As the UCLA women’s gymnastics team travels to Arkansas
for this weekend’s NCAA South Central Regionals, the ladies
know there is a lot to live up to.
The Bruins have won the NCAA championships in five of the last
nine seasons and have made it to the finals for the past 15 years,
including seven consecutive regional titles. And if that was not
enough, a Bruin gymnast has won the all-around title at their
regional in each of the last seven seasons.
But none of them are phased by this. Rather, they use it to
motivate them and inspire them to succeed.
“It’s exciting, and it’s pressure,” UCLA
Coach Valorie Kondos Field said, “and that’s one of the
reasons we didn’t compete as well as we should have early on
in the season. But the freshmen understand what that tradition
means and they are ready to carry on that tradition.”
And it does not hurt to have one of the nation’s finest
teams.
Although the Bruins struggled this season with injuries and lack
of experience, UCLA still finished the regular season tied with
Michigan for ninth in the national ranking. Even with many of their
veteran teammates injured throughout the season, the freshmen
picked up the team and carried the weight like veterans.
In the 13 meets so far, the freshmen have accounted for the
majority of the team’s routines, with four girls ““
Ariana Berlin, Melissa Chan, Kristina Comforte and Janelle
Dantzscher ““ having competed in the all-around on various
occasions.
Comforte has been the most impressive thus far, ranking 11th in
the all-around. Earlier this season, she hit a perfect vault and
scored the only 10.0 received by a Bruin this season.
“(The freshmen) were given an opportunity that no other
incoming class has ever received. It was the opportunity to show
what they were made of. They faced a lot of adversity and they have
responded very well,” Kondos Field said.
But the road has been a tough one and the Bruins have had to
fight on all season. The Bruins began their season with sophomore
sisters Tasha and Jordan Schwikert on the sidelines. Both underwent
arthroscopic surgery on their shoulders and had to sit out the
entire first half of the season.
From there, the injuries just piled up: senior Kate Richardson
(broken tibia and strained tricep), junior Michelle Selesky (ankle
injury) and Chan (strained calf) all had to miss meets at various
points in the season.
“The injuries have impacted our season in a huge way.
Everyone on our team got to compete and everyone felt that sense of
responsibility. It was good for the younger freshmen to feel the
weight on their shoulders. (The injuries) have made it a far richer
experience,” Kondos Field said.
Since the injuries, the team has fought on and now they have the
chance to put it all behind them.
Jordan Schwikert is the defending NCAA all-around champion and
after missing out on the entire season, she is ready to compete for
these last two meets. Tasha Schwikert is also beginning to hit her
stride. Last week, she had a career best in the all-around, and she
will be looking to follow in her sister’s footsteps in the
upcoming weeks.
And if that was not enough, Berlin and Comforte, both of whom
received all-Pac-10 Conference honors, will follow shortly behind
them, hoping to continue their freshmen charm.
“We’re looking to come out and hit 24 for 24 and win
the meet. This is a very important meet for us and we know that we
cannot overlook it at all,” Kondos Field said.
As the Bruins take one small step at a time, they know they are
getting very close to their final destination. Oregon, the host of
this year’s championship, is within reach, and as long as
they avoid any slips or falls in Arkansas, it should not be a
surprise to see the Bruins competing for yet another national
title.