Pac-10 Championships has gymnasts nostalgic, but ready for stretch run
Freshman Samantha Peszek and the No. 6 UCLA gymnastics team will host the Pac-10 Championships on Saturday starting at 4 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion. The meet has some added sentimental value as it will be the last time the gymnasts take to the mats in Pauley before the impending renovation shuts down the arena.
By Patricia Lee
March 18, 2011 1:59 p.m.
For a team that won an NCAA Championship just a year ago, the UCLA gymnastics team had a rough journey to come back to where it is now.
The Bruins started the season slow, not winning a match until their fifth meet. Now, No. 6 UCLA is on a hot streak, and has won three out of its last four meets. Not so bad considering the team is competing in the Pac-10 Championships at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday.
The Bruins will be competing against six other schools: No. 3 Stanford, No. 5 Oregon State, No. 17 Washington, No. 24 Arizona, California and Arizona State.
The Bruins lost to the Cardinal in their head-to-head meet at Stanford, beat Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore., but came in third against Stanford and Oregon State at the IGI/Chicago Style classic, even though they reached a great score of 196.3.
Though the Bruins are competing against teams that beat them before, they have improved their numbers since.
Coach Valorie Kondos Field feels that the team is prepared for this weekend and the rest of championship season, even though her gymnasts had finals this week.
“I don’t think we’re going to need the magic of Pauley to do well,” Kondos Field said. “I don’t think it matters where we compete for the rest of the championship season.”
Just because the team does not need the magic of Pauley does not mean the team is not emotional about their last meet at the historic venue.
“It’s been fun this whole season to compete in Pauley,” freshman Samantha Pescek said. “I just want to continue that legacy and history in that building. I’m excited to have one more chance to light up the electrifying crowd.”
As always, the gymnastics team does not look at how good their opponents are, but just what they are capable of doing themselves.
“We just need to transfer what we do in the gym into the competition,” redshirt senior Brittani McCullough said.
Because it is the last time the doors of this original Pauley Pavilion will be opening for them, the team wants to win for themselves and for the arena.
“I have mixed emotions,” McCullough said. “I’m excited because it’s the Pac-10 Championships and I’m excited to compete, but I’m really sad because I love Pauley and it’s the last time I’m competing here.”
McCullough was on the championship team last year and it will be her last meet at UCLA. Even Kondos Field, who has been at UCLA for 29 years, feels that it is going to be a very special meet.
“I’ve never taken for granted being able to compete in that arena,” Kondos Field said. “It reminds me so much of coach (John) Wooden and our friendship. I’m going to be wearing one of his cardigans at the meet to keep him close to my heart.”
