Gym waits for seeds to sprout
Nearing NCAA West Regionals, Bruins hope for high score
averages
By Esther Hui
Daily Bruin Staff
As the NCAA West Regionals looms in the horizon, every result
becomes important for the No. 8 UCLA gymnastics team.
With the Bruins’ last home meet on Feb. 24 in the books, the
averages used to seed teams for the West Regional are taking shape.
The two highest home scores, the two highest away scores and the
next two highest scores are taken. The highest and the lowest of
those six results are thrown out of the calculation.
UCLA’s will encounter some competition in their three meets
before the regionals, including Arizona State, which scored a
195.475 last weekend, and No. 5 BYU.
"We’re in the second third of the season," UCLA head coach
Valorie Kondos said. "We are no longer green, we’re seasoned
competitors, and no more excuses. But this part of the season is
fun."
* * *
Gymnasts with the strongest routines are usually placed toward
the end of the lineup, but this year, one of UCLA’s most consistent
beam performers, Susie Erickson, leads off for the Bruins.
Erickson, a freshman, performs a handspring, layout step-out,
and a two and one-half layout-twist dismount. Erickson started the
team off with a 9.775 against Washington, where the Bruins went on
to post the NCAA’s highest beam score at the time (39.400).
"I’ve learned in the past few years how to be more consistent,"
Erickson said. "I think it’s pretty important, starting off first.
I try not to get nervous, I think about technique and don’t let the
pressure overwhelm me."
In the Bruins’ last meet, Erickson scored a 9.80 in a routine
which Kondos says is strategically placed because of its
dependability.
"Susie’s a great, great recruit for us because she’s
consistent," Kondos said. "When we were recruiting her coach said
to me that she’s not the most emotional gymnast, she doesn’t
compete with all this fire in her, but you can count on her every
single time.
"It’s as important to us (to have a strong routine at the
beginning of the lineup) as to have Stella (Umeh) pulling slack at
the end. She not only sets up the team score-wise, but the team
feels confident having Susie up first."
* * *
UCLA’s prized recruit, 1992 Olympian Kerri Strug, won the
all-around (39.130) and all four individual events at the1996
McDonald’s American Cup held in Ft. Worth, Tex. last weekend.
Twenty-three different countries were represented at this year’s
American Cup, a precursor to the Atlanta Olympics. Strug, who
trains at Karolyi’s Gymnastics in Texas, signed a letter of intent
with UCLA in the fall of 1995, but deferred enrollment while in
training for the Summer Games.
ANDREW SCHOLER/Daily Bruin
Susie Erickson has been UCLA’s lead-off performer on the balance
beam this year.
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