Natalie Coughlin to Throw Out First Pitch of Oakland-Boston Baseball Playoff Game Tonight
OAKLAND, Calif., October 6. UNIVERSITY of California swimmer Natalie Coughlin, a two-time Sullivan Award finalist, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Game 5 of the American League Division Series between the Oakland Athletics and the Boston Red Sox on Monday at the Network Associates Coliseum. The first pitch ceremony is set for 5 p.m.
Coughlin, who is vying for her fourth consecutive NCAA and Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year honors, has broken six world records, 34 American records and holds 11 Cal school records in just three seasons as a Golden Bear. She is a two-time Sullivan Award finalistan honor given to the nation’s top amateur athlete.
Coughlin most recently competed at the 10th FINA World Championships July 20-27 in Barcelona, Spain. Despite being ill during the championships, Coughlin led the U.S. 400-meter free and medley relays to gold and silver medals, respectively.
Last season as a junior, Coughlin had her most impressive season yet, earning her third straight NCAA and Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year awards. At the 2003 NCAA Championships in March, she became the NCAA's first three-time titilist in the 100-yard butterfly and 100 and 200 backstroke. She owns the American and NCAA record in each of those events. At the Pac-10 Championships in Federal Way, Wash. Feb. 27-Mar. 1, Coughlin won three individual events, breaking her own American, NCAA and Cal school record in the 100 free with a time of 47.42, a time she later lowered to 47.00 leading off the Cal free relay.
In all, Coughlin set three world, seven American and three NCAA records during the 2002-03 season. In three seasons at Cal, Coughlin has nine NCAA titles and a perfect Pac-10 dual meet race record (43-0).
Additional honors she earned last season include the 2002 Female World Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World magazine and 2002 Swimmer of the Year by USA Swimming
The Cal women’s swimming team opens up its 2003-04 season with a meet against Washington State, Saturday, Oct. 18 at 12 p.m. at the Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley.