Bruins have no room for error
By Misael Peraza
April 15, 2009 11:31 p.m.
The UCLA gymnastics team has taken full advantage of the week and a half it has had to train. Over this period of time, the team has filled its practices with intrasquad competitions.
“We’ve spent the whole year preparing for the NCAA Championship,” assistant coach Chris Waller said. “I think they’re going to peak at the Championships. I’m fired up to bring this young team into that environment and see what they can do.”
There will be no room for error tonight as the No. 7 Bruins will battle for their sixth national title in the preliminary round of the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships in Lincoln, Neb.
In the evening session, UCLA will compete for a spot in Friday’s NCAA Super Six Team Finals against five other teams, including No. 2 Utah.
In the first match of the season, the Bruins lost to the Utes in an away meet by just one-tenth of a point.
For senior Ariana Berlin, this looks to be one of the most memorable moments of her UCLA career. Since this is her last time competing with the Bruins, she has set high standards not only for herself, but also for her entire squad. Needless to say, Berlin looks forward to getting some revenge over the squad that so narrowly defeated her team.
“My personal goal is to make it to the individual finals,” Berlin said. “(But) I’m excited for a rematch. We should have won that first meet. I think we’ll just prove that we can beat them and any other team we go up against. I’m very nervous and very excited. It’s the most bitter-sweet feeling I’ve ever had.”
The gymnasts that place in the top four of a particular event will compete in Saturday’s individual event finals.
The UCLA gymnastics team has one of the nation’s best pedigrees, winning four of the last 10 national championships. In the 27 years of the NCAA gymnastics program, only four schools have ever won a title ““ Utah (9), Georgia (9), UCLA (5) and Alabama (4).
Last year in the NCAA Championship, the Bruins did not qualify for the Super Six. With a score of 196.725, only .175 away from third place in their session, they placed fourth behind Georgia, Utah and Stanford.
Having trained all year for the main event of the season, coach Valorie Kondos Field maintains her constant optimism. She also feels that this year has been a special one because of how determined the Bruin gymnasts have been.
“For us coaches, this year has already gone down in the record books,” Kondos Field said. “This is because of the types of people the gymnasts are. We’re going to the Nationals and hopefully put an exclamation mark on this season.”
