Sgt. Pepperoni's Anteater of the Week: Liam Miksic

June 18, 2025

Liam Miksic - Men's Track & Field

Senior Liam Miksic has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week following a 12th place finish on Day One of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

In his first NCAA Championship appearance, Miksic recorded his second career 70-meter throw at 70.13m (230-1). It was just short of his personal-record of 71.06m (233-1), which he accomplished at the Big West Championships on May 17. 

Miksic finished his career with second-team All-American honors (9th-16th place). He qualified for the NCAA regional all four years and was a three-time Big West champion. He was the first Big West athlete to win three consecutive conference titles in men’s javelin since 1989 and only the third thrower all-time to accomplish this feat.

Miksic will also close his career as UCI’s school record holder. He was only the third Anteater all-time to reach the 70-meter mark, and the first since the specification for the javelin throw changed in 1986.

June 4, 2025

Zharia Taylor - Women's Track & Field

Junior Zharia Taylor has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week following a top-10 showing at the NCAA Track & Field West First Round in College Station, Texas. 

Taylor, who was seeded 33rd in her NCAA regional debut, tied for ninth in the women’s high jump. She did not miss at her first three heights. Her third and final clearance of the competition was a personal-record 1.81 meters (5-11.25), which ranks second in school history. 

Taylor’s season will continue next week as the top-12 finishers in each individual and relay event punched their ticket to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Taylor is the Anteaters' first national qualifier on the women’s side since 2009.

Taylor and senior Liam Miksic (men’s javelin) are set to represent UC Irvine track & field at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 11-14.

May 28, 2025

Blake Penso - Baseball

Senior Blake Penso has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading UC Irvine at the inaugural Big West Baseball Championship. 

The catcher drove in five runs on two hits, including a two-run homerun and a bases clearing double, in the ‘Eaters 15-3 win over Cal Poly that earned their spot in the Big West Championship Final. 

Penso continued to spark the Anteater offense with two RBIs on two hits in a loss to Cal Poly that forced a winner-take-all game for the Big West Championship title.

Penso was one of three Anteaters named to the Big West All-Tournament Team along with Trevor Hansen and Jacob McCombs. Over the course of the tournament, Penso hit .313 with a home run, seven RBIs and four runs scored. 

UC Irvine earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Regionals and will travel to the Los Angeles Regional this weekend. The ‘Eaters will face Arizona State in the first round at 6 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday, May 30. 

May 21, 2025

Jazzmine Davis - Women’s Track & Field 

Senior Jazzmine Davis has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the UC Irvine women’s track and field team to their first Big West Championship in program history with three podium finishes.

Davis won her 100m hurdle heat on Friday to qualify for the final with a wind-aided personal-record 13.45 (+2.8). She also ran a lifetime best and the fastest qualifying time in the 400m hurdle prelims at 59.75 to crack UCI’s all-time top-10.  

On Saturday, Davis stunned the 400H field, winning the event with a new personal-best 58.14. She moved up to No. 3 in school history and is now 32nd in the NCAA West Region. Davis also took third in the 100m hurdles with another wind-aided PR of 13.42, which ranks 36th regionally. In addition, she led off UC Irvine’s 4x100 relay that claimed runner-up honors in a season-best 44.87. That time is second in Anteater history. Davis closed out the meet by running the third leg of the 4x400 where she made up crucial ground that allowed UCI to come back and place ahead of Cal Poly to secure the first team title in program history. 

Davis scored 20 individual points and 11 points in the relays to help contribute to the Anteaters’ winning total of 150.5. Two weeks ago, she also took fifth in the Big West heptathlon with a personal-record 5,368 points, which ranks third in school history. 

May 14, 2025

Will Bermudez - Baseball 

Senior Will Bermudez has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after a strong weekend both on the field and at the plate in the 13th-ranked UC Irvine baseball team’s sweep of Cal State Bakersfield. 

The infielder went 4-for-4 with a double and four RBIs in the ‘Eaters 14-11 Friday night win over the Roadrunners.

Bermudez secured the series win in UCI’s 7-3 victory on Saturday night with a spectacular play up the middle to end the game. He came up big once again in the Anteaters' 5-3 win on Sunday afternoon that clinched at least a share of the Big West regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference championship. Bermudez reached four times with two hits and two walks, and drove in a run from the leadoff spot. He once again ended the game with a circus catch and throw to seal the victory.

Bermudez went 6-for-9 (.667) with two doubles and five RBIs in the three-game series.

The ‘Eaters will be back at Anteater Ballpark for their final regular-season series against Cal State Fullerton, May 15-17. 

May 7, 2025

Andy Nguyen - Men’s Tennis 

Sophomore Andy Nguyen has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after beating a ranked opponent in the UC Irvine men’s tennis team's NCAA match against No. 7 University of San Diego. 

Nguyen beat No. 83 Savriyan Danilov (7-5, 6-4) in the ‘Eaters hard-fought 4-2 loss against the Toreros in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 

Nguyen was unbeaten over his last 19 outings, where he was 16-0 with three unfinished matches, and led UCI with a 17-2 dual match singles record. He finished the year with three ranked wins, while earning first-team All-Big West honors in both singles and doubles.

It was another successful season for the 'Eaters who won their second-straight Big West Championship and third in the last four years. They wrapped up the 2025 campaign with an 18-6 overall record, marking their most wins in a season since 2015. UC Irvine was ranked among the top-50 in the nation in every ITA poll since February 20 with a high of No. 36.

April 30, 2025

Noah Zamora - Men’s Tennis

Senior Noah Zamora has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the UC Irvine men’s tennis team to their second-straight Big West Championship.

Zamora went 3-0 in singles over the course of the tournament. He started the weekend by defeating his opponent from UC Riverside, 6-2, 6-4, in UCI's quarterfinal sweep of UC Riverside. Zamora had another straight-set win (6-4, 6-3) to help the 'Eaters erase a 3-0 deficit in a 4-3 semifinal victory over UC Davis. 

Zamora saved his best for last, completing the 4-3 upset of 34th-ranked UC Santa Barbara in the championship match. The San Diego native delivered the title-clinching point with a thrilling 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 63 Gianluca Brunkow.

On the season, Zamora is 21-8 overall and 13-4 in dual-match singles. He finished his Big West career with an impressive 25-1 record against conference opponents.

The ‘Eaters earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will travel to the University of San Diego to face the host and seventh-ranked Toreros in the first round on Saturday, May 3. 

April 23, 2025

Trevor Hansen and Ryder Brooks - Baseball

Sophomores Trevor Hansen and Ryder Brooks have been named the first ever co-Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after dealing back-to-back complete game shutouts to sweep Hawai’i. 

Hansen clinched the series for the ‘Eaters on Friday night with his complete game 4-0 shutout against the Rainbow Warriors. He tied his career-high with 10 strikeouts, including three looking, and scattered three hits. Only six baserunners reached, while Hansen never allowed a runner past first base. 

Brooks finished the weekend sweep of Hawai’i on Saturday with a complete game 5-0 shutout of his own. He had a career-high 10 strikeouts and gave up just two hits. Brooks had a no-hitter through 4.2 innings and also allowed only six baserunners. 

Hansen and Brooks are the third duo in Anteater history to throw complete game shutouts in consecutive games. 

UC Irvine is back in action on the road at Cal Poly, April 25-27. 

April 16, 2025

Jolie Robinson - Women’s Track & Field 

Senior Jolie Robinson has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after setting several personal records in the heptathlon at the Bryan Clay Multis. 

The two-time defending Big West heptathlon champion finished seventh out of 52 athletes with a personal-record 5,489 points. Her score ranks second among UCI’s all-time leaders, while it is also first in the Big West, fifth in the West Region, and 10th in the nation this year. 

Robinson set lifetime bests in the 100H (14.33), 200m (24.78) and 800m (2:23.10). She also cleared a season-best 1.61 meters (5-3.25) in the high jump and registered marks of 5.93m (19-5.5) in the long jump, 12.33m (40-5.5) in the shot put and 37.00m (121-4) in the javelin.

April 9, 2025

Devin Tillis - Men’s Basketball 

Redshirt senior Devin Tillis has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the UC Irvine Men’s Basketball team to the NIT championship game and being named to the All-Tournament team. 

The six-foot-seven forward recorded his seventh double-double of the season and led the ‘Eaters with 16 points and 11 rebounds in their 69-67 victory over North Texas in the semifinals. He went 6-11 (0.545) from the floor and added an assist and a steal in the win. 

Tillis once again led UCI with 19 points in their 85-84 overtime loss against Chattanooga in the championship game of the NIT. He went 7-12 (0.583) from the floor and 3-4 (.750) from distance. Tillis also had eight boards and three assists. 

For the week, he averaged 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, while shooting 56.5% from the field and 62.5% from beyond the arc. Tillis was named to the all-tournament team alongside teammate Justin Hohn. 

April 2, 2025 

Hilir Henno - Men’s Volleyball

Senior Hilir Henno has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the UC Irvine men’s volleyball team to a 3-0 upset over No. 1 Long Beach State. 

The six-foot-eight outside hitter led the ‘Eaters with a team-high nine kills in their dominant victory over the Beach. Henno added three aces and a team-high six digs in the win. 

Henno led UCI once again with a match-high 21 kills in their 3-0 loss to Long Beach State. His performance marks the third time this season he has posted 20 or more kills. He also added an ace, a dig, and two blocks. 

For the week, Henno averaged 5.00 kills/set, 1.17 digs/set, and 0.67 service aces/set. 

The Anteaters are back in action at UC San Diego on April 4 at 7 p.m. 

March 26, 2025

Max Martin - Baseball 

Junior Max Martin has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after closing out the second two games of the UC Irvine baseball team's series sweep of No. 21 UC Santa Barbara. 

The right-handed pitcher closed out the final two innings of Saturday’s 9-3 win over the Gauchos. Martin allowed no hits in six batters faced to secure the series win. 

Martin then pitched the final three innings of Sunday's 9-4 victory. He scattered five hits and struck out two in his relief appearance to help the ‘Eaters complete the series sweep. 

For the weekend, Martin had two saves and a 1.80 ERA in five innings pitched. He allowed five hits, one run, no walks, and struck out two.

The ‘Eaters are back in action at home as they host UC Riverside, Mar. 28-30. 

March 19, 2025 

Madi O’Hara - Women’s Water Polo 

Redshirt junior Madi O’Hara has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after netting five goals in a pair of wins for UC Irvine women’s water polo.

O’Hara led UCI with four goals on five shots in their 19-6 Big West victory over CSUN. Four tallies ties her career-high which was set in 2024. 

The utility player added one goal and one steal in the ‘Eaters 28-15 win over Concordia. In the victory over the Golden Eagles, the Anteaters broke the previous school record of 24 goals that was set in 2023. 

The Anteaters are back in action on Mar. 25 as they host Brown at 6 p.m. at the Anteater Aquatics Complex. 

March 12, 2025

Micah Goss - Men’s Volleyball 

Freshman Micah Goss has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after recording 10 kills on 13 swings without an error over two wins for the UC Irvine men’s volleyball team. 

The middle blocker registered a match-high six total blocks, five kills, three digs, and an ace in the ‘Eaters 3-0 sweep over No. 8 Pepperdine. 

Goss recorded a perfect five kills on five attempts in UCI’s second consecutive sweep with a 3-0 victory over Sacred Heart. He added two block assists and an ace in the win. 

For the week, Goss averaged 1.67 kills/set and 1.33 blocks/set while hitting .769.

Goss has now gone four matches without committing an error (21-0-29, .724) and is ranked sixth nationally in blocks with a 1.13 average for the season. 

The ‘Eaters are back in action on Mar. 21 on the road at Daemen University. 

March 5, 2025

Jurian Dixon - Men’s Basketball

Redshirt freshman Jurian Dixon has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after scoring in double figures, including a career-best 21 points, in both of the UC Irvine’s men’s basketball team’s Big West wins. 

The six-foot-four guard led the ‘Eaters with a game and career-high 21 points in their 76-51 win over Cal State Fullerton. Dixon went 9-11 from the floor, including 3-4 from beyond the arc, and added three steals and two assists to help the Anteaters defeat the Titans. 

Dixon recorded 10 points, shooting 4-8 from the field, and added two boards, two assists, and a steal in UC Irvine’s 70-60 victory over Long Beach State. 

For the week, Dixon averaged 15.5 points, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 steals, while shooting 68.4% from the field. 

UC Irvine is back in action on the road against UC Davis on Thursday Mar. 6 at 6 p.m. 

February 26, 2025

Yen Nhi Huynh - Women’s Tennis 

Freshman Yen Nhi Huynh has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after winning all four of her matches against UC Riverside and Occidental. 

Huynh partnered up with Carolyna Fowler on court two to take down their opponent 6-2 against UC Riverside. Huynh was then dominant in her singles match as she defeated Sam Condevillamar 6-1, 6-0, to help propel the ‘Eaters over the Highlanders, 5-2. 

Huynh continued her winning streak two days later as she teamed up with Fowler once again to shut out Occidental's Sydney Sasaki/Sebaga Kombo, 6-0. It was their fourth-straight victory as a pair. Huynh also won her fifth consecutive singles match as she bested her opponent 6-1, 6-0, to help the Anteaters defeat the Tigers, 6-1. 

UC Irvine is back in action this afternoon as they take on Oakland at 1 p.m. at Anteater Tennis Stadium.

February 19, 2025

Chase Call - Baseball 

Senior Chase Call has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after collecting seven RBI’s on six hits in the UC Irvine baseball team’s opening weekend at the MLB Desert Invitational. 

In the opening game against No. 24 Nebraska, Call drove in two runs on two hits to help propel the ‘Eaters over the Huskers 10-5. 

Call continued to drive the Anteaters offense in their dominant 18-4 win over New Mexico. The outfielder drove in four runs on two hits, with a double and a three-run homerun. 

Call rounded out the weekend with one RBI on two hits, including a triple, in the ‘Eaters 9-8 loss against No. 16 Vanderbilt. 

Call went 6-for-13 over the course of the tournament with a .462 batting average. 

UC Irvine is back in action on the road at Texas Tech Feb. 21-23. 

February 12, 2025

Malia Gay - Women’s Indoor Track & Field 

Senior Malia Gay has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after breaking two school records for the UC Irvine women’s indoor track and field team at the Riverfront Invitational and Multis. 

The distance runner broke the school record in an 800m victory with a time of 2:09.52 to beat out 48 other athletes in the race. The performance was a personal best and topped the ‘Eaters previous record of 2:12.10 that was set by Emma McCarthy in 2023. 

Gay closed out the weekend with another record-breaking performance just a day later. She came away with the victory in the 600m with a time of 1:32.23, beating the Anteaters’ standard that was also set by McCarthy in 2023. 

The ‘Eaters are back in action in Spokane, Washington, for the MPSF Championships on Feb. 21-22. 

February 5, 2025

Libby Alexander - Women’s Water Polo

Senior Libby Alexander has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after recording three multi-goal games for the UC Irvine women’s water polo team at the Triton Invitational. 

Alexander began the weekend with two goals in the ‘Eaters 22-10 win over No. 22 California Baptist. 

Alexander continued to be an offensive force for the Anteaters with two goals in their 15-12 victory over No. 10/9 Long Beach State to advance to the semifinal match. 

Alexander finished the weekend strong, pouring in four goals in UCI’s 18-17 overtime loss against No. 5/5 Hawai’i. She scored two late goals in regulation, including the equalizer, to send the third-place game to overtime. 

UC Irvine is back in action on the road against No. 3 USC on Saturday Feb. 8 at 12 p.m.

January 29, 2025

Nolan Flexen - Men’s Volleyball

Senior Nolan Flexen has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after recording double-digit kills, including a career-high 26, in the UC Irvine men’s volleyball team’s two wins over No. 5 BYU. 

The outside hitter led the ‘Eaters with a career-high 26 kills in their 3-2 victory over the Cougars. He hit .444 and added a career-high nine digs, five block assists, and an ace in the home-opening win. 

Flexen led the Anteaters once again with 14 kills in their second 3-0 win over BYU. He hit .394 and added five digs and three block assists in front of the third-largest Bren Events Center crowd in program history of 2,823 fans.

Flexen averaged 5.00 kills/set, 1.75 digs/set, 1.00 blocks/set, and recorded a .423 hitting percentage. With his performance, Flexen was also named Big West Offensive Player of the Week. 

UC Irvine is back in action on the road on Friday, Jan. 31 at Stanford at 6 p.m. 

January 22, 2025 

Hunter Hernandez - Women’s Basketball

Junior Hunter Hernandez has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after scoring in double figures in both of the UC Irvine women’s basketball team’s wins and sinking the game-winning basket at Cal Poly. 

Hernandez recorded a team-high 16 points (6-10 FG) and six rebounds in UCI's 79-63 victory at Cal State Fullerton. 

Hernandez then finished with her first double-double of the season and the fourth of her career with 18 points (7-13 FG) and 10 rebounds in a 59-57 win over Cal Poly. In the final seconds of the game, Hernandez drove the lane for the layup and the foul. She converted on the free throw with 1.3 seconds left to put the ‘Eaters up by two, ultimately securing the victory. 

Her performance was the second double-double of the season for the Anteaters and Hernandez’s sixth consecutive double-figure scoring game. 

For the week, Hernandez averaged 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists, while shooting 56.5% from the field and 66.7% from beyond the arc. 

The ‘Eaters are back in action on Thursday Jan. 23, as they host UC Riverside at the Bren Events Center at 6 p.m. 

January 15, 2025

Nyla Baker - Women's Indoor Track & Field

Junior Nyla Baker has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after earning her first collegiate shot put victory in UC Irvine’s indoor track & field season opener at the Silver and Blue Invitational. 

Baker won the shot put with a toss of 13.89 meters (45-7). Her mark was one foot shy of her personal record that ranks fourth in program history. It also ranks No. 2 in the MPSF this season behind Oregon State’s Jayla Hooper. 

UC Irvine will be back in action Jan. 23-25 when it returns to Reno for the Nevada Invite/Multis.

January 8, 2025

Myles Che - Men’s Basketball

Sophomore Myles Che has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after scoring in double figures in three straight wins for the UC Irvine men’s basketball team.  

The guard recorded 12 points in the ‘Eaters 71-63 victory over California Baptist. He led UCI with four assists and added one rebound and a steal in the win. 

Che scored 22 points and went 9-16 from the floor and 3-4 from the line in UC Irvine's 98-89 overtime win against Cal Poly. He added five rebounds, three steals, and two assists. The Los Angeles native was one of three UCI players to record 20 or more points in the contest, an Anteater first since January 2011.

Che registered 16 points and went 10-12 from the line in UCI’s 81-57 victory over UC Riverside. He recorded a career-high seven assists, and added three rebounds in the win. 

For the week, Che averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds, while shooting 54.8% from the field. 

UC Irvine is back in action on the road at CSUN on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. 

December 23, 2024 

Bent Leuchten - Men’s Basketball 

Senior Bent Leuchten has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after recording a double-double in the UC Irvine men’s basketball team’s win over Belmont. 

The 7-foot-1 center led the ‘Eaters with 23 points in their 92-84 win against the Bruins. He recorded 21 of his points in the second half and went 6-9 from the floor and 11-12 from the free throw line. Leuchten added two assists and a game-high 15 rebounds to secure his third double-double of the season. 

Leuchten recorded seven points, three rebounds, one assist, and a block in the Anteaters' loss at Duquesne. 

UC Irvine is back in action at California Baptist on Monday Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.

December 18, 2024

Déja Lee - Women’s Basketball

Senior Déja Lee has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the UC Irvine women’s basketball team to a win at Oregon State. 

Lee led the ‘Eaters with 11 points in their 60-48 victory over the Beavers. She added four assists, three rebounds, and two steals. The win was just the second all-time in their series with Oregon State and the first since December 3, 1999. 

Following Sunday's performance, Lee moved into a tie for eighth in program history in both career 3-pointers made (113) and steals (171).

The Anteaters are back in action on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. at the University of Oregon. 

December 11, 2024

Justin Hohn - Men’s Basketball 

Graduate student Justin Hohn has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the UC Irvine men’s basketball team to their first Big West win of the season over Cal State Bakersfield. 

The 6-foot-2 guard led the ‘Eaters with 19 points, including four three-pointers on five attempts. He added a career-high eight assists and four rebounds. Hohn sunk a clutch three-pointer at the buzzer of the first half to extend the Anteater lead going into the break. 

With his performance, Hohn moved into the top spot in the league in assists (39) and assists per game (4.3). 

UC Irvine remains undefeated at 9-0, tying the 1981-82 team for the best start in program history. Nine wins is the longest win streak in the nation and the Anteaters are one of three teams to share that mark. 

The ‘Eaters will be back in action on the road on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. at Oregon State. 

December 4, 2024

Devin Tillis – Men’s Basketball 

Redshirt senior Devin Tillis has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the UC Irvine men’s basketball team to the Western Slam Championship and claiming MVP of the tournament. 

The 6-foot-7 forward led the ‘Eaters with 15 points in their 76-59 win over Kennesaw State to open up the tournament. He added four rebounds and three assists while shooting 6-8 from the field and 2-3 from beyond the arc.

Tillis pulled down a team-best 11 boards and recorded eight points and two assists in the Anteaters' 51-39 victory over Kent State. 

Tillis led UCI with a career-high 25 points in a hard-fought 67-60 win over Towson to secure the Western Slam Championship. He shot 75 percent from the field (9-12) and a perfect 3-3 from three-point range while adding seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal. He recorded 13 second half points, the most of any player, and knocked down a pair of clutch free throws with 46 seconds left to secure the victory. 

Tillis was named the Western Slam MVP. He averaged 16.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 69.2 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from beyond the arc over the course of the tournament. 

The ‘Eaters kick off Big West action this week as they host Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Bren Events Center. 

November 27, 2024

Kendra MacDonald - Women’s Volleyball

Junior Kendra MacDonald has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after recording double-digit kills in both of the UC Irvine women’s volleyball team’s conference wins to clinch their spot in the Big West Championships. 

The outside hitter recorded 13 kills with a .414 hitting percentage in the ‘Eaters 3-0 sweep of Cal State Fullerton. She added five digs and one block in the triumphant win over the Titans. 

MacDonald led UCI with 13 kills, hitting .303, in their 3-1 win over the University of Hawai’i. She added six digs, an ace, and a block assist. The victory was just the third all-time against the Rainbow Wahine and the first time in program history that the Anteaters have won the series. 

MacDonald averaged 3.71 kills/set and 1.57 digs/set 

The ‘Eaters will play third-seed UC Davis on Wednesday, Nov. 27 in the first round of the Big West Championship at the Bren Events Center. 

November 20, 2024

Hunter Hernandez - Women's Basketball

Junior Hunter Hernandez has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after scoring in double figures in both of the UC Irvine women’s basketball team’s wins. 

The 5-foot-9 guard finished with a career-high 29 points to lead the 'Eaters to a 72–55 victory over William & Mary in just her third game back after an injury sidelined her for the entire 2023-24 season. She added six rebounds, went 9-of-10 at the free throw line, and knocked down a career-best four 3-pointers.

Hernandez led the team in scoring again with 15 points in their hard-fought 64-61 win over Saint Mary’s. She also had five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in her dominant performance against the Gaels.

Hernandez averaged 22.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, while shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc. 

The ‘Eaters are back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 20, as they travel to Philadelphia to face Drexel. 

November 13, 2024

Bent Leuchten – Men’s Basketball 

Senior Bent Leuchten has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the men’s basketball team to a 3-0 start to the season. 

The 7-foot-1 center led the ‘Eaters with 19 points and gathered seven rebounds in their season opening 82-52 victory over Chapman. He was 7-9 from the free throw line and 6-8 from the field. 

Leuchten recorded 11 points and a team best 11 rebounds to secure his first career double-double in the team’s 66-51 win at LMU. 

Leuchten continued to be a powerful force for the Anteaters by registering a game high 18 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a block in their 80-60 win over Northern Iowa on the road. 

Leuchten averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, while shooting 59.3% from the field. 

UC Irvine is back in action this weekend as they return to the Bren Events Center on Saturday Nov. 16 to host Pepperdine. 

November 6, 2024

Anna Vogtmann – Women’s Cross Country

Senior Anna Vogtmann has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after she broke her own school record and claimed runner-up honors at the Big West Women's Cross Country Championship. 

Vogtmann clocked in at 19:49:3, just two seconds behind individual champion Schuyler Gooley of Cal Poly. She broke her own 6K school record that was set on the same course in 2022 by three seconds. With her top-10 finish, she earned her second-career All-Big West honor. 

Her second-place conference showing was the Anteaters' best since 2008. As a team, UCI placed third overall (96 points), behind team champion Cal Poly (33) and UC Davis (70). 

UC Irvine will be back in action at the NCAA West Regional in Colfax, Washington, on Friday, Nov. 15.

October 30, 2024

Isaac Powell – Men’s Soccer

Sophomore Isaac Powell has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after registering two points in the men’s soccer team’s 3-1 win over Sacramento State. 

The midfielder contributed on two of the Anteater goals on Saturday night, raising his season and career assists totals to three. His first assist came on his shot that bounced off the left post and right to the waiting Danny de Lorjin who volleyed it back into the net putting the ‘Eaters up 2-1. 

Powell’s second point of the night came after driving the attack and weaving through players along the far sideline to set up Misael Gonzalez for a cross-box shot that gave the Anteaters a 3-1 lead.

Powell added a shot on goal in a 1-1 draw against Cal Poly on Wednesday night, increasing his season total to eight. 

UC Irvine is back in action on Saturday, November 2 as they travel to UC San Diego for their final regular season matchup. 

October 23, 2024

Noah Zamora – Men’s Tennis 

Senior Noah Zamora has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after punching his ticket to the NCAA Singles Championship by advancing to the final of the ITA Southwest Regional.

On his run to the championship match, Zamora, who is ranked 122nd in the nation, only dropped one set through his first five matches of the tournament. He defeated several tough opponents, including No. 109 Casper Christensen of Arizona (6-4, 7-5) in the quarterfinals and Emon Van Loben Sels of UCLA (6-2, 6-1) in the semifinals.  

Zamora came up short in the final match against second-seeded and 55th-ranked Spencer Johnson of UCLA, claiming runner-up honors. 

With his performance, Zamora is the first Anteater to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship since 2011. The tournament will be held at Baylor, Nov. 19-24. 

October 16, 2024

JJ Nakao – Men’s Golf

Junior JJ Nakao has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading UC Irvine men’s golf to a team victory at the season-opening Oregon State Invitational. 

The ‘Eaters entered the final round in a tie for second before carding a 285 to erase a five-stroke deficit. They overtook host Oregon State, finishing first at 4-under 848. Nakao led the Anteaters with a career-best fourth-place showing. 

Nakao came in at even-par in the final round to finish with a 54-hole score of 2-under 211 (70-70-71). He totaled 11 birdies and one eagle over the course of the tournament. 

Nakao recorded back-to-back rounds of 1-under 70 on the opening day. He had seven of his birdies and eagled the par-5, 574-yard 16th hole.  

October 9, 2024

Cole Francisco- Men's Water Polo

Freshman Cole Francisco has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after recording two hat-tricks in the UC Irvine men’s water polo team’s undefeated weekend at the Gary Troyer Invitational. 

Francisco started the weekend off strong with four points in the ‘Eaters 24-11 victory over No. 20 Air Force. The attacker recorded three goals on five shots while adding one assist and four steals. 

Francisco kept his offense rolling in UC Irvine’s 20-10 upset over No. 4 Pepperdine, registering his second hat-trick of the weekend. He converted on four of his five shots to set a new career high in goals and added a game-best three assists. 

Francisco rounded out the undefeated weekend with a goal in the Anteaters' 22-14 victory over Pomona-Pitzer.

Francisco registered eight goals on 13 shots with four assists and five steals over the course of the tournament. 

UC Irvine looks to keep its momentum as it travels to Riverside to face No. 19/18 California Baptist tonight at 6 p.m. 

October 2, 2024

Nicole Feliciano- Women’s Volleyball

Sophomore Nicole Feliciano has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after recording a double-double in both of the UC Irvine women’s volleyball team’s Big West wins. 

The setter guided the ‘Eaters to a .233 hitting percentage, their third best of the season, in their 3-1 win over Cal State Fullerton to start the conference schedule. She recorded 34 set assists along with 11 digs, three block assists, four kills, and an ace, while hitting .667 herself. 

Feliciano kept that momentum and led her team in both assists and digs in their hard-fought victory at the University of Hawai’i. The team battled back to win 3-2 after falling short in the first two sets. The setter recorded 40 set assists and a team-high 17 digs in the comeback win. The victory was UC Irvine’s second win all-time against the Rainbow Wahine.

Feliciano averaged 8.2 assists/set and 3.1 digs/set as she improved to seven double-doubles on the season after her impressive performances. 

UC Irvine looks to improve their win streak to four in a row on Friday, October 4 as they host CSUN at 6:00 p.m. at Crawford Hall. 
 

September 25, 2024

Johann Thrall - Men’s Water Polo

Sophomore Johann Thrall has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the UC Irvine men’s water polo team to a 2-1 record at the Big West-WCC Clash in Los Angeles.

Thrall scored in all three games and recorded a pair of hat tricks to bookend the weekend. In a 12-11 win over No. 15 and host LMU, Thrall finished with three goals, one assist and one steal. 

After finding the back of the cage in a tough loss to fifth-ranked Pacific, Thrall put together his best game of the young season, playing a part in eight of the Anteaters’ goals in a 17-15 victory over No. 20 California Baptist. Against the Lancers, he converted on three of his five shots, while finishing with five assists. 

On the weekend, Thrall totaled 19 shots, seven goals, six assists and three steals. 

Thrall and the ‘Eaters are back in action this weekend, hosting No. 6 Cal (Friday) and No. 3 Stanford (Saturday) at Anteater Aquatics Complex.

September 18, 2024

Alona Avery - Women’s Golf

Freshman Alona Avery has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading UC Irvine women's golf to a team victory at the season-opening Wolverine Invitational.

In her collegiate debut, Avery carded a three-round total of 207 (69-68-70) to claim runner-up honors. She finished the tournament with 15 birdies, including six in the second round. 

Avery’s 207 is the third-lowest 54-hole score in program history, sitting behind Hall of Famer Jane Chin’s 203 at the Kent Youel Invitational in 2008 and Megan Yang’s 206 at the Colonel Wollenburg Ptarmigan Ram Classic in 2022. 

UC Irvine topped the 10-team field with a score of 11-under 853 (283-286-284), which is a school record. It was the Anteaters’ 18th tournament win and first since the Wyoming Cowgirl Invitational at the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club on April 7, 2017.

Avery and the ‘Eaters will be back in action next week, traveling to Colorado for the Golfweek Red Sky Classic, Sept. 23-25.

September 11, 2024

Kaia Schmidt - Women’s Cross Country

Sophomore Kaia Schmidt has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the women’s cross country team to a victory at the season-opening Irvine Invitational.

Schmidt set the pace for seven Anteaters in the top-10, completing the 6K course at the Great Park in 22:03.7. That was good for a career-best third-place showing in a field of 131 athletes. As a team, the ‘Eaters scored 20 points, coming in 51 points ahead of runner-up and co-host Concordia. 

Schmidt has been among UCI’s top three runners in five of her six career races. This is the first time she has been the Anteaters’ No. 1 finisher.

UC Irvine will be back in action next Saturday, Sept. 21, at the UC Riverside Invitational. 

September 4, 2024

Hunter Riedl - Women’s Volleyball

Graduate student Hunter Riedl has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the women’s volleyball team to a 2-1 record at the season-opening Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque.

Riedl led the ‘Eaters in kills in all three matches over the weekend. She started the 2024 campaign with a match-high 17 kills to go along with two aces and three block assists in a 3-1 victory over North Dakota last Friday. Despite having only about an hour before their next match, Riedl finished with a team-best 15 kills in a narrow five-set loss to Tulane.

On Saturday, Riedl and the Anteaters rolled to a 3-0 win against host New Mexico. The 6-foot-1 pin hitter reached double figures in kills again with 10, while registering five block assists. Riedl, who was named to the all-tournament team, closed out the weekend with 42 kills (3.50/set), 10 digs, nine blocks and four aces.

UC Irvine will make its home debut this week, hosting the UCI/adidas Invitational, Sept. 5-8, at Crawford Hall.

August 28, 2024

Agaton Pourshahidi - Men’s Soccer

Junior Agaton Pourshahidi has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after finding the back of the net against a top-five opponent.

The ‘Eaters were tested right away, traveling to Corvallis to face fourth-ranked Oregon State in their season opener. The two teams played to a scoreless tie through the first half before the Beavers broke through in the 57th minute. After OSU went up 2-0, Pourshahidi put the finishing touch on an impressive sequence to cut the deficit in half. At the 85:06 mark, Travis Babineau took a feed from Francesco Montanile and slotted a pass off the touchline to Pourshahidi who knocked in the Anteaters’ first goal of the year. Oregon State was able to hold on for the 2-1 win.

Pourshahidi finished the game with two shots in 67 minutes played. His goal was the fifth of his career. 

UC Irvine will face another tough opponent in its home debut on Thursday, Aug. 29, when it hosts Vermont, which was receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. 

August 21, 2024

Kaitlyn Paculba - Women’s Soccer

Senior Kaitlyn Paculba has been named the Sgt. Pepperoni’s Anteater of the Week after leading the UC Irvine women’s soccer team to a 3-0 season-opening win at Saint Mary’s.

Paculba, a transfer from the University of Oregon, made her UCI debut last Thursday, coming off the bench at the 19:44 mark against the Gaels. She made an immediate impact with her first goal coming just 12 minutes later. Mia Colombini slotted a pass through a couple defenders to a streaking Paculba, whose one-touch shot got past the keeper and inside the far post for a 2-0 ‘Eater lead. 

The first shot of the second half was another Paculba goal as she completed the brace in the 49th minute. UC Irvine’s defense held strong the rest of the way for the 3-0 win. Paculba added a shot on goal in a loss at second-ranked Stanford on Sunday. 

Paculba finished with two goals on three shots in 89 minutes played in the Anteaters’ first week of action.