The second-ranked UCLA gymnastics team got its work done early
this holiday weekend, defeating California and Seattle Pacific in a
triangular meet at Haas Pavilion on Friday night.
The Bruins approached the hallowed 198 mark for the second
consecutive meet, falling just short with a 197.8 team total. The
mark also was just shy of last meet’s 197.975, the
Bruins’ highest score of the season. UCLA was never truly
challenged by the Golden Bears or the Falcons, who recorded scores
of 195 and 190.025, respectively.
Jeanette Antolin led the Bruin charge by capturing the
individual all-around title with a 39.775, a score that included
her third perfect 10 on vault this year. The competition marked the
sixth time in as many meets of the 2004 campaign that Antolin has
won on vault.
Senior Kristen Maloney returned on the floor exercise for the
Bruins for the first time since the 2001 NCAA championships,
putting forth a solid performance that earned a 9.875, good for a
fifth place tie overall. Â
“I thought I was going to pass out, I was so tired,”
Maloney said of her return performance on floor. “I was
relieved and excited about competing again.”
Her coach experienced vastly different emotions. Â
“I got a little teary-eyed,” coach Valorie Kondos
Field said. “It was like looking at a mirage. I was
thinking, “˜Is that really Maloney out
there?'”
Maloney’s mark helped the Bruins achieve a season-best
49.6 team total on floor. Maloney was also solid on beam with
a meet-high 9.95, followed by Kate Richardson and Holly Murdock,
who each recorded 9.9s.
Antolin captured the individual floor routine title with a
9.975, but was followed closely by freshman Ashley Peckett’s
career-high 9.95, the second highest score of the meet.
The Bruins hit all 24 of 24 routines for the first time this
season, getting solid contributions from Jennifer Sutton on vault,
Holly Murdock on bars and beam, and Ashley Peckett, who came in
third in the individual all-around with a career-high 39.425.
“We did really well. I was thrilled with the team,”
Kondos Field said.