Trojan Candy walked into the Galen Center with several other excited USC basketball alumni and fans to enjoy the Basketball Salute to Troy. The format this year is different from previous years. There were more children in attendance this year. Young and old, we are all excited about the upcoming men's and women's basketball season.
There was complimentary popcorn and churros, as well as a "Wax Creation-Wax Hand!"
Trojan Candy enjoyed visiting with many basketball friends whom I have seen for years at all the games. The USC Men's Team walked around the lobby signing autographs and posing for pictures with the attendees.
The USC Women's Team enjoyed dancing with some of the attendees, but they had to leave all the fun fairly early to get ready for their scrimmage.
There were tables of giveaways filled with posters, schedules, bracelets and lanyards. The children, as well as some of the men's team, enjoyed playing games. Everyone could take a USC themed picture with Jio Fontan and Christina Marinacci in the background. Some of the Men's Team posed with the fans in the pictures. What FUN!
The Women of Troy scrimmaged first; then the Men's Team did. It was AMAZING to see so many HEALTHY men on the court! Four Women of Troy friends also enjoyed the scrimmage. FIGHT ON, Women of Troy Basketball! FIGHT ON, Men's Basketball!
After the scrimmages, the players went to the Founder's Room for signingautographs. Before the autograph session started, I was able to "sneak" in and take pictures. Check out the pictures at my Picasa album by clicking here.
As I was leaving, there was a familiar face smiling at me. It was basketball alumnus David Bluthenthal. He played forward at USC from 1998-2002. Then David played professional basketball in Israel and Europe. Now, he is back at his alma mater to finish his degree, and he has shortened his name to David Blu. FIGHT ON, David!
Trojan Candy will volunteer next at Heritage Hall on Friday, November 2nd.
FIGHT ON, until then!
He rode by us very quickly on his bicycle. So fast he didn't hear my husband and me shout out, "Hello!" Gone...but he was the first friend to walk by the Heritage Hall desk as we were setting up. Junior Pomee said that he had a class and that he would return.
Seven new friends came to the desk today. Two of them are Women of Troy Volleyball alumna.
The first new friend walked up to the desk with a big smile on his face. Andrew Schirrmeister enrolled at USC last spring. He is a Freshman and is undecided in his major. Andrew is a fellow Houstonian, like myself, and he has lost his Texas accent already! Trojan Candy lost hers years ago! Andrew is a manager on the USC football team. He likes to write (like yours truly), and he "thrives off human interactions!" (Me too!) Are all Texans alike? FIGHT ON, Andrew!
Trojan Candy's next new friend walked up to the desk with a "shy" smile on her face.
Freshman April Juarez plays Forward/Attacking Mid on the Women of Troy Soccer Team. She is majoring in Sociology. From La Puente, April likes to watch movies. Her favorite movie is "Cinderella," and her favorite music is Rock. Kiss and Nirvana are her favorite artists. April likes sushi and Mexican food the best. FIGHT ON, April!
The next two friends walked up to the desk with a Flourish! Iracema Araujo and Cica Baccelli are both Women of Troy Volleyball alumnae. Both are also from Brazil. Iracema played volleyball at USC in 1987 to 1989. She majored in Computer Science and currently lives in Florida. Iracema is a Program Manager for IBM. Her hobbies are art, surfing, sports, music and painting. FIGHT ON, Iracema!
Her friend Cica Baccelli played volleyball at USC in 1991-1992. She is very tall...6'4" tall. That is tall for even current Women of Troy today! Cica majored in Sociology and is currently a Pre-school Teacher. She lives in South Torrance. Cica, like Iracema, enjoys music and volleyball. FIGHT ON, Cica!
Junior Ashley Liverpool is my fifth new friend. She transferred to USC from the University of Iowa, and she is from Cincinnati, OH. Ashley competes in the 400 m and the 4x400 m relay on the USC Track Team. She is majoring in Psychology. Her hobbies are shopping and hanging out with friends. Drake and Lil Wayne are Ashley's favorite recording artists. Her favorite food is pizza, shrimp, lobster and steak. Mmmm! FIGHT ON, Ashley!
My sixth new friend is Sophomore Kate Gleadow. She is from Vancouver, B.C. Kate is on the USC Rowing Team and competes on the port side. She is majoring in Geology and likes all kinds of music. Her favorite foods are raspberries, chocolate and coffee. For hobbies, Kate likes camping, hiking, reading, hanging art and traveling. She told us that she traveled to Europe last summer to visit some of her rowing teammates in the Czech Republic and Poland. She also traveled to Amsterdam, Scotland, Germany and London to watch the Rowing Finals in the 2012 London Olympics! FIGHT ON, Kate!
My seventh new friend is Gerald Bowman, Jr. Gerald is majoring in Communications. He is from Philadelphia. My second daughter and Trojan alumna Steffany was born in Bryn Mawr, which is a suburb of Philadelphia. Gerald, my husband Jim and I spoke about the Philadelphia area for quite a while. Hope we didn't make him homesick! Gerald is a Junior (no pun intended) who transferred to USC from Pierce Junior College. He plays Safety on the football team. His favorite movies are "The Wood" and "Love and Basketball." Gerald likes recording artists Drake, Meek Mill and Rick Ross. His favorite food is seafood. (another Trojan after my own heart!). When I asked him why he came to USC, Gerald said that he likes everything about USC! FIGHT ON, Gerald!
Seen at the SCene:
Heritage Hall: Drew Narwold, Jared Padilla, J.K. McKay, Caroline Trawick, Chris, Kevin Brooks, Jordan Cohen, Tim Tessalone, Don Winston, Dr. Bryce Nelson, Dr. John Petruska, Dr. Bob Baker, Donna Heinel, Dave Tuttle, Jeremy Wu, Jill Dennis, Rebecca Morin, Melinda Marino, Jessica, Julian Bonse, Alex Rios, Barbara Hedges, Craig Kelley, Fed Ex Dave, Sean Jordan, James White, Karen Bowman, Pat Haden, Kelly Kaneshiro
Coaches: Women's Tennis: Richard Gallien, Women's Sand Volleyball: Anna Collier, Women's Golf: Andrea Gaston, Men's Basketball: Jamal Boddie, Football: Aaron Ausmus
Soccer: Caroline Stanley, Autumn Altamirano, Kristina Noriega
Track and Field: Davonte Stewart, Melia Cox, Caroline Lutzky, David Selma, Alitta Boyd, Coco Ndipagbor
Women's Crew: Magdalena Janicka, Helen Tinkus, Tanya Ouyang, Hannah Bowen, Elaine Krebs, Jelena Zelenovic, Iskra Angelova
Football: Junior Pomee (He did come back to the desk after his class), Ryan Henderson, Scott Starr, Victor Blackwell (has an injured finger), Chad Wheeler, Josh Shaw, Christian Heyward, Tony Burnett, Robert Woods ("Congrats" in my title, and congrats on breaking the USC Receptions Title!), Marqise Lee ("Thank You" in my title and who graciously posed with friend Kelly Kaneshiro for a picture.), Boomer Roepke, Jabari Ruffin, John Martinez, De'Von Flournoy, Luis Nevarez, Anthony Sarao
Trojan Candy flew into LAX at 11:25 a.m. I was gone all week in Northern California visiting my three grandsons---Zane, Kane and Parker. My husband Jim picked me up, and we rushed to Heritage Hall to volunteer.
The lobby was very busy when we walked to the desk at 12:30 p.m. Why? It's Parent's Weekend! Several students brought their parents to the lobby to view the trophies. Some of the parents stopped by the desk to visit, take a poster and take a snack. There were also many tours today. It was a quiet afternoon for athletes to come through the lobby, though.
Four Women of Troy athletes came to the desk today for the first time.
My first two new friends (who came to the desk together) are Women of Troy Lacrosse Team members, and my last two new friends are Women of Troy Soccer Team members.
Cassandra Collins is from Easton, Connecticut. She is a Freshman who is undecided in her major. Cassandra loves to go to country music concerts. One of her favorite pastimes is eating...sushi! Reading is another favorite pastime. Cassandra likes to read WWII novels and watch WWII documentaries. What interesting pastimes! FIGHT ON, Cassandra.
Cassandra's Lacrosse teammate Jacky Hennegan also likes country music and eating! No wonder that they are friends. Jacky, who is also a Freshman, is from Bremerton, Washington. She, like Cassandra, is undecided in her major. Jacky has joined the NROTC (Navy) on campus. Her favorite foods are root beer floats, beets and smoothies! Jacky must be pretty "Laid Back"....she wrote that she likes sleeping and "LAXIN!" FIGHT ON, Jacky!
While Jacky and Cassandra were at the desk, a mystery athlete borrowed a lacrosse stick and posed with them. Can you guess who he is? If you know, send me an email at Candy@TrojanCandy.com. Next time I'll let you know who's the first person to recognize him and who is the mystery athlete.
The two new Women of Troy Soccer Team members also came to the desk together. Freshman Whitney Pitalo plays Forward/Outside Midfielder. She is from Salem, Oregon, and is majoring in Psychology. Whitney likes hanging out with friends, playing pick-up soccer, and watching movies. Her favorite movies are "Avatar" and "The Blind Side." She loves to drink Jamba juice and eat pink Starburst candy. FIGHT ON, Whitney!
Whitney's teammate Darrah Shields is also a Freshman. She plays Outside Defender. Darrah, who is from Redwood City, is undeclared in her major. She likes to hike, snow ski and go to the beach. Darrah likes all outdoor activities! Her favorite foods are Mexican and Italian cuisine. FIGHT ON, Darrah!
Seen at the SCene:
Coaches: Rowing: Ligita Kaviere; Lacrosse: Lindsey Munday, Hilary Bowen, Devon Wills; Soccer: Ali Khosroshahin, P.J. Woolridge, Laura Janke, Trevor Mutch, Shaya Sabin (We wished all the coaches good luck as they walked by the desk on the way to their match versus Utah)
Football: John Katnik, Morgan Breslin (we told him that he is the person who has the most hits on TrojanCandy.com), John Martinez, Frankie Telfort
Women's Tennis: Giuliana Olmos
Rowing: Jelena Zelenovic
Track and Field: Kris Washington, Caroline Lutzky
Heritage Hall Friends: Bhupinder Singh, John Mosbach, Scott Gwartz, Darcy Couch, Jordan Cohen, Pat Haden, Don Winston, Scott Jacobson, Gregg Millward, Julian Bonse, Danielle, Craig Kelley, Karen Bowman, Fed Ex Dave, Melinda Marino, Trennon
I talked with USC Parents who came from the following locations: Chicago, Hawaii, Northern California, Sugarland (outside my hometown of Houston), Portland, Champaign (IL), Sioux City (IA)
Later in the evening at the USC Women of Troy Volleyball Match versus Utah, Women of Troy Basketball players Destinie Gibbs and Christina Marinacci stopped by to say "Hello."
As my husband Jim and I walked from our car to Heritage Hall, the McClintock Avenue was filled with students walking and riding bicycles to their next class. Be careful....there are bicycles everywhere!
Heritage Hall was just the opposite. It was empty when we entered. However, things changed....twelve new friends came to the desk for the first time!
The first new friend sure looked like an athlete. But, she isn't. Shea is a Senior Leader on the USC Spirit Leader Team. She is majoring in Business Administration. From Orange County, Shea has been a vegetarian for two years now. Her favorite movie is "Jurassic Park," and she loves all kinds of music. On second thought, it takes a lot of energy to be a spirit leader....so Shea must be very athletic! FIGHT ON, Shea!
Trojan Candy's second friend is definitely an athlete. He looks fit and trim. Aleec Harris, who is from Atlanta, is majoring in Sociology. He competes in the 110 m hurdles on the USC Track Team, and his personal best time is 13.55 seconds. Aleec's favorite music is Hip-Hop and R&B. He also likes to make music....Aleec plays the trumpet. His favorite movies are "Training Day" and "Friday." FIGHT ON, Aleec!
A good friend brought a new friend to the desk. Friend Mace Rapsey walked up to the desk with his usual big smile and with an Australian Olympian. Johnno Cotterill is from Sydney, Australia. Johnno played the Utility position on the Australian Olympic Water Polo Team in the London 2012 Olympics. His teammate was Joel Dennerley, a USC graduate. Johnno also played three years in Spain and two years in Greece. Johnno wrote that he likes to surf and go to the beach. He then wrote that he likes to watch Mace, Clarky (James Clark) and Jeremy (Davie) play for USC. Trojan Candy is glad that all three Australians compete for USC! Enjoy and FIGHT ON for USC, Johnno!
My next new friend has walked through Heritage Hall at least two times. Both times, I missed him. Not this time! I left the desk and ran to catch him. Looking straight up (literally!) at him, I asked him to come to the desk for an interview. Looking down (literally!) at me, he agreed. Omar Oraby, the newest member to our Men's Basketball Team, is 7' 2" in height! He is a Junior who transferred from Rice University. My father, Charles (Charlie) Chan was the first Chinese-American to graduate from Rice in 1941. My dad majored in Architecture. Omar is majoring in Economics. He is from Cairo, Egypt, and Omar said that his parents will be coming to see him play this season. His favorite movie is "Coach Carter." Omar wrote that he likes every kind of music. When Trojan Candy took his picture, I was way too short to get a good picture. So, my husband brought me a chair to stand on. Yes, Omar is THAT TALL! Thanks for coming to the desk for an interview and FIGHT ON, Omar!
My fifth new friend is also on the Men's Basketball Team. Zach Banner has been to the desk a couple of times, but, somehow, Trojan Candy has never interviewed him. When he came to the desk this time, I wasn't going to miss him again. Zach is red-shirting this year in football, but he will be playing basketball. He is a Freshman and is majoring in Communications. Zach at 6'9" plays Offensive Tackle in football and Center/PF in basketball. His hometown is Tacoma, WA, and Zach was excited that Coach Kiffin is allowing him to travel to Seattle for the USC-Washington football game this Saturday. He'll see lots of family and his girlfriend Jasmyn. Zach's favorite athlete is Shaq, and his favorite recording artist is Brian McKnight. FIGHT ON, Zach!
My sixth new friend is Joel Chacon. Joel is a Junior majoring in Biomedical Sciences. He is an Offensive Tackle on the USC Football Team. Joel is from Waukegan, Illinois. His favorite athlete is Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo. Kanye West is his favorite recording artist and his favorite movie is any James Bond movie. (Another Trojan after my own heart!) Joel said that he can hardly wait for the new Bond movie to be released. For his hobby, Joel likes to snowboard, but he hasn't been able to pursue his hobby here in California yet. When Trojan Candy asked why he chose USC, Joel said that he came to USC because of Mark Sanchez. A fine choice, indeed! FIGHT ON, Joel!
Trojan Candy's seventh and eighth new friends are both members of the Women of Troy Lacrosse Team. They walked up to the desk for the first time together and were interviewed together. Maggie Mawhinney is from Ft. Collins, Colorado. She is a Freshman majoring in Business. Maggie, who started playing Lacrosse when she was in the 5th grade, plays the Attack position and is #22. Her favorite musical artist is Mumford and Sons. She likes to go hiking, snow ski and play with her dogs Floyd and Meika. FIGHT ON, Maggie!
Teammate Haleigh Dalmass is from New Jersey. She is a Freshman, like Maggie, but she is undecided in her major. Haleigh plays the Midfield position and is #8. Her favorite musical artists are Lumineers and Brett Dennen. Haleigh likes to "hang out" with friends and go to the beach. She'll love our California beaches! FIGHT ON, Haleigh!
My ninth new friend is Lauren Liedel. She is a Sophomore, and she competes on the Women of Troy Rowing Team. Her position is either Port or Starboard side. From Vienna in northern Virginia, Lauren is majoring in Archaeology/Kinesiology. Her favorite movie is "Memento." For hobbies, Lauren likes to cook, practice yoga, surf and swim. FIGHT ON, Lauren!
Trojan Candy's tenth new friend is a Rowing teammate of Lauren. Rachel Moll is a Senior, and her position is Port. She started rowing when she was a Junior at Homestead High School in Los Altos. Rachel is majoring in Psychology, and her favorite recording artists are Nicki Minaj and Britney Spears. Her favorite book is "Bossypants" written by Tina Fey. For hobbies, Rachel likes to swim (like teammate Lauren), go to the beach, and eat (Lauren can cook and Rachel can enjoy!). FIGHT ON, Rachel!
My eleventh and twelfth new friends are both on the Women of Troy Lacrosse Team. They have much in common, as you will find out. Carley Horan, a Freshman, plays Defender. She is from Far Hills, New Jersey. (Both are Freshmen from the east coast.) Carley likes to travel, go to the beach, shop and be with her teammates. FIGHT ON, Carley!
Lacrosse teammate Eggy Plastaras plays Midfield. She is from Fort Salonga, New York. Eggy's hobbies and interests are almost identical to Carley's. She likes to travel, go to the beach, and "hang-out" with her teammates. Additionally, Eggy likes to play instruments (Trojan Candy must find out which instruments next time), and make new friends. (I like to make new friends, too.) My husband Jim asked Eggy what her name means. She said that it means "baby" in Korean. Thanks for coming to the Heritage Hall desk, Carley and Eggy!) FIGHT ON, Eggy!
I think that twelve new friends coming to the Heritage Hall desk in one day is a Trojan Candy record!
Seen at the SCene:
Heritage Hall Friends: Dr. John Petruska, Tim Tessalone, Bhupinder Singh, Alpha, Isaac Flores, Pat Haden, Ron Orr, J.K. McKay, Dr. Bryce Nelson, Don Ludwig, Craig Kelley, Jessica Onyepunuka
Coaches: Women's Golf: Andrea Gaston, Men's Basketball: Kevin O'Neill
Women's Golf: Doris Chen (The team will be competing at Stanford next Wednesday-Sunday. Good Luck!)
Men's Golf: Ramsey Sahyoun
Rowing: Kajsa Olsson, Jelena Miladinovic, Vineta Moca, Magda Janicka, Elaine Krebs
Women's Water Polo: Blair Moody
Men's Water Polo: Mace Rapsey
Track: Allen Williams, Loudia Laarman, Davonte Stewart, Myles Andrews, Felicia Horvath, Melia Cox, David Selma, Caroline Lutzky, Kemi Olonade, Greg Starkey, Jessica Davis (whom we saw as we were walking to our car)
Football: Demetrius Wright (whom we saw as we were walking to Heritage Hall), Zach Banner, Yonatan Aviv, Victor Blackwell, Buck Allen, Drew McAllister, Scott Starr, Josh Shaw, John Martinez, Wes Horton, De'Von Flournoy. Xavier Grimble, Kevin Greene (who wore a San Francisco Giant's baseball cap), Devon Kennard (Keep getting better, Devon!), Khaled Holmes (who wore a small brace on his right ankle but told Trojan Candy he will play against Washington....Keep getting better, Khaled!)
My husband Jim and I arrived early at the Newport Beach Sports Museum. We stood outside the museum, waiting for the event to start. It is a good thing we did! Some "old" friends and new friends arrived. Trojan Candy greeted three "old" friends and met four new friends. It was so nice to see Gold Medal Women's Water Polo Olympians Tumua Anae and Kami Craig.
As soon as the museum doors opened, Jim and I went inside to see all of the sports memorabilia. Trojan Candy was overwhelmed! There were so many USC artifacts!
The food was delicious! Catering was done by El Cholo. Jim pointed out two Olympic athletes to me. I could hardly believe my eyes.... Silver Medalists April Ross and Jen Kessey were here. Trojan Candy was able to take their pictures.
The program included introductions of Women of Troy Olympians, presentations by Women of Troy Sand Volleyball Coach Anna Collier and Women of Troy Basketball Coach Michael Cooper. There were even raffles for USC clothing. Trojan Candy wasn't lucky enough to win anything. Next time!
Olympians in attendance were Stina Gardell, Haley Anderson, Kami Craig, Janet Evans, Tumua Anae, Jen Kessy, and April Ross.
