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bode well for w. gymnastics

Arrival of assistant coach, freshman talent has Bruins tumbling
toward NCAAs

By Esther Hui

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

After Friday’s competition against Cal State Fullerton, the UCLA
women’s gymnastics team had officially begun its journey down the
road towards the NCAA tournament, and many think that this year
could be a remarkable one.

First, there are several new faces on the Bruin squad. One is
freshman Stella Umeh, a 1992 Canadian Olympian who is geared for a
bright 1995 season after winning the first meet of the year
(39.050).

Oklahoma transfer Amy Smith built up a reputation for 9.9 scores
on vault and floor in her years as a "mascot", and could help the
Bruins after the graduation of vault specialist Karen Nelson. Other
freshmen include Andrea Fong and Karin Silvestri.

Joining the Bruin ranks in September was assistant coach Mark
Cook, who took the position after the resignation of five year
co-head coach Scott Bull. Cook coached for 16 years before coming
to Westwood, most recently as head coach at the Clovis Academy of
Gymnastics.

Gymnasts say they enjoy training under Cook, whose technical
skills have made them feel more confident about their routines.
UCLA head coach Valerie Kondos remarked that the Bruin gymnasts
looked surprisingly aggressive during Friday’s meet. The
performances were at least in part because of Cook’s influence, and
it could be a successful trend for 1995.

"Mark is like a kid in a candy store," Kondos said. "He’s
appreciative of the talent of the athletes he gets to work with.
The gymnasts appreciate his motivation. He’s not above moving mats,
and any athlete respects that."

Returning Bruins include senior bars specialist Megan Fenton,
who consistently scores 9.9 or above on the event, including a 10.0
at the Pac-10 championships in 1993. Fenton surprised the Bruins
Friday, scoring a 9.8 with a handspring front vault ­ an event
in which she could be competing more this year.

Kareema Marrow and Leah Homma will continue as all-arounders for
UCLA. Marrow placed fifth at last year’s NCAA championships in the
all-around and also scored a 10.0 on vault during the season.
Marrow has been unable to train sufficiently after having her right
foot in a cast, but should be able to compete fully later in the
season.

Sophomore Homma was the 1994 Pac-10 all-around champion, and
second-team All-American in bars and all-around. Homma placed third
in the All-around at Friday’s meet against Fullerton and will be
one of the leaders for the Bruins this season.

With all the talent and fresh ideas, the seventh-ranked Bruins
seem to have nowhere to go but up during the 1995 season. Gymnasts
and coaches alike say that the team seems to be closer, and more
focused towards a single goal, which could be the result of
surviving the trials of last year’s season.

In 1994, two gymnasts were lost midway through the season to
injury and another gymnast quit the team, which left several gaps
in the competitive lineup. The Bruins came back to qualify for the
Super-Six ­ the second night of team competition at the NCAAs
­ a remarkable feat considering the adversities. But the
season ended with a sense of mortality for the gymnasts who
realized that outcomes of events and injuries to teammates are
often completely out of their control.

"The attitude is a lot better this year," Marrow said. "The
motivation we lacked is there and we’re a closer group this
year."

"I don’t know what to expect," Homma said about the upcoming
season. "If we keep the team we have now, and keep adding harder
tumbling, we have potential. But it depends on injuries. The season
is so unpredictable."

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