UCLA Women's Soccer Team Honored at State Capitol

Members of the UCLA Women's Soccer team visited the State Capitol on Monday to be honored for winning its first-ever NCAA Championship.

UCLA head coach Amanda Cromwell and team members Sarah Killion, Kodi Lavrusky, Megan Oyster and Katelyn Rowland were presented with a California Legislature Resolution by UCLA alumni Senator Mimi Walters and Assemblyman Donald Wagner and Senator Ted Lieu, as well as a proclamation by Assemblymen Wagner and Jimmy Gomez. The Bruins were honored on both the Senate and Assembly floors and treated to a tour of the Capitol building by Senator Ed Hernandez, as well as a tour of the governor's office by Elizabeth Norvell and Deputy Legislative Secretary Brian Putler, who presented the Bruins with a certificate of honor.

"We had a great experience in the State Capitol," said Cromwell. "It was nice to be recognized on both the Senate and State Assembly floors. They all made us feel very welcomed and appreciated with their cheers, applause and even an 8-clap. We thank everybody at the State Capitol for all their efforts."

Added Oyster, "I thought it was amazing to see all the support from our state that we play in. Everyone was so supportive of us. When we were on the Senate floor and everyone was cheering for us, there was no moment that could match that. It was definitely a great experience, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to come."

A reception hosted by Assemblymembers Wagner, Gomez and Bonnie Lowenthal capped the day. At the request of Senator Jim Nielsen, local girls' soccer team Placer United attended the reception and took photos with and received autographs from the Bruins. Appropriately, one of the Placer United coaches was another NCAA champion Bruin - Jimmy Frazelle, team co-captain of the Bruins' 2002 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship squad.

Also in attendance at the reception were Bruin supporters Senator Ben Hueso and Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi and Cristina Garcia.

For Rowland, the experience brought her back to her childhood soccer days in nearby Vacaville. "It was great being back in my hometown and coming back to be honored after reaching my goal of winning a national championship," she said. "The people here were really welcoming, and for the little girls to come in was a really cool experience, not only for us but for them because they look up to us, and we were in their shoes once."

"We had a really good time and got to meet a lot of really nice people," Killion added. "They were really welcoming, and it was an honor to be in their presence. I had a really good time meeting everyone up there."

Lavrusky echoed the sentiments. "It was really cool to get a tour of the Capitol building and meet so many UCLA alums who now work there, along with one of the previous UCLA National Champions (Frazelle), who was there with his team. It was just a great experience."