COLLEGE SOFTBALL: `JELLY' ARM COULDN'T STOP UCLA SELDEN BACK FROM INJURY, READY TO LEAD BRUINS BACK TO COLLEGE WORLD SERIES.Byline: Ramona Shelburne Ramona Shelburne is an American sports journalist currently writing for the Los Angeles Daily News. Shelburne was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California where she was a class valedictorian. Staff Writer She made every pitch in UCLA's six games at the Women's College World Series The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Women's Softball Tournament for college softball in the United States. The tournament is conducted in an eight-team, double-elimination format. . She shattered the school's single-season strikeout record by more than 100. At times, it seemed Anjelica Selden Anjelica "Jelly" Selden is an American athlete who was born in Vacaville, California and attended Vanden High School from 2001 to 2005. She is the starting pitcher for the UCLA Bruins women's softball team, and she has recorded 65 wins and 893 strikeouts in her NCAA Division I could carry the Bruins just on the strength of her powerful right shoulder. But by the end of the season, her arm began to feel more like her nickname, ``Jelly.'' When she tried to throw overhand o·ver·hand also o·ver·hand·ed adj. 1. Executed with the hand brought forward and down from above the level of the shoulder: an overhand pitch; an overhand stroke. 2. , she felt sharp pain. She wondered how she'd make it through games. Selden, the pivotal player behind UCLA's march to the NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association title series won by Michigan, had a torn labrum labrum /la·brum/ (la´brum) pl. la´bra [L.] an edge, rim, or lip. la·brum n. pl. la·bra A lip-shaped anatomical edge, rim, or structure. labrum pl. in her pitching shoulder, a loose rotator cuff rotator cuff n. A set of muscles and tendons that secures the arm to the shoulder joint and permits rotation of the arm. Also called musculotendinous cuff. , and, she says, ``some other stuff - I can't remember.'' Rather than offseason surgery, Selden stepped away from the sport and went through daily rehabilitation sessions. Eight months later, she's pain- free and mentally reinvigorated. ``I don't think I've ever gotten a break like that,'' said Selden, who is looking to lead the second-ranked Bruins back to the World Series this season. ``I think it was the best thing for me to do, because my arm feels so fresh right now. (My pitches) haven't been clocked yet, but some of my teammates have told me it seems like I'm throwing harder.'' Selden, who was clocked near 70 mph while injured last season, struck out 485 batters in 325 innings and led the Bruins to within one pitch of a third straight NCAA title. UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX again faces enormous expectations. Every starter has returned, and both pitchers - Selden and junior Lisa Dodd - arrived in Westwood as national prep Players of the Year. Selden was a force immediately for the Bruins. Dodd, in her first two seasons, excelled as a utility player but not in the circle. Pitching coach Kelly Inouye-Perez thinks that will change. ``She's grown up tremendously,'' Inouye-Perez said. ``We don't need her to be Lisa Fernandez or 'Jelly' Selden or Amanda Freed. We just need her to be Lisa Dodd. And that's what she's focused on this year.'' Ramona Shelburne, (818) 713-3617 ramona.shelburne(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo, 4 boxes Photo: Anjelica Selden last year led UCLA to the Women's College World Series - and runner-up finish - despite a shoulder injury. Scott H. Chandler/Courtesy of UCLA Box: (1) UCLA (2) Cal State Northridge (3) Loyola Marymount (4) Div. III |
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