UCLA heads to Oregon to face Beavers
By Daily Bruin Staff
Feb. 15, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 EDWARD LIN/Daily Bruin Yvonne Tousek
competes on the parallel bars in a meet earlier this season. UCLA
travels to Oregon this weekend to face the Beavers.
By Adam Karon
Daily Bruin Staff
The No. 1 UCLA gymnastics team heads to Corvallis tonight for a
meet with No. 21 Oregon State. The trip marks the first time the
Bruins have traveled outside of California since making an island
excursion to Hawaii six weeks ago.
Former Bruin Tanya Chaplin will face her alma mater as head
coach of the Beavers. Chaplin’s career at UCLA concluded in
1989 with five Pac-10 individual titles. She earned six
All-American honors and was the 1987 and 1989 Pac-10 Gymnast of the
Year.
Chaplin’s assistant coach is her husband Michael, a
two-time All-American and member of UCLA’s 1987 men’s
national championship team.
Oregon State boasts the No. 3 vaulter in the nation, Katrina
Severin, who currently has a 9.892 average. She also has a Pac-10
leading best score of 9.975.
The Bruins are coming off a convincing victory in the 24th
annual UCLA Invitational against Arizona, Washington and
Fullerton.
Onnie Willis set a tournament record for the quadrangular meet
in the all-around with a season best 39.600. Jamie Dantzscher
notched her second perfect 10 on the uneven bars as UCLA cruised to
a solid 196.725 score.
The Bruins, who own the nation’s top score of the year at
197.5, still have a lot to prove in 2001.
“Our goal for awhile has been to get a 198, and we are
still working on that,” freshman Jeanette Antolin said.
“I think we can do it.”
Head Coach Valorie Kondos Field plans on having a tougher unit
Friday than she had in last weekend’s tournament, and perhaps
this weekend UCLA will reach that goal.
“We’re looking to put up a top lineup and see how we
compete away from home,” she said.
The Beavers should provide UCLA with its toughest competition
since facing Alabama three weeks ago. The meet also marks the last
competition before a two-week break for the Bruin gymnasts.
“We are looking forward to a good competition against
Oregon State,” senior Mohini Bhardwaj said.
“They’re usually in really good shape.”
The team is also looking forward to a fun time in the state of
Oregon.
“I love Corvallis,” Bhardwaj added with a smile.
Bhardwaj, who is healthy but did not compete in the UCLA
Invitational, set the UCLA all-around record earlier this year
against Alabama with a 39.8.
The Bruins are No.1 in the nation in overall score and lead the
NCAA in the floor and bars exercises.
