Follow UC Davis:  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook

RSVP for Saturday's 10 a.m. Ceremony

DAVIS, Calif. - Back in 1998, former UC Davis swimmer Rand Schaal and his father Ted contributed $1.4 million to the university, the lion's share of which was earmarked for construction of a new aquatics facility.

At the time, the gift was the largest in the history of Aggie athletics. The Schaals' money primed the pump for the 1999 Facilities and Campus Enhancement Initiative, which funded the remaining cost of what is now the Schaal Aquatics Center.

The facility opened its doors for the 2003-04 swimming, diving and water polo seasons. It has been a draw for world-class individual and team competition while serving as a home for local club swim programs. In 2006, Schaal hosted the National Collegiate Water Polo Championship — the first time a Division I NCAA final was held at UC Davis.

On Saturday, March 30, the aquatics center will host a public unveiling of its new enclosed digs at the north end of the facility. The catalyst for the project came through a generous gift by longtime Aggie benefactors Cathy and Jack Raycraft.

If you've been around UC Davis sports for a while, that Raycraft name is familiar not only for the financial support provided by the Davis family, but because of Cathy's and Jack's daughter, Christi Raycraft Warner — a brilliant prep swimmer and water polo player at Davis High before helping rewrite the UCD record book (Class of 2009).

The Raycrafts' gift was supported by other contributions, but it was their generosity that led the charge in making a world-class facility elevated to the next level.

Veteran women's swim coach Barbara Jahn gave me a sneak peek at the north-end additions and, brother, are they something. They include team meeting spaces, coaches' offices and a conference room.

For the rest, you'll just have to see for yourself.

UC Davis Director of Athletics Kevin Blue will give opening remarks at 10 a.m. Saturday, followed by an appearance by Aggie women's water polo mentor Jamey Wright and a handful of student-athletes. A donor wall will be unveiled to thank all those who provided $1,000 or more toward the Team Center's completion.

Best of all this weekend? Those in attendance should stick around because the No. 11 UC Davis women meet No. 9 UC Santa Barbara in a crucial water polo match at noon.

The Aggies have been getting powerful performances from scoring mavens Noelle Wijnbelt (40 goals). In support, Annie Kutt (36 net-benders) while Chloe Robinson and Kathleen Schafle have 26 and 28 goals respectively.

Pretty appealing double, huh? Dedication ceremonies and a terrific water polo match up. School officials ask that folks RSVP by clicking here.

Back to the facility...

"The new Team Center will positively affect our program in numerous ways," says Daniel Leyson, the Child and Meisel families director of men's water polo. "Primarily, having our offices on the pool deck will make us more accessible to our student-athletes. It will serve as our central meeting location and a place where we can watch film as a team, but also as a place where our student-athletes can come in and watch film on their own, or to study.

"Team Center at Schaal will give us a recruiting advantage and provide a better experience for our student-athletes."

Wright, who has been a fixture in the UC Davis water polo program since he played for the Aggies in the late 1970s, has said repeatedly how "deeply grateful" he is for the gifts by alums, parents and friends of the program.

"Rand would have a giant grin on his face if he were here seeing this final chapter underway," says Wright, a USA Water Polo Hall of Fame coach.

Schaal, a former UC Davis geology instructor, died in 2015. He was 64.

"Thanks, too, to the Raycrafts. Thanks to everyone," adds Wright.

For Cathy and Jack Raycraft, it was all about saying thank you to Wright and the school itself.

"Jamey often spoke of about his vision for a Team Center where student-athletes could gather to study, break-down film, and meet with coaches. Jack and I feel honored that we can help bring that vision to reality by investing in the Team Center," Cathy told UC Davis Athletics.

While I Have You Here: On April 27, UC Davis will honor the folks who helped make the recent $2 million rehabilitation of La Rue Field possible.

That afternoon the Aggie softball facility will be the site of a Big West showdown with Cal State Fullerton, but before the on-field fireworks will be the festivities dedicating the DeYoung Family scoreboard (compliments of former UC Davis softball coach Kathy DeYoung and Joy Fergoda) and the Kamisher-Weber dugout (thanks to grants from Robyn Kamisher-Gordon, Jason Gordon, Gena and Geoff Littleton).

First pitch of the important twinbill is 12 p.m. with dedication ceremonies preceding the action.

— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at bgallaudet41@gmail.com or 530-320-4456. Also read Gallaudet's "Aggie Corner" weekly in The Davis Enterprise.