Friday, March 29, 2024

AdvertiseDonateSubmit
NewsSportsArtsOpinionThe QuadPhotoVideoIllustrationsCartoonsGraphicsThe StackPRIMEEnterpriseInteractivesPodcastsBruinwalkClassifieds

Gymnastics will need its depth to win against No. 7 Oregon State

Gymnastics

Oregon State
Today, 7 p.m.
Corvallis, Ore.
The Bruins look to win a dual meet for the first time this year as they face Oregon State.

By Mansi Sheth

Jan. 28, 2011 3:42 p.m.

Fractured foot. Torn ACL. Sprained ankle. Pulled hamstring. Neck spasms.

The casualties are piled high for the UCLA gymnastics team, and its injured list could be easily mistaken for a lineup card at a quick glance.

In the past two weeks, No. 9 UCLA (5-4) has had five gymnasts suffer injuries, ranging from a season-ending ACL tear to a minor bump on the head. Luckily for the Bruins, the damage is mostly temporary. Other than senior Mizuki Sato, who felt her knee buckle after landing a beam dismount against Southern Utah, every other injured gymnast is projected to make a full recovery within the next few weeks.

Sophomore Monique De La Torre, who twisted her ankle against Southern Utah, will compete at least on vault against No. 7 Oregon State (8-3) today. Junior Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, who did not fly with the team to Palo Alto because of neck spasms, as well as sophomore Lichelle Wong and freshman Olivia Courtney are expected to perform in at least one event each this weekend. Wong has been cleared to compete after hitting her head on vault against Stanford, while Courtney has been nursing a pulled hamstring.

“We want to get (the injuries) under control so that we are as healthy as possible by the end of the season, assistant head coach Chris Waller said. “If we win now and lose later, that is no good.”

Despite the wave of misfortune sweeping through the Bruins, senior Niki Tom believes that team morale has remained surprisingly high thanks to the support of the injured gymnasts.

“Initially, it was a bummer,” Tom said. “You just hate to see your teammates and the people that you care about get injured. But since then they have been coming into the gym everyday and helping coach us. Just because they are injured doesn’t mean they are not part of the team anymore.”

With usual starters unable to compete to their full capacity against Oregon State, the depth of UCLA’s roster will play a major role in determining the team’s success this weekend. For senior Talia Kushynski, who competed in only her fifth competitive routine as a Bruin last week against Stanford, the chance to step up to the challenge is a welcome one.

“The injuries have been opportunity for the people who don’t normally get to compete to really step up their mental game and be prepared to go in,” she said. “Everyone has started to train like if something were to happen, they would be ready.”

Winless in dual competition, a victory against Oregon State is a necessity for UCLA, who previously defeated the Beavers at the Pac-10 showcase by 0.55.

“I think that right now, a win would be a confidence booster, Tom said. “Coming home with a W would really show us that we can be the great team that we think we are.”

The meet against Oregon State will mark the midpoint of the season, a landmark that Waller believes needs to be a turning point for the Bruins, who have yet to post a team total above 196.

“I think that in the next two meets, we will see whether or not this is a team that believes it can win,” Waller said. “By then, we need to have put together at least one really strong performance for everyone to know we can go all the way.”

Share this story:FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Mansi Sheth
COMMENTS
Featured Classifieds
More classifieds »
Related Posts