  

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October 18, 2023 

Alyssa Moore – Women’s Soccer  

Junior Alyssa Moore has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her contributions against Big West rivals UC San Diego and UC Riverside.  

Moore started off the week recording two shots on goal against UC San Diego, one hitting the top woodwork and the other being saved in the bottom left corner. The Anteaters would outshoot the Tritons 11-6 in a 0-0 draw.  

Moore finally broke through against UC Riverside in a 2-0 win for the Anteaters. Moore received a ball in the 18-yard box where she would take a touch to set herself up for a volley that went off the top goalpost and into the back of the net.  

Moore has a career-high tying six goals with three games to go in the regular season.  

October 11, 2023 

Hunter Riedl – Women’s Volleyball  

Senior Hunter Riedl has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her offensive presence on the road at Big West opponents Cal State Fullerton and Hawai'i.

Riedl led the Anteaters’ offense with 15 kills, while adding three digs and two block assists in a 3-0 win against Cal State Fullerton.  

Riedl went on to finish with eight kills and one block in a loss to Hawai'i.

Riedl is averaging a career high 2.87 kills per set so far this season.  

October 4, 2023

Darien Zhao – Men’s Golf

Senior Darien Zhao has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his season-opening performance at the Nick Watney Invitational.

Zhao claimed runner-up honors with a career-best 13-under 200 (66-62-72). He totaled 16 birdies and one eagle against only five bogeys through 54 holes.

Zhao had an impressive start to the tournament with back-to-back sub-70 rounds. After opening with a 66, Zhao fired a school-record 62 (-9) in the second round to close out the first day with a 36-hole program-best 14-under 128.

This was Zhao’s eighth career top-10 finish.

September 27, 2023 

Gage Verdegaal - Men’s Water Polo 

Freshman Gage Verdegaal has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his outstanding offensive performances over the weekend at the MPSF Invitational.  

Verdegaal started off the four-game stretch on Friday with three goals and one assist in a tough OT loss against No. 11 Long Beach State.  

Saturday was no different for Verdegaal as he continued his hot streak by adding four goals with three assists in a double header win against Whitter College and No. 9 UC San Diego.  

Verdegaal capped off the weekend with one goal and two assists in an 11-10 win against No. 19 Santa Clara. So far this season, Verdegaal has 22 goals with 13 assists and the second most points on the team.  

September 20, 2023 

Anna Vogtmann – Women's Cross Country  

Junior Anna Vogtmann has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her career best finish at the UC Riverside Invitational.  

The UC Riverside Invitational was Vogtmann’s first 6K of the season where she clocked in at 20:19.0. 

Vogtmann made a big move late in the race passing eight individuals over the final 2K to place third overall and help UCI take fourth in the competition. She was the top Big West finisher.

Vogtmann’s 6K time is the best in The Big West this season and is the third fastest of her career.  

September 13, 2023 

Samuel Otta – Men's Water Polo 

Sophomore Samuel Otta has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week totaling a team-high 14 points on 63% shooting over the weekend.  

Otta started off the Inland Empire Classic with an impressive performance, putting up two goals, five assists, and five steals in a dominant 21-2 win against Whittier College. The following game was no different, as Otta recorded four goals and three steals in another great win against the Bulldogs.  

Otta continued his hot streak a day later notching one goal and two assists in a 12-10 loss to No. 2 USC.  

Through seven games this season, Otta has already set career highs of 17 goals and 11 assists. 

September 6, 2023

Ella Gardiner – Women’s Volleyball 

Junior Ella Gardiner has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for her superb offensive performances where she averaged 3.09 kills per set while hitting .400 (34-8-65). 

Gardiner led the Anteaters with a career-high 14 kills in a 3-0 win over Jacksonville State. She hit .565 (14-1-23) while adding two block assists. 

Gardiner continued her fire power against Boston College with 12 kills on .500 (12-2-20) hitting in addition to a career-high four block assists. 

Overall, Gardiner is averaging 2.32 kills and a team-high 0.64 blocks per set. She also ranks fifth in the Big West in hitting percentage (.319). 

August 30, 2023

Mathias Winum – Men's Soccer

Junior Mathias Winum has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week for his defensive performances against UNLV and No. 8 Creighton. 

Winum started the week by leading the Anteaters to a clean sheet and their first season-opening win under head coach Yossi Raz. Winum and company held UNLV to only one shot on goal in the 1-0 victory.

Three days later, Winum’s defensive efforts did not go unnoticed as the 'Eaters shut down No. 8 Creighton. The game ended in a 0-0 tie with UCI outshooting the Bluejays, 11-8 (6-2 SOG).

In the first week of action, Winum led the Anteaters to back-to-back clean sheets to start the season for the first time since 2018. He was also UC Irvine’s only field player to be on the pitch for all 180 minutes.

August 23, 2023

Erin Covey – Women’s Soccer 

Senior Erin Covey has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week following her performances against Saint Mary’s and No. 11 Stanford. 

In the season-opener, Covey assisted on the game-tying goal in the 53rd minute of a 2-1 win over Saint Mary’s.

Two days later, Covey continued her momentum with a quick goal against the 11th-ranked Cardinal. In the fifth minute, she put away a corner kick from Desiree Mendoza to give UC Irvine the early 1-0 lead. Stanford would fight back for the narrow 2-1 victory.

After the first week of the season, Covey leads the Anteaters with three points.