The farewell party for senior Kate Richardson took a turn for
the worse on Sunday. On a day meant to honor the senior’s
stellar career, the Bruins turned in yet another not-so-stellar
performance, en route to their second straight loss.
Richardson, competing for the last time at Pauley Pavilion, was
one of four Bruins to fall on the beam. The team posted a
season-low score of 47.525 on that event.
After that, not even a miracle would have been enough to
compensate for the team’s worst round of the season.
“The beam falls we had today were ridiculous,” coach
Valerie Kondos Field said. “It was just a lack of
concentration and a lack of focus. I think that they played not to
lose instead of playing to win, and there’s a big difference
there. When you play not to lose, you’re going to have four
falls on beam.”
The Bruins ended up finishing second in the three-team meet with
a score of 195.150. Stanford finished first with 195.950, and San
Jose State finished last with 193.225.
Coming off their most disappointing performance of the season,
the Bruins entered the meet hoping to get things back on track as
they head into the championship season.
However, the meet made it clear that the team was not quite
ready.
“We just need to pull it together,” Richardson said.
“We have all the skills, we know how to do them, and we train
them perfectly. We just need to get it done in the meets. The
gymnastics we’re doing is easy for all of us, especially with
all the training we have, so we just need to pull it
together.”
The team’s woes were further worsened by news of injured
teammates. Co-captain Michelle Selesky re-injured her ankle. She
might be out for several more weeks and may even miss the remainder
of the season. Also, freshman Melissa Chan aggravated her calf
injury during warm-ups but will hopefully return in the
team’s final meet.
“Of course the injuries aren’t helping at all but we
just need to get into our groove,” said freshman Kristina
Comforte, who finished first in the all-around with a career-high
score of 39.525. “We’ve done it before and right now,
we just need to let those nerves get out of us.”
The meet began on an emotional note as the team honored
Richardson. Over the past four years, she has led UCLA to two
national titles, and has also won two individual titles and 10
All-American awards. In 2004, Richardson became only the second
gymnast ever to compete in the Olympic Games while simultaneously
competing at the collegiate level. Competing for Team Canada, she
became the first woman in Canadian history to qualify for the floor
finals.
“Kate will be a shining star all on her own,” Kondos
Field said. “She’s won national championships, but what
people remember about her isn’t just her great gymnastics.
What they remember about her is her personality and her spirit and
that smile.”
Beyond her athletic skills and success, Richardson has left her
mark on UCLA gymnastics in many other ways. She has set a high bar
for the team’s seven freshmen, helping them quickly develop
into the bright stars they have become.
“She’s like the perfect role model,” Comforte
said. “She’s a hard worker and she always has a smile
on her face. We are all going to really miss her.”