UCLA gymnastics looks to regain its balance at Southern Utah after two key injuries
Junior Aisha Gerber and UCLA face Southern Utah on the road today.
Southern Utah
Tonight, 6 p.m.
Cedar City, Utah
Get live coverage at suutbirds.com
The Bruins make their second trip to Utah this season as they look to regain their footing after losing to Utah last weekend.
By Mansi Sheth
Jan. 14, 2011 1:42 a.m.
On Jan. 5, students at Southern Utah were literally shaking in their beds.
A minor earthquake sent tremors through the area, causing little damage but leaving nerves slightly rattled. When it arrives in Cedar City on Friday, the UCLA gymnastics team hopes to leave a more lasting effect on the Thunderbirds than a few forgettable jolts.
No. 5 UCLA, which lost its top ranking to Florida, returns to Utah for the second time in as many weeks looking for its first road win. The meet is the Bruins’ first-ever matchup against the No. 23 Thunderbirds, who will compete at home for the first time this year. Southern Utah enters the season as the defending Western Athletic Conference champion, capturing the title for the first time in school history last year.
The opportunity to face a nonconference team early in the season will not be overlooked by UCLA coach Valorie Kondos Field, who intends to give the majority of her gymnasts a chance to compete against Southern Utah.
“I’ve got to use the first part of this season to see who is going to be able to score the highest,” she said. “Friday night, look for everyone to be competing. The lineup is going to be totally different, which always invigorates the team because they love it when everyone gets to compete.”
With nearly everyone scheduled to compete in at least one event, Kondos Field expects all of her gymnasts to step up their performances in order to secure a final spot in the lineup, especially on the balance beam. The Bruins have posted subpar scores on the apparatus for the past two meets, finishing with less than 49 points on the event each time and raising questions as to whether the team can win meets without freshman Samantha Peszek and junior Vanessa Zamarripa, who are both out with injuries.
“It drives me crazy when people say, “˜Don’t worry, Coach, Sam Peszek will be back soon,'” Kondos Field said. “I say, “˜No, this is the team we’ve got and this is the team we will compete with.'”
Despite this attitude, multiple falls on beam in consecutive meets remain a very real reminder that success is not guaranteed for the Bruins this season.
“There is a lot of concern over the beam performances because that is not how they are training,” Kondos Field said. “When gymnasts can switch from just doing their skills to performing them, they get their rhythm and are comfortable no matter which event it is. You look at the best beam workers compete in the country and they are always smiling. I definitely believe that adds to their calm on the event.”
With nine gymnasts in the running for six spots, Friday’s meet will play a pivotal role for the Bruins in determining who will earn the honor. But more importantly for junior Aisha Gerber, competing against Southern Utah is a chance to gain some experience in a young season.
“Every routine under your belt is a confidence boost,” Gerber said. “Then you’ve got those scores to look at and remind you that you can do this.”
