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Campus Times •

Pitcher overcomes challenges with love of baseball - Campus Times

Zachary Grech
Calendar Editor
Justin McFadden, senior psychology major and a right-handed pitcher for the La Verne baseball team, brings energy and grit to the field. He is known for his tenacity to throw fastballs for cold strikes when he is on the pitching mound. 
“Once I get into my groove, and I let a couple of fastballs just rip off my fingers, I know it’s going to be a great day, and that all starts with my mentality of knowing that I have to deliver my best pitches each time,” McFadden sa...
Campus Times •

Sitanggan works to expand opportunities for women in basketball - Campus Times

Zachary Grech
Calendar Editor
From Pepperdine to La Verne to Adidas, assistant women’s basketball coach Barbara Sitanggan is working to help inspire the next generation of women’s basketball players.
Sitanggan was a former Division I standout player for Pepperdine, where she played point guard and started all four years of her collegiate career. 
Her outstanding court vision and passing ability allowed her to become the school’s all-time leader in assists with 503 and free throw shooting percent...
Campus Times •

Marissa Howell named Ed Baldwin Sportsmanship Award winner - Campus Times

Zachary Grech
Calendar Editor
The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference awarded Marissa Howell, senior point guard for the La Verne women’s basketball team, the Ed Baldwin Sportsmanship Award on Wednesday.
This award is presented to the senior who exhibits exceptional sportsmanship throughout conference play.
“My reaction to winning the award was very grateful, and just to know that the other coaches in the conference recognized and believed that I was able to carry sportsmansh...
Campus Times •

Reid between the lanes: Journeying on and off the track - Campus Times

Zachary Grech
Staff Writer
Three-time Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 110-meter hurdles champion Zachary Reid has etched his name at the very top of the La Verne record books. The graduate student has had a stellar track record of nothing short of excellence displayed in his four-year career at La Verne. 
In 2022, 2024 and 2025, Reid became the SCIAC champion in 110-meter hurdles. Reid also set the new school record in the same event at the 2024 SCIAC Championship meet wi...
Campus Times •

Three-time Olympic gold medalist offers athletes inspiration - Campus Times

Zachary Grech
Staff Writer
A “Gold Standard” motivational speaking event was hosted by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Tuesday, in the Athletic Pavilion before an audience of about 20.
The speaker was three-time Olympic gold medalist-turned motivational speaker and author of “The Gold Standard: 14 Ways to Live a Life of Excellence” 
Leah Amico, who was on the Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. softball teams in 1996, 2000 and 2004, discussed how to navigate life as an athlete with resilience...
The Perfect Step •

The Heart of Gold, A Mindset of Steel, and Driven by Purpose: The Chris Clark Story — The Perfect Step

Clark’s leadership also shows in his love for sports. He served as the student manager for the Claremont High School football team, where he helped motivate athletes to push themselves and build character. He formed strong friendships during that time and gained valuable insight into the game, something he plans to continue developing in college.This fall, Clark will attend the University of La Verne, where he will study journalism. He hopes to stay involved in the world of sports. He was drawn...
The Perfect Step •

The Heart Behind The Healing: Kristen Douglas’s Approach to Activity-Based Therapy — The Perfect Step

Kristen Douglas joined The Perfect Step in 2019 and is a Level II Certified Paralysis Recovery Specialist. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of La Verne, with an emphasis in Health and Human Performance and a Minor in Psychology. She also earned her Master’s in Exercise Science from California Baptist University.Growing up, Douglas always knew she wanted to help people. That passion came from watching her father, a retired fireman paramedic, and how he never hesit...
The Perfect Step •

Research in Motion: Cody Norman’s Study of Activity-Based Therapy — The Perfect Step

Through his research findings, the first conclusion he made was that exercise is beneficial for everyone, but it is especially crucial for people living a sedentary lifestyle.“We try to get that individual or all of our clientele out of the wheelchair as much as possible, and as close to that anatomical position as possible, and get them to exercise,” Norman said.Norman also pointed out that exercise is the key piece to activity-based therapy. It’s the formula for success when it comes to client...
The Perfect Step •

Logan Frye’s take on the importance of activity-based therapy — The Perfect Step

During a client’s first evaluation, he gathers their medical history, past therapy records, and personal background to develop a fully customized program. He starts by assessing their current muscle strength through The Perfect Step’s functional movement assessment, but just as importantly, he evaluates quality of life. Clients are asked how they feel about their current living conditions, what areas they want to improve, and what goals they have beyond just physical recovery. This part of the e...
The Perfect Step •

Overcoming Challenges in Physical Therapy: Nathan Lozano’s Take on Empowerment and Recovery — The Perfect Step

Diving deep into the challenges of physical therapy is one thing that STEP Certified Paralysis Recovery Specialist Nathan Lozano deals with his clients daily. Lozano has worked at The Perfect Step organization since 2017 when he started as a Step Certified Paralysis Recovery Assistant. Lozano graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Exercise and also has a Master of Science in Kinesiology from A.T. Still University.Now having more certifications under his bel...
Campus Times •

Don Pollock remembered as larger than life - Campus Times

Zachary Grech
Assistant Editor 
Emeritus professor of communications Don Pollock, who headed the broadcasting program in the department of communications for almost 30 years, died on March 24 at the age of 71. 
Professor Pollock’s colleagues and former students remember him as a storyteller, an inspiring mentor and an excellent filmmaker who cared for his students, many of whom work in the film and television industries in Hollywood and beyond. 
Professor Pollock, who taught at the University fr...
The Perfect Step •

ANDREW CASTRO– THROUGH IT ALL — The Perfect Step

Andrew Castro has been a loyal client of The Perfect Step Facility for three years. He has entrusted the Specialists and staff with his recovery journey, and through activity-based therapy, he has seen major improvements in his everyday life.Before attending The Perfect Step, Castro was involved in a car crash that left him paralyzed. Following the accident, he began his initial physical therapy under Casa Colina’s inpatient and outpatient care.“I did a little bit of outpatient at Casa Colina, a...
Campus Times •

Fukuzaki honored with Lifetime Achievement Award - Campus Times

Zachary Grech
Calendar Editor
The Radio and Television News Association of Southern California presented University of La Verne Alumnus Rob Fukuzaki its Lifetime Achievement Award on March 29.
Fukuzaki has been working for ABC7 Eyewitness News as its sports anchor for 30 years, and also hosts special sports shows on the weekend news called Slam Dunk, The Chargers’ pre and post-game shows and Saturday Night Sports. 
During Fukuzaki’s acceptance speech at the Golden Mike Awards, he dedicated his a...
Campus Times •

D-III Day celebrates La Verne athletes - Campus Times

Zachary Grech
Calendar Editor
The Student Athlete Advisory Committee hosted Division III Day on Tuesday in Sneaky Park. 
Over 300 people attended the event as Leo Nation T-shirts were all given away, along with free Alani energy drinks. In-N-Out Burger catered the event. 
This marked SAAC’s third year hosting this event to help celebrate National Division III Week which shines the light on student athletes.
“The main goal of D-III Week and the field day event is really important to celebrate our...
Campus Times •

'Made You Look' exhibit displays artists’ passion - Campus Times

Zachary Grech
Staff Writer
The art department hosted an opening reception for the “Made You Look” exhibit Tuesday in the Harris Gallery. Curated by Gajin Fujita, the exhibit features artists Robert Acuña, Gregory Bojorquez, Nehemiah Cisneros, Cryptik, Alfonso Gonzalez Jr., Defer, Ruben Ochoa, Jose “Prime” Reza, Jesse Simon and Carlos “Kopy” Talavera.
All of these artists’ work was based on the theme of Los Angeles.
Show curator Gajin Fujita collaborated with fellow artist Defer on their painting...

Game Recaps

Covering the action of La Verne Athletics 

Campus Times •

Leopards win with strong defense, pitching - Campus Times

Zachary Grech
Calendar Editor
The Leopards blew out the Washington University in St. Louis Bears, 7-1, during the second game of their doubleheader Saturday at Campus West.
The win followed a 12-9 loss in game one.
“The fact they turned that around, the bats were less hot than in the first game,” head coach Danielle Kaminaka said. “We only had seven runs, but the fact that defense held them to one, and that is the thing that I think got us really excited.”
The Leopards started the game off stron...