It was a routine team stretch. The UCLA gymnasts were in their
circle, preparing to do what they do best. They were one day away
from their biggest meet of the season, the NCAA South Central
Regionals.
Coming off of one of their best meets of the season, the smiles
on the girls’ faces disguised the fire burning within. It had
been a long season, no doubt, but finally everyone was healthy and
their destination was within reach.
And then reality hit.
Junior Ashley Peckett suddenly felt something odd in her ankle.
At first she thought it was just the result of stretching. Then, as
she got up and tried to move, the pain sent a chill up her
spine.
“It was probably one of the freakiest things that has ever
happened. I was just sitting down and stretching, and suddenly
something clicked. My ankle locked up and I couldn’t walk or
put any weight on it,” Peckett said.
It was something strange and yet something so familiar.
Last September, it was senior Kate Richardson who suffered a
sudden injury when she fractured her left tibia during a routine
vault at practice. Then came sophomore Jordan Schwikert, who had to
undergo arthroscopic surgery on her shoulder in November. A month
later, it was her sister, Tasha, who underwent the same
procedure.
“I’ve never had a season like this as a coach. The
injuries played the biggest part of us not being able to get some
momentum. Every meet, we were putting in different people,”
coach Valorie Kondos Field said.
“Because of it, we had to constantly rest people and (our
struggles) were not a big mystery. Those athletes who competed
consistently all season hit their routines and those who
didn’t struggled,” she said.
With nearly all their veterans sidelined with injuries, the
Bruins ventured into the season with a lineup that featured seven
freshmen.
There was a lot to learn, and it was an uphill battle from the
beginning. Adjusting to collegiate life and competition was
difficult, and the team knew it would take hard work.
UCLA’s tradition of success did not help lessen the
pressure. UCLA has won five NCAA Championships in the past 9 years,
and for 15 consecutive years the team has competed in the NCAA
Finals. The feeling of losing was one of which the Bruins knew
little.
But the girls responded with enthusiasm and energy.
“It means a lot to have that “˜UCLA’ on your
back. Carrying that tradition on is what drives me to work hard
every day,” freshman Kristina Comforte said.
Comforte led the freshmen attack with her solid all-around
showings. She finished the season ranked 11th in the nation, with
an average score of 39.410.
Her solid performance at last weekend’s regionals earned
her a trip to Corvallis, Ore., where she will join Richardson in
the quest to claim the NCAA all-around title, which is currently
held by teammate Tasha Schwikert.
“As upset as I am, I can say that I learned a lot this
season. I know what I need to work on now and I know what to
expect. It has really helped me learn about myself as a gymnast and
as a person,” Comforte said.
Freshman Melissa Chan also had her share of success. Early in
the season, she showed great signs of improvement, putting on a
display of talent and prowess when she won the all-around in a dual
meet against Oregon State.
However, a calf injury late in the season forced her to miss a
few meets. She did not fully recover, and was not able to hit her
routines with the same confidence when she went back to
competing.
“The thing that sticks out the most in my mind about this
season is the resilience of our athletes. I don’t think a
week went by this season without a person going down with some sort
of injury. But the girls just took a deep breath and kept on
pushing through with enthusiasm,” Kondos Field said.
Ariana Berlin and sisters Jalynne and Janelle Dantzscher all
gave flashes of greatness throughout the season. But a lack of
consistency and confidence overcame the young girls, and it
showed.
“I don’t think it had anything to do with us being
freshman anymore. I feel like that’s just an excuse because
we’ve all been doing gymnastics for so long. At regionals, we
were just playing not to lose. We held back and it ended up hurting
us,” Comforte said.
So for the first time in 15 years, the Bruins will sit at home
and watch the national championships, thinking about what could
have been. And although one amazing run has finally ended, the
girls hope to start a new one next year.
“I can’t believe the way (the girls) have matured
and grown this year. They are what every great UCLA team consists
of. I could walk away and keep my mouth shut from here on out and I
know that they will carry forth this program,” Kondos Field
said.