Gymnastics wins NCAA Championships
By Mansi Sheth
June 6, 2010 11:56 p.m.
Dominate.
That is what the UCLA gymnastics team did effortlessly this season. From their season-opener to the national championships, the Bruins consistently set the bar for every other team in the nation. They were the best, and they knew it.
With the majority of the 2009 team returning for the 2010 season, the season-opening rematch against Utah in Pauley Pavilion was an important test for the Bruins. Last year during the NCAA Championships, UCLA lost to Utah in a tiebreaker for a place in the Super Six. Proving just how much of a difference one year can make, UCLA passed with flying colors, defeating the Utes 196.600-195.125.
After witnessing the team’s victory against then-No. 2 Utah, coach Valorie Kondos Field knew that this year was going to be special.
“This is one of the biggest meets we have had in perhaps five or six years,” Kondos Field said after the matchup against the Utes. “I feel like we are back as a powerhouse. We are starting off on a good note, and everybody looks super strong.”
With the return of senior Anna Li to the all-around, strong debuts by freshmen Lichelle Wong and Monique de la Torre, and consistent routines by sophomores Vanessa Zamarripa and Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, the Bruins cruised through the early part of the season.
But after a 196.43-195.83 loss to Stanford on Jan. 24, UCLA was forced to open its eyes a little wider. Two costly falls on floor left the Bruins trailing Stanford, and even a then season-best 49.3 on beam could not save the meet.
“We got a little relaxed and made a couple of mistakes,” Zamarripa said on the loss. “We were really confident, and we may have forgotten little details. We messed up a little.”
UCLA’s floor woes against the Cardinal were uncharacteristic for the team, which struggled more on beam throughout the season. The Bruins were forced to count falls on beam in several meets, a worrying sign of inconsistency.
After two falls on beam and five out-of-bounds penalties led to the Bruins’ second loss to Stanford, Kondos Field recognized that something needed to be tweaked in the Bruins’ lineup. She decided a stabilizing force was necessary at the beginning of the rotation and selected Li to compete first.
“We wanted to switch things up and go with someone steady at the beginning to create some good momentum,” Li said.
The change in lineup worked magic for UCLA, which did not have consecutive falls on beam for the rest of the season. With three team totals over 197.00, the Bruins were back on cruise control, coasting through the rest of the season.
The Bruins followed their victory against Michigan State at the end of the regular season with another victory, winning the Pac-10 Championships in Tucson, Ariz. Competing once again against rival Stanford, UCLA redeemed its losses by securing first place with a team total of 197.35, the highest total in the nation for the week.
The Pac-10 Championships were an appropriate warm-up for the Bruins’ biggest home meet of the season, the NCAA regionals. Entering as the No. 1 seed, UCLA competed in front of a full crowd at Pauley Pavilion, scoring a nation-high 197.825 to secure a spot in the national championships.
Entering the NCAA Championships in Florida as the No. 1 seed, the Bruins were looking to live up to expectations. Competing against Oklahoma, Alabama, Stanford, Florida and Utah in the finals, UCLA needed a 49.1 on floor in the final rotation to win its sixth national championship. Like the team had been doing all year, the Bruins dominated the event, scoring a season-high 49.55 and clinching UCLA’s 105th national title.
“(Winning) was like the master plan coming to fruition,” Kondos Field said. “Getting first place at nationals was what was supposed to happen if everything went according to plan. I am so proud of this team.”
