Famous Athletes from UCLA

Established in 1919, the University of California, Los Angeles is among the best not only in America, but in the world. It’s not surprising that it receives over 200,000 undergraduate applications every academic year. UCLA has produced 16 Nobel Laureates, many Olympic medal recipients, and reached 120 NCAA championships, and more. Though UCLA may not be found on any online bingo sites, there is a UCLA Bingo card which has 17 images and 28 words related to the university.

The university is ranked the number one Public Ivy League school in the USA. It has attained remarkable academic and sporting achievements. Today, we want to look at some of the iconic sportsmen and women the university has produced over the years. 

Arthur Ashe

Everybody knows or rather, has heard of  Arthur Ashe, but surprisingly, some only knows him for his work in HIV awareness and politics rather than tennis. However, Arthur Ashe was a tennis icon, a fighter, and a man of principle. He won three grand slam titles in his career, but his work off the court won him the hearts of people around the world. He actively fought against apartheid in South Africa, and after contracting HIV from a blood transfusion, he was at the forefront of educating people about the disease.

Florence Griffith Joyner (Flo Jo)

The first athlete who showed us fashion and sports can come together beautifully, she matched speed with beautiful nails and fashionable braids. Before we saw Serena’s fashion-forward tennis outfits, Flo Jo had been running in neon colors on the track for years.

Her 10.62 sec record in the 100m sprint from the 1988 Olympics still stands.The Seoul Olympics were the most successful event for Flo Jo’s career, winning three gold medals and a silver. She retired in 1988 and started a foundation for underprivileged children. In 1995 she was inducted into the Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Ann Meyers

Ann Meyers was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993, as a pioneer in women’s basketball. UCLA coach John Wooden said she was the one who got women’s basketball going. Ann was the first woman to be awarded a full four-year athletic scholarship to UCLA. In that same year she played on the first USA Womens Olympic Team and went on to win a silver medal. Ann’s brother Dave played for the Bruins and won two NCAA Championships in 1973 and 1975.

This article is provided from an external source and not written by student staff of the Daily Bruin or Daily Bruin Sports.  To see content from the Daily Bruin, visit their webpage.