Bruins anticipate busy weekend schedule

  NICOLE MILLER/ Daily Bruin Sophomore Malia
Jones executes part of her floor routine. WOMEN’S
GYMNASTICS vs. Today 7:30 p.m. Stanford vs. Today 2 p.m.
Pauley Pavilion

By Adam Karon
Daily Bruin Staff

The No. 2 UCLA women’s gymnastics team faces its first
real test this weekend when it takes on No. 5 Stanford and No. 1
Utah. The Bruins travel to Palo Alto Friday evening for a contest
in Maples Pavilion against the Pac-10 rival Cardinal.

“They’re really good, it should be a good
competition,” freshman Kristen Maloney.

Last year, Stanford finished sixth in the Pac-10, but returns
this year with two All-Americans in senior Jennifer Exaltacion and
junior Katy Herbert. UCLA’s toughest task may be dealing with
the mental aspect of the contest. The team will have to ignore the
unusual spring-loaded floor of Maple Pavilion while still focusing
on their competition with Utah this Sunday.

“That floor can be pretty bouncy,” sophomore Malia
Jones said. “But I’m not too worried.”

The Cardinal is hoping to catch a UCLA team looking ahead to
their first home meet of the season Sunday versus the Utah
Utes.

Last year, the Bruins edged out Utah for the national
championship and this contest presents the Utes with the ultimate
chance for revenge. Utah returns four All-Americans “”mdash;
sophomores Kim Allan and Theresa Kulikowski, and juniors Shannon
Bowles and Deidra Graham.

“We’re all excited for our first home meet,”
sophomore Onnie Willis said. “They are a very good team. We
want to hit 24 of 24 routines, and to do this we just have to stay
focused.”

In preparation for competing in Pauley Pavilion, coach Valorie
Kondos Field took the team to meet the ultimate patron of Pauley,
John Wooden.

“I think they have a respect for what it is like to
compete in Pauley now that they’ve met Coach Wooden,”
Kondos Field said.

The road-weary Bruins are also looking forward to competing in
front of a friendly crowd for the first time all season.

“I love to compete in front of a big crowd,” said
Jones, who, like many Bruin gymnasts, was also recruited by the
Utes coach Greg Marsden.

Utah was ranked No. 1 in the latest poll, which was taken before
UCLA scored a nation’s best 196.825 against Fullerton.
Factoring in that score puts the Bruins at the top of the
standings.

“Utah was runner-up to us last year,” Kondos Field
said. “They are even better this year.”

Kondos Field was referring to the return of 1999 NCAA all-around
champion Kulikowski, who is returning from an ACL injury. So far
this season, she is undefeated on bars and beam. But it is unlikely
that the Bruins will be intimidated. Despite a lineup featuring
nine freshmen and five sophomores, UCLA is more experienced than
might be expected. Nine team members were on last year’s
national championship team and they remember Utah well.

“It should be a busy weekend with all the
traveling,” Willis said.”I just hope we have a lot of
fans for our first home game.”

This weekend could jump-start the Bruins season and put them on
course to the national championships. While Stanford is expected to
be a somewhat easy meet, Utah will provide the first real test of
the season.

Senior Mohini Bhardwarj has been sick and will need to be at
full strength if the Bruins hope to sweep the weekend events.
Willis is recovering from an ankle injury, but will likely
compete.