Although the NCAA championships are nearly two months away, this weekend’s meet at Pauley Pavilion may as well as be a prelude to the real show in April.
On Sunday, the No. 6-ranked UCLA women’s gymnastics team will host No. 2 Georgia in a dual meet that pits the nation’s top two programs against each other.
“We’re super excited. We are coming off of a great weekend and we’re energized to take on a team like Georgia. We’ve been looking at our mistakes from past meets and focusing on fixing them,” senior Michelle Selesky said.
Over the last 10 seasons, nine of the NCAA championships have been won by one of the two teams, with the Gym Dogs having won the last two consecutive titles. The two teams also have some of the nation’s finest gymnasts, including three former Olympians and 12 former National Team members from the U.S. and Canada.
More importantly though, the meet will be the Bruins’ first true test as the team gets prepared for the postseason and will allow them to measure themselves.
“We’re just trying to do the best we can do. Our personal goal has been to get a team score of 197, so if we reach that goal and still lose, it’ll be okay,” sophomore Ariana Berlin said.
Thus far the Bruins have had a solid season despite the numerous injuries the team has sustained. Sophomore Kristina Comforte, who has been struggling with ankle injuries, will now sit out the rest of the season. Janelle Dantzscher has also been out since the end of January due to a stress fracture in her foot and the team hopes to have her back soon.
In the absence of their teammates, though, other girls have stepped up and filled the gaps. Freshman Anna Li has performed well in her rookie season, ranked 12th in the nation on the all-around. Junior transfer Natalie Padilla has also been vital, filling in the lineup wherever the team needs someone.
The team will also get a boost from the return of Jordan Schwikert to the all-around. Schwikert competed in the all-around for the first time last weekend and will look to continue her improvement.
As the Bruins look ahead, they know there is a long way to go before they can win it all. But a meet against a team like Georgia is good motivation and preparation for what is to come.
SALUTE TO SENIORS: The team will honor its graduating seniors Ashley Peckett and Selesky before the meet.
“OC (Selesky) has definitely stepped it up. It has been awesome to see her compete consistently. She’s such a hard worker,” Ariana Berlin said.
“Ashley is the ultimate team player. She probably trains beam two days just because she knows we’ll need her in the lineup. They both inspire us and their positive attitude always gets us excited.”
Both have been a major part of the team’s success this year. Peckett stepped into the all-around due to the team’s injuries and has been the most consistent Bruin, hitting 87 of her 89 routines.
Selesky has also had a fabulous season, having competed in every meet this season on vault and floor exercise. After three seasons without much action, the former walk-on has become an important part of the team’s lineup.
GIVEAWAYS: After the meet, the Bruins will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of UCLA’s first NCAA women’s gymnastics title by honoring the members of that team.
That year’s championship team defeated Georgia in the NCAA Super Six, as the team’s underclassmen performed like veterans to help the Bruins defeat Arizona State by a mere three-10ths with a team score of 197.15.
Free commemorative posters of the 1977 NCAA championship team will be given away to the first 500 fans.
The Den will also be giving away free food throughout the meet to students wearing their Den T-shirts as a part of the GolDen games program, which selects one event for each of UCLA’s varsity sports and promotes it.