Ross bounces back from early season vault stumble to achieve all-around success
Junior Kyla Ross, who is ranked No. 2 in the nation on the uneven bars, notched her second perfect 10 of the season in the event against Oregon State on Saturday. Ross also took home the all-around against the Beavers. (Liz Ketcham/Assistant Photo editor)
By Cassidy Hunt
Feb. 5, 2019 12:11 a.m.
Kyla Ross wasn’t going to let a stumble on vault define her season.
When No. 3 UCLA (4-0, 3-0 Pac-12) took on No. 24 Stanford (0-3, 0-3) on Jan. 17, the junior under-rotated in her vault routine, causing her to stagger backward and risk hitting her head on the table upon landing. She scored the lowest vault score of the night with a 9.325.
Coach Valorie Kondos Field said Ross was not sure that she wanted to compete on balance beam after her falter on vault during the Stanford meet.
“She just said, ‘I feel like I need to take myself off beam. I just don’t feel like I’m in it tonight,'” Kondos Field said. “That’s weird for (Ross) to say because (she) can turn it around anytime she wants. I told her I would make that decision because I knew that once she saw that the team needed her to compete, she would do well.”
Kondos Field said just moments before her turn to perform on beam, Ross approached her to confirm she was ready to compete, because she’d do anything to help her team succeed.
Ross went on to post a 9.925 on beam − the second highest score of the night for the event − and 9.900 on uneven bars − the top score for that event of the night for UCLA.
When UCLA went to Corvallis, Oregon to take on Oregon State this weekend, Ross was determined not to let the same thing happen on vault.
Ross was the fifth Bruin to complete her vault routine. She stuck her skills while she was in the air, but over-rotated just enough upon landing that it caused her to take a step forward to steady herself on the mat.
“The past two meets I’ve under-rotated on vault,” Ross said. “(Associate coach Randy Lane) said that it doesn’t matter if you take a step forward if you are going big, which I was. I was really excited when I finished. I didn’t want to think about the one that I stuck in warm-ups or I would mess it up.”
Ross posted a 9.850 for the event and the crowd went wild.
“My teammates make it so fun and easy to cheer,” said sophomore Nia Dennis. “My energy was on a different level (Saturday). I was so excited for each of my teammates. Everyone was dialed in, so each cheer felt totally natural.”
Ross followed that up with a perfect 10 on uneven bars, and 9.900s on balance beam and floor exercise. The former Olympian − who is tied for fifth in the all-around − was the only competitor to compete in the all-around competition in Corvallis.
Ross’ perfect 10 on bars against Oregon State came just three weeks after her first perfect 10 on the event at the Collegiate Challenge on Jan. 12.
“I was really excited about how solid I hit the routine,” Ross said. “I felt pretty good about it even before I got the score. It felt like I was in rhythm and I had a good flow going throughout the routine.”
Ross has scored two 10s and averages 9.945 on the event − good for the No. 2 national ranking.
Kondos Field said Ross’ national championship-worthy routines do not surprise her anymore.
“It’s gotten to a point where anytime (Ross) hits a routine, it should be a 10,” Kondos Field said. “She had one going on beam this week too, but she just got ahead of herself. Basically, our entire roster, if they can hit, they’ll get a 10.”
UCLA will meet No. 15 Washington on Sunday − and Ross is expected to compete all-around once again.
