Women’s gym must tighten grip on invite
By Esther Hui
Daily Bruin Staff
The UCLA/Gilda Marx Invitational is always the biggest
regular-season meet of the year for the women’s gymnastics team.
But with the newest polls dropping the Bruins to 19th in the
country, tomorrow’s event at 2 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion may be one
of the most important meets of the year.
"There’s a sense of urgency right now," UCLA head coach Valorie
Kondos said. "In order to keep with the plan we need to get on the
road to getting consistent, we need to hit."
And the Bruins will not be able to take the team championship,
which they have won eight of the last nine years, for granted. UCLA
will face undefeated No. 6 Arizona, which beat UCLA two weeks ago,
No. 9 Brigham Young and Cal State Fullerton, which upset the Bruins
in the first meet of the year.
"This meet helps the gymnasts get a sense of what being a part
of UCLA is about. They wanted to be a part of a team that had high
standards, and it’s time to make those standards a reality," Kondos
said. "But we won’t be able to rely on what (the gymnasts) call the
‘Magic of Pauley.’"
Last year’s team dominated the competition, building on a 7-0
undefeated streak to win with a UCLA invite record of 194.700. The
Bruins also conjured up a hat-trick in the all-around, led by
all-around champion and 1995 Pacific 10 gymnast of the year Leah
Homma, who broke the school record in the all-around with a 39.450,
followed by teammates Stella Umeh and Kareema Marrow.
This year’s team is again led individually with remarkable
performances by Homma, who has been a picture of consistency all
season. Homma, the highest ranked gymnast in the Pac-10 at No. 6,
is undefeated in the all-around and has scored a 39.350 already
this year.
Homma is the overwhelming favorite for a repeat in the
all-around, but will be challenged by Umeh, who placed second in
the all-around last year, and freshman Heidi Hornbeek from Arizona,
who has scored a 39.175 this year.
If the Bruins have any hope of challenging for a top team spot
in the postseason elimination rounds, every gymnast will need to be
at Homma’s consistency level, and the results of tomorrow’s meet
will be a major indication of where the team will be heading.
"I take everything seriously, even in training I try to simulate
the pressure of a meet," Homma said. "I think as a team we need
more pressure situations. It’s the first home meet, the first time
for the freshman of competing in front of the home crowd. I think
this will be the spark."
It will be a 1996 Olympic preview on the men’s side of the
competition, with four Bruin national team members and Olympic
hopefuls competing. The UCLA men’s club team, led by fourth-ranked
Steve McCain, won the collegiate club championships in 1995. The
Bruins will compete against a UCLA alumni team whose members
include national team members Scott Keswick, Chris Waller and
fifth-ranked Chainey Umphrey. Rounding out the competition will be
New Mexico and Arizona State.
"It’s a power-packed group this year," UCLA head coach Art
Shurlock said. "It’s a big meet, one of the best collegiate meets
in the country."
UCLA Sports Info
Leah Homma is favored all-around at the Gilda Marx Invite.
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