Gymnastics dominates against San Jose State in third win of the season
Senior Aisha Gerber competed against San Jose State and scored a season-best 9.9, tying for first on bars.
By Alyssa Nambiar
Jan. 23, 2012 12:41 a.m.
With the final score of Sunday’s gymnastics meet depending on her performance, senior Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs knew the pressure was on to give UCLA a strong finish.
An upbeat samba hip-hop tune filled the air and the routine started off with a bang of trumpets that worked hand-in-hand with the powerful and charismatic choreography she brought to the floor.
Within seconds of the music starting, both gymnasts and spectators alike were clapping along to the beat of her music, creating a steady, rhythmic pulse as she performed.
With her teammates cheering her on and the crowd on her side, Hopfner-Hibbs tumbled to a 9.95 finish and handed the Bruins’ their third win of the season.
Her routine solidified No. 7 UCLA’s 197.575-193.200 win against San Jose State as the Bruins reached the 197 mark for the first time this year.
“You would think there’s something profound to say, but honestly, I just went out there and had fun,” said Hopfner-Hibbs on her floor performance.
“It felt like a normal day; we didn’t do anything extraordinary to get that score … we can score even higher if we have an amazing meet, which just goes to show the potential this team really has.”
The Bruins powered through the first rotation, which was highlighted by senior Tauny Frattone’s meet-high 9.95 on vault.
In the second rotation, sophomore Olivia Courtney and senior Aisha Gerber posted scores of 9.90 on uneven bars to give the Bruins a comfortable 2.4-point lead over the Spartans going into the third rotation.
UCLA’s only fall came during their rotation on beam. But after falling on her acrobatic series, freshman Mattie Larson reset her focus and hit the rest of her beam routine.
Coach Valorie Kondos Field praised Larson’s grace under pressure after her fall.
“Today she made a mistake in the middle of her beam routine and finished beautifully,” she said.
“She stuck her landing and I thought that was the most important lesson for her to have learned to help us win a national championship,” she said. “We know we can count on her to come back and hit well after a mistake.”
Her words applied not only to Larson, but to the rest of the team as well. The Bruins showed no signs of nerves after the stumble and hit their routines, with Hopfner-Hibbs scoring a 9.85 and sophomore Sam Peszek scoring a 9.90 to finish out the rotation.
Kondos Field played on the Bruins’ “superhero” theme this year while congratulating the team for their strong showing at the meet.
“The girls performed like super action heroes,” she said. “They absolutely did.”
After sweeping the top three spots on vault, bars and beam, UCLA counted five scores above a 9.80 in the final rotation and claimed the top five highest scores on floor exercise.
Senior Aisha Gerber, who set the tone for the team by leading off on both beam and floor, was proud of the way the team earned the win.
“We went out there and we did our jobs,” she said. “We did what we’re capable of and I know that with a little bit more practice and experience, we can do even better.
“This isn’t the end, and I’m thrilled with the way this team has come together.”
