Mention dynasties in college sports and UCLA comes immediately to mind.

From 1963 to 1975, the Bruins men's basketball team won 10 NCAA Division I Championships, including seven in a row.

And while coach John Wooden's teams define the word dynasty in college sports, another UCLA team is creeping up on the men's hoops teams.

Last week, coach Adam Krikorian's UCLA women's water polo team beat archrival USC 6-5 to win its fifth straight NCAA Division I title and seventh in the 2000s.

Smack dab in the middle of the last four titles has been former Rancho Bernardo High star Tanya Gandy.

"Four years ago when I first got to campus, if coach had told me we would win four straight championships, I'd be a two-time MVP, that we'd go unbeaten (33-0 in 2008), I'd have told him he was crazy," said Gandy, an driver in the Bruins offense. "Now, I can't believe my four years are over. Really, it's a bummer. But I'm glad the way it all turned out."

In Gandy's four seasons, the Bruins went 115-12. This year's team had the worst record of Gandy's career and still went 25-6.

"Every team, every year is completely different," Gandy said. "And sometimes, it's hard to adapt.

"After my freshman year (when the team went 29-4 and beat USC 9-6 in the NCAA title game), we lost a lot of seniors and Olympians. And we still came back the next year and won it again (going 28-2 and beating Stanford 5-4 in the title tilt)."

Gandy said that freshman year set the tone for her "because I was 18 and was able to compete with 24-year-old girls who had played in the Olympics."

"My sophomore year, we beat USC on a last-second goal to win it all," she said. "That's pretty memorable. Last year, we went undefeated. How good is that?"

This season belonged to Gandy. She scored a school-record 79 goals, giving her 187 for her career.

"I was asked to score more this season," Gandy said. "I didn't have to defend as much, so I got outside more, got more shots and gained confidence."

She scored three goals in the NCAA Championship match against USC at College Park, Maryland. She had four goals in a 12-11 win over Stanford in the semifinals and scored twice in a 13-6 first-round win over Michigan.

She was the obvious MVP choice.

"USC looked unbeatable," Gandy said. "They were a powerhouse on offense and defense. But we had a real gutsy win against Stanford, a team that had frustrated us during the season."

UCLA led USC 5-3 at halftime of the title match and won by a goal.

"What a defensive battle," Gandy said. "If you had told me we wouldn't score in the second half, I'd have told you we'd get killed by USC."

The reality of it all is now setting in for Gandy, who is on track to graduate this quarter with a major in political science.

On the horizon is a spot on the U.S. national team, coached by Krikorian. She's made the squad after a weekend tryout and was on a roster released on Monday.

"I can't believe all this," Gandy said last week. "I can't believe four in a row. I really can't believe I'll graduate in four years.

"Now, I want to make the National Team, I want to play overseas next year, and someday I'd like to work in the sports industry."

Any team would be smart to hire her. After all, she has that championship touch.Â

John Maffei's Alumni Report appears every other Tuesday through the college season. He can be reached at (760) 740-3547, by fax at (760) 740-5045 or at jmaffei@nctimes.com. Readers are urged to submit information on former North County prep athletes.