Jessica Cosby, a former UCLA standout and current throws coach, won the hammer competition to qualify for the Olympics. Here's the UCLA release on her and other Bruin notes from the track trials.

Ex-Bruin Amy Acuff qualified for her fourth Olympic Games by clearing 6-foot-4 in the high jump. She finished second to qualify for Beijing. Meb Keflezighi lost his bid for a third Olympics by finishing 13th in the 10,000 meters. Here's the release from UCLA:

From UCLA: Amanda Beard, who is coached by UCLA head coach Cyndi Gallagher, has
qualified for her fourth Olympic Games after having finished second in
the 200 breast (2:25.13) at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha,
NE on Friday. Beard, who joined Team Bruin earlier this year, joins
UCLA alum Kim Vandenberg as 2008 Olympians for America.

Also on Friday in Omaha, sophomore-to-be Sam Vanden Berge placed 46th
in the 800 freestyle in a time of 8:57.26.

Have a wonderful fourth of July. Enjoy the day.

Here's an update from UCLA on how former Bruins are doing at the Olympic track trials.

This is from UCLA:
Bruin alum Kim Vandenberg finished third in her signature event, the
200 butterfly (2:08.48), on Thursday at the Olympic Swimming Trials in
Omaha, Nebraska. With that finish, Vandenberg misses a spot on the
Olympic team for an individual event by just one place.
Also a volunteer coach for the Bruins, Vandenberg is a relay alternate
for the 800 freestyle relay and will head to Beijing in August. In the
100 freestyle, Vandenberg placed 19th in a time of 55.60. Senior-to-be
Anna Poteete was also in action on Thursday as she finished 75th in
the 100 free with her time of 57.16.
Team Bruin member and three-time Olympic Amanda Beard was second in
the semifinal round of the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:25.43 and
will swim for a spot on her fourth Olympic team on Friday. In the
morning session heats, Beard had the third-fastest time of the day
with a swim of 2:26.86.

Here's a storythat ran in today's paper on former UCLA swimmer Kim Vandenberg from Erik Boal, who's in Omaha for the Olympic swimming trials.

Sean Sheller had surgery today to repair torn ligaments in his left knee today. He injured the knee while riding in an ATV.
Here's a release from UCLA:

I will be out of the office on assignments most of the day but will try to post when I can. One of the assignments is to hang out with Noelle Quinn while she helps distribute food to needy famillies, so I'll have more on that later.

Ben Howland received a raise yesterday that will pay him nearly $2 million this year and $2.3 million in the final year of the seven-year contract. Plus, there's incentives.

Former UCLA star Baron Davis agreed in principle to a five-year deal with the Clippers yesterday. Think he can help the Clippers win an NBA title?

Just had a conference call with Ben Howland. I asked him about Alfred Aboya's status next year, and he's planning on Aboya playing his final season.
``I'm counting on him coming back,'' Howland said. ``I would be devastated if he didn't come back. Anything is possible. You never know what's going to happen.''

Anthony Curran has been named overall jumps coach, and Jessica Cosby was named women's throws coach. Here's the UCLA release:

Just got a call from another Centennial official who said Eric Scott's hiring is not official yet but will be if approved by the district. Apparently, the original person I confirmed this did not know it wasn't official.
Centennial submitted paperwork requesting Scott be the new head football coach at Centennial, but the school is still waiting for approval from the district. This was explained by another Centennial official.

Eric Scott was recommended to be the head football coach at Centennial High in Compton, but the school is still waiting on clearance from the district for that to be official, a Centennial official just told me. Earlier, someone at the school confirmed he was the new head coach, but moments ago I received a call from another school official who said it's not official until paperwork is approved by the district.

Ben Howland received a new seven-year deal which has him making $1.97 million for the upcoming season. By 2014-15, he'll make $2.35 million per year.
The following is the release from UCLA:

Ben Howland will receive another raise, it is expected to be announced today. I should have details of the contract later. Howland has taken UCLA to the Final Four the last three years.

Staff writer Scott Wolf talked to Bryon Moore's dad, Byron Sr. today about the reason Byron Moore de-commited from UCLA and committed to USC.
``He's been going to their camps since he was in the seventh grade. There was something
in his heart that said he wanted to go there,'' said Byron Moore Sr. ``At the end of the day, he felt in his heart he wanted to be at USC.''
USC offered Moore a scholarship last week when he attended a summer camp.
``It's been tearing at him even before that,'' his father said. ``UCLA's been very good to us. They are a good group of guys.''

Former UCLA water polo players Adam Wright and Brandon Brooks were named to the U.S. Olympic men's water polo team today. Also, Jamie Hipp and Natalie Golda were named to the women's team.

Byron Moore - who de-committed from UCLA and says he'll go to USC - grew up a USC fan and attended games at the Coliseum. When Moore committed to UCLA, he said he wanted to stay close to home. UCLA and Arizona were the first schools to offer.

Noelle Quinn will be back in Los Angeles with the Minnesota Lynx for the game against the Sparks on Thursday. Quinn will help deliver food to 400 pre-selected needy families on Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles.

Reggie Carter has been named to the Bednarik Award watch list. Here's the release from UCLA:

Staff writer Scott Wolf is reporting that Narbonne DB/WR Byron Moore de-committed from UCLA and now has committed to USC.

UCLA signee Malcolm Lee will attend the 2008 USA Basketball Men's under-18 National Team Trials, which start tomorrow at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. Drew Gordon was expected to try out as well but will no longer attend. Gordon, Jrue Holiday, J'Mison Morgan and Jerime Andesron are taking summer school classes at UCLA.

This is from UCLA:

Vandenberg Qualifies for 100 Butterfly Final At U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials

Former Bruin swims eighth-fastest time in semifinal round

Former Bruin and current volunteer swimming coach Kim Vandenberg
qualified for the 100m butterfly final on Sunday at the U.S. Olympic
Swimming Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. Vandenberg was 12th in the opening
round with a time of 59.57 to advance to the semifinal round. Once
there, she improved her time to 59.34 to advance to Monday's final.

Also on Sunday on day one of the Olympic Trials, sophomores-to-be
Lauren Hall (4:53.49) and Dani Milligan (4:55.09) competed in the 400m
IM where Hall placed 41st and Milligan was 54th.

More news from UCLA on former Bruins who are on their way to the Olympics:

Former Bruins Sheena (Johnson) Tosta and Suzy Powell Roos became the
first UCLA athletes to punch their tickets to the Beijing Olympic
Games as they both finished in the top-three in their respective
events at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR on Sunday.
Powell Roos finished in the runner-up position in the discus with a
mark of 206-5 and will head to Beijing for her third Olympic
competition (member of the U.S. team at the 1996 Athens and 2000
Sydney Olympic Games).
Tosta was third in the 400m hurdles with her time of 54.62. She will
head to Beijing and will compete in her second Olympic Games (she was
4th in Athens in 2004).
Also on Sunday at the Trials, former Bruin Monique Henderson easily
advanced to the semifinal round of the 400m as she posted the
eighth-best time of the day (52.24).
On the men's side, 2007 graduate Brandon Johnson placed sixth in the
intermediate hurdles with a run of 48.72.

UCLA freshman Maria Jose Uribe shot a final-round 75 in the U.S. Women's Open at Interlachen today, to finish in a tie for 10th place. Not surprisingly, she was low amateur at the Open.

Here's information, courtesy of UCLA, on former Bruins.