UCLA victorious in close meet

Tuesday, January 26, 1999

UCLA victorious in close meet

WGYMNASTICS: Bruins defeat Oregon State; Degteva, Hayashi earn
top scores in all-around

By Traci Mack

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

The 4,897 fans who attended the UCLA – Oregon State gymnastics
meet last Friday came expecting an exciting meeting between the
Pac-10’s elite – a bruising Beaver-Bruin battle. Everyone knew it
would be exciting, but few expected what it turned out to be – a
nail-biter.

In the second consecutive competition for the Bruins that came
down to the final performer’s score, No. 10 UCLA (3-2) ended up
pulling out the meet, 194.575-194.450. The Bruins also captured the
top two scores in the all-around competition with junior Lena
Degteva posting a 39.225 for first place. She was closely followed
by senior Kiralee Hayashi who boasted a 39.100.

Four out of the top five all-around spots belonged to the blue
and gold. The only Beaver to make an appearance was Megan
Murphy-Barcroft, with a 38.950. She finished ahead of the Bruins’
Heidi Moneymaker and Valerie Velasco, who scored 38.775 and 37.925,
respectively.

Not that Oregon State was quiet all night. Twelve Beavers tied
or set new personal best scores in the meet.

The meet pitted the winners of the last 11 of 12 Pac-10 titles.
But, as the all-around scores attest, mind-blowing high scores were
not the order of the day for either team – the highest score in any
event was a 9.875. Rather, the meet was to be won by consistent
performances from the teams as a whole.

The Bruins grabbed a 48.900-48.425 lead after their first
rotation on floor exercise and never relinquished it. The floor was
very good to UCLA, which had an average event score of 9.775 on the
night. Moneymaker and Hayashi both scored 9.875, which would
eventually place them in a tie for first along with
Murphy-Barcroft.

Meanwhile, the Beavers were not faring as well on the vault. A
bright spot for Oregon State came when Lara Degenhart racked up a
9.800 on her attempt. That score was good enough to tie her for
first place in the event with UCLA’s Moneymaker, who nailed her
pike front with half twist vault in the second rotation.

The senior co-captain must have been spurred on by the solid
performances of her teammates, however. The five competitors who
preceded Moneymaker on the vault did admirably, helping the Bruins
to a .100 lead by the end of the rotation.

That lead held true through the third rotation, as some Beavers
had a tough time on the balance beam. UCLA did not waver, however,
deftly navigating the uneven bars to boost their lead to
146.325-145.550. Moneymaker would again perform impressively,
grabbing a 9.875 to take the top spot and tying with Beaver Danae
Phillips, who managed to also tie a career-high mark in the
event.

But, true to form, the Bruins would make it as exciting as
possible. Despite Hayashi, Degteva and Luisa Portacarerro finishing
one-two-three on the balance beam, falls by All-American Moneymaker
and Valerie Velasco would put the Beavers within striking distance.
Oregon State did not fail to capitalize, though, using stellar
floor routines to inch closer and closer to UCLA’s score.

Portacarerro’s anchor leg beam performance, which earned her a
9.775, would put an end to the Beavers’ hopes of an upset. OSU’s
last performer on floor, Murphy-Barcroft, would have needed to be
perfect in her routine to push the Beavers above the Bruins.
Ultimately, she would only earn a 9.875 – good enough to tie her
for first place in the event, but not enough to give her team that
last shove toward victory.DERRICK KUDO/Daily Bruin

Lena Degteva hovers in mid-air while performing her release move
over the uneven bars during a recent meet against the University of
Georgia.

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