UCLA gymnastics to welcome three new recruits to next year’s squad
Coach Valorie Kondos Field and UCLA gymnastics will welcome freshmen Margzetta Frazier, Sekai Wright and Norah Flatley for the 2018-2019 season. The Bruins will graduate five seniors from this year’s national championship team. (Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin)
By Jack Perez
June 1, 2018 12:32 a.m.
Following its first national title since 2010, UCLA gymnastics will welcome a trio of freshmen to give the Bruins another opportunity to repeat.
Coach Valorie Kondos Field will be adding three high-level recruits to next year’s team after losing five seniors from this past year’s squad. Each freshman is a top competitor in their field, and two have represented USA Gymnastics on the international level.
Incoming freshman Margzetta Frazier from Erial, New Jersey, is a current member of the U.S. National Team. She has been cementing her status as an elite gymnast over the past year, finishing fifth in the all-around at the 2017 P&G Championships and second at the 2018 Birmingham World Cup in England.
Kondos Field said Frazier’s talent on all four events will help soften the blow of losing the senior class.
“(Frazier) is known for her versatility, power and presence on every event, as well as her innovative skills and connections,” Kondos Field said.
Coming out of Paramount, California, incoming freshman Sekai Wright has been competing in Level 10 events since 2014. Since the start of 2016, she won 18 of the 21 times in which she competed on the vault. Wright was also a two-time Level 10 National Vault Champion.
Kondos Field said Wright’s athleticism and grace will help the Bruins in the upcoming season.
“(Wright)is a powerhouse who captivates with her dance as well as her high-flying skills,” Kondos Field said. “Both of these new Bruins are fierce competitors and primed to burst onto the national collegiate athletic scene.”
Incoming freshman Norah Flatley competed internationally in 2015, and she was expected to compete for a spot on the 2016 Olympic team before a broken foot ended her run. She has competed in Level 10 since retiring from international competition.
Liang Chow, Flatley’s club coach, praised the former U.S. National Team member’s determination to improve in every area of competition and feels she will fare well in Westwood.
“She is a very dedicated athlete. A super hardworking gymnast,” Chow said. “I think she will be a wonderful asset for the program, which is one of the best programs in the country. I think she will be a great fit.”
