Gymnastics Briefs

Friday, February 13, 1998

Gymnastics Briefs

STORY:

The UCLA women’s gymnastic team (7-1) will be competing away
from home tonight at 7:30 against UC Berkeley. The Bruins have won
three consecutive meets. However, tonight at Cal’s Recreational
Sports Facility, the team will have to compensate for two gymnasts
out with injuries.

Luisa Portocarrerro sprained her foot at the UCLA Invitational
last weekend on the first event of the evening, the vault, and is
not expected back for about a month.

Additionally, freshman Mohini Bhardwaj, one of the Bruins top
all-arounders, had an ankle injury during practice the Thursday
before the Invitational. Bhardwaj should be back in a week.

Despite these injuries, the Bruins were able to pull through at
their last meet and reached their season high, a 195.4. Leading the
team are senior Stella Umeh, who is the Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week,
and junior Kiralee Hayashi, who is a top all-arounder.

Tonight, UCLA enters the meet with a record of 28 wins and only
one loss to Cal (5-6) in regular season. The Golden Bears, ranked
sixth in the West region, notched their only win against the Bruins
in 1985. Cal’s season best score is a 190.125, which they received
last week.

The coach of the Golden Bears, Trina Tinti, will be reunited
with UCLA, the team she competed with for four years under the
Bruins’ current head coach Valorie Kondos. This is Tiniti’s first
season as head coach of Cal’s program. Freshman Helene Kenny is one
of the Cal’s standouts, ranked 10th nationally for her work on
bars.

Compiled by Christie DeBeau.