Pac-12 Conference

MOUNTAIN PACIFIC SPORTS FEDERATION Entering the NCAA Championships ranked eighth, CALIFORNIA scored 353.000 to place fourth at the national meet. Defending national champion STANFORD was fifth with a total team score of 352.650. Cal senior Glen Ishino capped his season with the NCAA individual championship on the pommel horse (15.600) and finished his career as a seven-time All-American. Ishino also placed second on the high bar (15.050) and was fourth in the all-around (88.400). Teammate Dennis Manhart was right behind him with a fifth-place finish (87.550). Cardinal junior Eddie Penev captured a pair of individual titles, winning the floor exercise with a 16.100 and sharing the vault crown with Illinois' Paul Ruggeri after posting a 15.500. Penev led Stanford in the all-around with a score of 86.450 to finish eighth. Stanford was the runner-up at the MPSF Championships (352.100) behind champion Oklahoma. Penev was a double winner on vault and floor while claiming silver in the all-around. Cal placed third (345.950). Donothan Bailey won the pommel horse with a 14.900. (Capsule Reviews of 2011-12 Pac-12 Highlights in the MPSF) MEN'S GYMNASTICS The ARIZONA STATE men won their first MPSF title, scoring 131.5 points to STANFORD's 81.5. It was the highest point total and largest margin of victory since WASHINGTON began hosting the MPSF Championships a decade ago. Sun Devils coach Greg Kraft was named MPSF Coach of the Year as his squad claimed five individual wins at the conference championships. ARIZONA sophomore Lawi Lalang was named MPSF Male Athlete of the Year for the second straight season after breaking the championship record in the 3,000 meters (7:44.48), shaving nearly 10 seconds off his winning mark from 2011. On Feb. 11, Lalang broke the all-time collegiate record in the 5,000 meters (13:08.28), also by nearly 10 seconds. He went on to win both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters at the NCAA Championships. OREGON's Mike Berry (400m), ASU's Mason McHenry (800m) and Jordan Clarke (shot put) and Arizona's Nick Ross (high jump) also claimed NCAA titles. MEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD Wins by Brianne Theisen and English Gardner, along with an outstanding all-around team performance, led OREGON to its third consecutive NCAA indoor crown. The Ducks joined LSU as the only teams to have won three titles in a row. Oregon scored 49 points to runner-up Kansas' 30. Theisen won the pentathlon for the third straight year, tallying 4,536 points. She is only the second three-time pentathlon champion, join- ing Arizona State's Jacquelyn Johnson (2006-08). Gardner captured the 60-meter title in 7.12 seconds, the fourth-fastest time ever run by a collegian. ARIZONA's Brigetta Barrett, the MPSF Female Athlete of the Year, defended her high jump championship, clearing 6-1.5 (1.87m) to defeat the field. Barrett's best clearance was 6-5 (1.97m), just missing on her collegiate-record attempt at 6-6.25 (1.99m). WASHINGTON won its first distance medley title in 11:05.20. STANFORD won the MPSF team crown with 125 points to Arizona's 110. Cardinal coach Edrick Floreal was named MPSF Coach of the Year for the fifth time. WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD OREGON snapped STANFORD's seven-year lock on the MPSF Championship with a 13-10 win in the MPSF Tournament. Tournament MVP goalkeeper Caroline Federighi collected nine saves while Nikki Puszcz scored a hat trick against the Cardinal. Kristina Barrett became Oregon's all-time assists leader (76) in the 14-11 semifinal win over CALIFORNIA. Federighi and Puszcz joined Colleen Taggart, Jana Drummond and Jess Drummond to represent Oregon on the all-tournament team. The Ducks made their first program postseason appearance by hosting Navy, falling to the Midshipmen 10-9 in overtime. Cal junior attacker Megan Takacs was named MPSF Player of the Year and earned IWLCA All-Region first team honors after finishing the season ranked second in the nation with 4.08 goals per game. Stanford's Emilie Boeri and Oregon's Jana Drummond and Federighi all earned second team recognition. The Ducks' Jen Larsen-Beck was named MPSF Coach of the Year. Federighi added to her decorated season by being named to the Capital One Academic All-District At-Large Team. WOMEN'S LACROSSE No. 2 UC Irvine upset No. 1 USC in the NCAA Championship final in May, sweeping the Trojans, 25-22, 34-32, 26-24, on USC's home court. It was USC's third NCAA Final Four appearance in the last four years. Senior outside hitter Tony Ciarelli made the NCAA All-Tournament team after posting 18 kills and eight digs in the final. Ciarelli was named the AVCA National Player of the Year just a few days prior to the title match. He was also named MPSF Men's Volleyball Player of the Year in April, when USC freshman setter Micah Christenson was voted MPSF Freshman of the Year. USC head coach Bill Ferguson also took home some hardware, earning the honor of AVCA Division I-II Men's National Coach of the Year in May. It marks the second AVCA National Coach of the Year award in his six-year career at Troy. He was previously honored in 2009. MEN'S VOLLEYBALL USC (24-3) claimed its fourth consecutive national championship in December, making it 14-straight years since a non-Pac-12 school won the national title. The No. 1 Trojans defeated No. 2 UCLA, 7-4, in Berkeley, Calif., to become the first men's water polo team in NCAA history ever to win four consecutive national championships. Trojan goalkeeper Joel Dennerley was named the NCAA Tournament MVP after a 15-save performance in the championship match. The following were named to the All-Tournament first team: Dennerley (USC), Peter Kurzeka (USC), Josh Samuels (UCLA), Nikola Vavic (USC), Cullen Hennessy (UCLA). The following earned second-team recognition: Matt Rapacz (UCLA), Jeremy Davie (USC), Griffin White (UCLA), Cristiano Mirarchi (UCLA) and Mace Rapsey (USC). USC's Dennerley was named the 2012 Peter J. Cutino Award winner. becoming the first-ever goalie on the men's side to win the annual honor for the nation's top male and female collegiate water polo players. MEN'S WATER POLO No. 1 STANFORD (26-2) claimed its second straight NCAA Championship and the program's third overall title with a 6-4 win over No. 3 USC (23-6) in May. Cardinal junior goalkeeper Kate Baldoni made 15 saves in the championship match, earning her the NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player honor. Stanford's Kaley Dodson and Alyssa Lo joined Baldoni on the All-Tournament first team, while Kaleigh Gilchrist, Patri- cian Jansco and Monica Vavic represented USC on the first team. USC's Flora Bolonyai was named to the All-Tournament second team. The Cardinal also dominated in national awards: Freshman driver Kiley Neushul was named the ACWPC National Player of the Year and the 2012 Peter J. Cutino Award winner, making her the second straight Stanford player to receive the annual honor. Stanford head coach John Tanner was also named the ACWPC National Coach of the Year. WOMEN'S WATER POLO 80 2011-12 YEAR IN REVIEW

• Cover