Knowlton's Notes: An Incredible Month of May

News5/23/2019 6:54 PM | By: Jim Knowlton

Knowlton's Notes: An Incredible Month of May

Dear Friend of Cal Athletics:
 
On college campuses across the country, May is often a time to celebrate the just-completed academic year, and here at Cal, this month was simply extraordinary for the Golden Bears.
 
One of our biggest pieces of news came two weeks ago when we formally announced the Cameron Institute, a groundbreaking venture intended to fully support our student-athletes by offering programming in leadership and personal development, career preparation, and community engagement. We couldn't be more appreciative of Bryan Cameron for his leadership, vision and generosity, and his transformational gift will benefit thousands of student-athletes for generations to come.

Once we are fully up and running in the fall of 2020, I genuinely believe the Cameron Institute will further differentiate Cal Athletics as a destination for student-athletes who want to get a world-class academic and athletic experience at the world's No. 1 public university. As Chancellor Christ said, "a key pillar of the campus strategic plan is to create a student experience that rivals the academic one available at Cal. This gift and the Cameron Institute will move this effort forward in a significant way." For more information on this incredible program, please visit the new Cal Athletics Fund website . And watch a video from the reception we hosted at the University House on May 10.
 
This past Saturday, we welcomed thousands of graduates, their family and friends to California Memorial Stadium for the spring commencement ceremony. And the rare rainstorm that fell that day did little to dampen the spirits of those in attendance. Earning a Cal degree made all of the late-night study sessions, office-hours visits and classroom lectures worth it as these new graduates head into the next phase of their lives. For the nearly 250 student-athletes who participated, we hosted a reception in the University Club where they mingled with coaches, staff and family members. While their time suiting up in Blue & Gold may be over, their relationship with Cal continues and we look forward to them being lifelong Golden Bears.
 
On May 7, the Athletic Student Center and Big C Society held our annual Academic Honors Luncheon. One of my favorite events this year, it was incredible to hear about the many student-athletes who are truly exceptional both in the classroom and on the field. Senior gymnast Toni-Ann Williams closed the event with a powerful presentation about how she has grown as a student, as an athlete and, perhaps most importantly, as a person during her time at Cal. If you have the time, I encourage you to watch a video of her speech.
 
Some of those who were honored at the luncheon will undoubtedly gain a spot in our Hall of Fame one day. For this year, our new class, announced earlier this week, features seven distinguished individuals and a storied crew from more than 50 years ago. Those who have been elected are: 1964 men's varsity 8, Kelly Anderson (softball), Calen Carr (men's soccer), Valentina Godfrid (field hockey), John Mann (men's water polo), Holly McPeak (volleyball), Diane Ninemire (softball coach) and Dana Vollmer (women's swimming). I hope you can join us for the induction ceremony Nov. 8 in the Pauley Ballroom on campus. For ticket information, visit bigcsociety.org.
 
Earlier this month, we announced our Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores, and we are proud to state that, collectively, our teams posted their best set of scores ever with 15 of 26 measured programs either equaling or surpassing their all-time highs. Among that group is football, which has seen its APR rise 44 points over the past six years. In addition, a record-tying seven programs earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards for their performances, all with APRs of 1,000 (the highest possible) - beach volleyball, men's cross country, women's golf, lacrosse, women's soccer, men's tennis and volleyball.
 
College Sports Day is an annual department-wide, community event when student-athletes from a wide array of sports set up clinics and demonstrations for youth on the Memorial Stadium turf. This year, we partnered with Coaching Corps and Convoy of Hope and invited families from our local East Bay community. The result was an inspiring event on May 11, as our student-athletes served as mentors and teachers for the sports they love, and hundreds of  kids, many of whom were on a college campus for the first time, fully enjoyed themselves.

To learn more about upcoming events, including the summer Coaches Caravan series with stops in Los Angeles, Orange County and Lake Tahoe, visit the Cal Athletics Fund events page.
 
While classes for the spring semester have come to an end, several of our sports teams continue to compete with a focus on the postseason. Our baseball team looks to finish strong and secure an NCAA Tournament berth this weekend with its final series at Washington, while track & field is at its NCAA regional in Sacramento and men's golf begins the NCAA Championships tomorrow in Arkansas. At the end of the month, men's rowing's IRA Championships will be held outside Sacramento on Lake Natoma, our women's rowing program looks to defend its NCAA title in Indianapolis, and our rugby team goes for the national 7s championship in Philadelphia.
 
This has been a remarkable year for us at Cal, one that began with a celebration of the 150th anniversary of our University's founding, featured a football bowl game in December and a national championship from men's swimming & diving in March - with much more in between. We have a great chance for a strong finish that can set us up for an even better year next year.

What a great first 12 months it has been for me here at Cal. Corey and I are so appreciative for all the support we have received from Chancellor Christ, Golden Bear alumni, fans, faculty, coaches, administrators and, of course, student-athletes.

As always, thank you for all you do, and Go Bears!
 
Jim Knowlton
Director of Athletics
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