ASU next in line for undefeated Bruins

  MARY HOLSCHER Junior Valerie Velasco
performs on the uneven bars during a meet earlier this season.
GYMNASTICS PREVIEW vs. Friday 6:30 p.m. Tucson,
Ariz. vs. Alabama CSU Fullerton Southern Utah Sunday 2 p.m. Pauley
Pavilion

By Adam Karon
Daily Bruin Staff

The No. 1 UCLA women’s gymnastics team looks to continue
dominating when it takes on Arizona State today in Tempe before
returning home for a four-team meet in Pauley Pavilion on
Sunday.

The Bruins’ second meet of the year in Pauley Pavilion
will feature CSU Fullerton, Southern Utah and No. 2 Alabama.

But first, UCLA must try to break the Sun Devils’ 20-meet
home winning streak before they can focus on Alabama.

Freshman Jamie Williams will be returning to her home state of
Arizona to compete for the first time as a Bruin.

“I’m a little nervous,” said Williams, who
hails from Tucson. “There’s a little more pressure, but
I’m very excited.”

Head coach Valorie Kondos Field plans to rest some of her
gymnasts in anticipation of the big matchup against the Crimson
Tide’s top gymnasts.

“We’re going to use a lot of gymnasts this
weekend,” Kondos Field said. “We’re going to rest
some so we can put out whoever we want on Sunday.”

The meet provides the Bruins with a chance to warm up for their
second contest this year featuring a No.1 team versus a No. 2. Last
week, UCLA faced then-No. 1 Utah, defeating Utah with a season-high
score of 197.5.

Sunday’s quadrangular meet should showcase more scoring
than the Super Bowl, which takes place at the same time and could
detract from last week’s record crowd. However, those
attending the meet will not be hearing the Backstreet Boys sing the
national anthem, but instead will listen to the melodious tunes of
UCLA gymnast and U.S. Olympian Alyssa Beckerman, who will perform
before the meet.

Immediately following Beckerman’s rendition, however, the
Bruins will have to get focused as Alabama is no pushover.

“Alabama will be a tougher competition,” Kondos
Field said.

The Crimson Tide features three of the nation’s top 11
all-around competitors. One of them, Raegan Tomasek, was the NCAA
co-national champion on the beam in 1999.

“This weekend is just as big as last weekend,” said
sophomore Onnie Willis. “We never lower our level of
competition. We just need to go out there and hit 48 out of 48
routines.”

Mohini Bhardwaj will give the Bruins a chance to do just that.
The team’s only senior was named Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week
after scoring a perfect 10 on the floor exercise and helping UCLA
defeat Utah with a personal best 39.725 all-around. Last week
Bhardwaj was getting over the flu, and she should be healthy by
Sunday.

Sunday’s meet also gives freshman Jeanette Antolin another
chance to compete against her sister, junior Katie Antolin, who is
a Fullerton gymnast. Two weeks ago Katie was forced to sit out due
to injury, and the two have yet to compete head to head in
college.

“It’s going to be another busy weekend,”
Willis said. “Alabama’s good, but we’re
confident.”

The Tide is coming off its best performance of the year, a
196.65 win last Friday against Florida. The three-time national
champions also feature the No. 5 all-around gymnast in the nation,
Andree Pickens.

Fullerton starts the week with an 0-2 record after dropping dual
meets to UCLA and Sacramento State.

Southern Utah recently beat UC Santa Barbara 191.525-183.425.
Two Thunderbirds, Heather Slack and Suzi Clark, finished 1-2 in the
all-around in Southern Utah’s season opener against the
University of Utah.

The Bruins are looking to run their record to 6-0 after this
weekend. So far, the team is on track to accomplish its goal of an
unprecedented undefeated season.

Perhaps the Bruins should take Williams’ simple advice
when she says “We just need to go in there and kick their
butts.”