After qualifying for NCAA Super Regionals with an atypical 196.375 that resulted from a nail-biting rotation on bars last Saturday, the UCLA gymnasts have to wait another two weeks before flying to Fort Worth, Texas, to earn a ticket to the NCAA Team Finals.
The Bruins are not unfamiliar with long breaks between meets. Right before the journey to Salt Lake City for the NCAA Regionals, the team had a two-week resting period that overlapped with UCLA’s finals week and spring break.
“After Pac-12’s, it was a nice spring break. We got to take it down a notch – to heal up, let our minds relax and not even think about gymnastics for a while,” said coach Valorie Kondos Field.
Without the pressure of weekly competition, the UCLA gymnasts trained with a focus on the basics. Kondos Field said she devised this training plan to infuse confidence within the athletes, getting them to perform the routines at their normal level.
In retrospect, the plan may have not worked as well as the Bruins expected, given their mistake-riddled performance Saturday. With the NCAA Semifinals fast approaching, no matter what strategy the team adopts, it will prove to be a decisive two weeks for UCLA.
Last year, the Bruins placed last in the semifinal, and were denied a trip to the national final. Whether they can reverse the fortune this time around depends on how they prepare during the two-week period. Redshirt senior Sadiqua Bynum noted that the team was homing in on small details.
Kondos Field’s squad includes a lot of freshmen, who will be making their first trip to an NCAA Team Semifinals. The energy of the newcomers is recognized by coaches and senior team members alike, including redshirt junior Christine Peng-Peng Lee.
“We’re all excited to go to nationals. (This is the) most energetic team I’ve ever been on. There’s never a dull moment with our team,” Lee said. “Details once again, sticking landings, keep staying in the Bruin bubble for that final push of postseason.”