Fresh off a successful road trip, during which the team was able to rest its starters and nab a big enough score to lift it to No. 2 in the national rankings, UCLA gymnastics returns home to face its biggest rival – Utah (7-1, 4-0 Pac-12) on Sunday.
Already deep on talent, coach Valerie Kondos Field said the Bruins (9-1, 2-0) can now count on their backups to perform when called upon, taking the burden off the regular starters.
“It infused the athletes that have been competing every weekend with so much more confidence in their team,” Kondos Field said.
Because the starters were rested, they can return to the lineup feeling refreshed. Their spot in that lineup, however, is not guaranteed.
Kondos Field said the coaching staff is in a bind because of the embarrassment of riches they have at their disposal.
“If we had to decide right now who (the) top-six are, we wouldn’t know who to put in,” Kondos Field said. “We have nine people on floor who can go 9.9 or higher. Same on beam. We’re almost in too good of a position.”
Whoever competes Sunday will be lining up against a top-notch opponent. No. 3 Utah is the defending Pac-12 champion and is led by MyKayla Skinner, who consistently registers all-around scores of 39.6 or higher and was the NCAA all-around runner-up last season.
The Bruins got the better of the Utes when the two teams competed in the Elevate the Stage meet in January, scoring a 197.2 to Utah’s 196.975.
“We love competing with Utah,” said redshirt senior Peng-Peng Lee. “They’re our Pac-12 rival.”
That the teams are separated by less than a tenth of a point in the national rankings adds an extra layer to the showdown.
“I want us to prove that we’re No. 2 and they’re No. 3 – that we earned it,” said freshman Pauline Tratz.
The Bruins, however, have the home advantage and a raucous crowd imbuing the arena with energy. That energy can lead to the gymnasts turning in entertaining routines.
It can also lead to overexcitement and mistakes.
“They need to take all that excitement and enthusiasm and be able to calm down so they don’t overdo it,” Kondos Field said. “They need to calm themselves and hit their handstands and get composure before their dismounts. They need to be able to block out all of the frenetic energy and zero in on their rhythm.”