Everything must fall into place for w. gym

Thursday, April 25, 1996

Despite season-long struggles, Bruins feel ready to bring home
titleBy Esther Hui

Daily Bruin Staff

It’s been a topsy-turvy season for the UCLA women’s gymnastics
team, but one which may work to the Bruins’ advantage as they get
set to compete in the NCAA Championships this afternoon in
Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The sixth-seeded Bruins follow in the imposing footsteps of a
1995 team which broke almost every record which existed at UCLA.
That team included now-graduated seniors Kareema Marrow, who held
the school record on vault (10.0), floor (10.0) and all-around
(39.600) and Megan Fenton, who held the school record on bars
(10.0).

Though the Bruins won the Pac-10 championships, the West
Regional qualifier and set the school team record with a 196.475
last year, they faltered at the NCAAs, counting a fall in the team
finals to finish fourth, half a 10th away from first place.

This year, in contrast, UCLA has had anything but a perfect
season. The Bruins have twice totalled four falls on beam and
finished a disastrous fourth at the Pac-10 Championships.

But they are hoping this year’s struggle has put things into
perspective. With the leadership of Leah Homma ­ the
school-record holder on the beam (9.975) and in the all-around
(39.700) ­ and possible contribution from defending floor
champion and 1995 NCAA third place all-arounder Stella Umeh, who is
uncertain because of an ear infection, the Bruins still have high
goals, but with a focus directed on much smaller things.

"Last year we had to work on getting fired up," UCLA head coach
Valorie Kondos said. "This year, especially since we start on beam,
we need to work on finding a real sense of calm and confidence. We
went into regionals that way, not a lot of locker room hype, just
sharpening our focus, taking one trick at a time."

Said Umeh: "I think the only important goal we have is to do the
best gymnastics we can, and no less.

"Every team’s goal is to win a national gymnastics championship,
and ours isn’t any less. But we’re striving for what we’re capable
of doing ­ if we do that we’re unstoppable."

In the team competition, the Bruins are up against top-seeded
Alabama, which qualified with a 198.075, No. 2 seed Georgia
(196.950) and defending national champion and No. 3 seed Utah
(196.675).

In today’s preliminary team competition, the even seeds compete
in the afternoon and the odd seeds in the evening. For the Bruins,
the afternoon seed will probably mean slightly lower scores (as
scores tend to build as the evening progresses), but has an added
advantage of not including hometown favorite Alabama, and its
cheering section.

"It’s actually the best session," Kondos said. "It will give us
the most time to heal, four more hours of rest before the next
competition. And Alabama will be there in the evening with 10,000
fans. It’s not that it’s going to help, it just makes it a little
less frantic."

If the Bruins place in the top three, they will compete in the
Super Six team finals tomorrow night for the national crown, which
is also the all-around finals. The individual event finals will be
held Saturday night.

"We’re probably less nervous (than for West Regionals)," senior
Dee Fischer said. "We know the competition, we know Alabama,
Georgia, and Utah are always right up there. But when we’re there
we’ll focus on ourselves. If we do a good job, we have a chance of
beating them."

The sixth-seeded Bruins follow in the imposing footsteps of a
1995 team which broke almost every record which existed at
UCLA.ANDREW SCHOLER/Daily Bruin

Leah Homma will be a leading force as women’s gym begins NCAA
competition.