Youth and experience combined for the women’s gymnastics
team as UCLA overtook visiting Washington 194.0-188.75 in the
Bruins’ season opener. Freshman Anna Li shined for UCLA,
bringing home a first place all-around score of 39.0, a team
best.
On the veteran end, Michelle Selesky was the star of the meet.
Selesky won the floor exercise on the strength of a career-high 9.9
effort and came in third on vault with a score of 9.825, a personal
best.
The Bruins led early, opening up competition with a 49.175 on
vault, and kept going full steam ahead in the second rotation. Li
dominated the uneven bars with a score of 9.85 that would prove
good enough to win the meet.
Some troubles in the third rotation on the balance beam
tightened the gap in the meet, but strong floor exercises sealed
the win for UCLA.
“This was a great start to the season,” assistant
coach Chris Waller told UCLABruins.com. “Our freshman busted
out with a lot of good confidence, and our veterans showed that
they are back.”
Waller was filling in for coach Valorie Kondos Field who was
absent because of a death in the family.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL: At the UCSB Elephant
Bar Collegiate Invitational, the No. 3-ranked UCLA men’s
volleyball team fell to the top-ranked UC Irvine Anteaters in the
championship match Saturday. En route to the championship match,
the Bruins defeated both Pacific and UCSB on Friday.
Steve Klosterman and Paul George led the Bruins over the weekend
with a combined 36 kills against UCSB and 21 against Irvine. Both
members of the Bruin roster earned All-Tournament honors.
SWIMMING AND DIVING: The Bruin swimming and
diving team defeated UCSD on Saturday at the Sunset Canyon
Recreation Center, where it swept the Tritons in all of the events.
The meet was the final home competition for UCLA and the win
extended their record to 6-1 on the season.
The meet was originally scheduled to be held at the Student
Activities Center pool as usual, but because of a malfunction, the
meet was moved to the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center. For the
first time at a home meet, the swimming and diving competitions
were held simultaneously.
Due to the unconventional venue, only one individual race was
swum, with a plethora of relays instead. Junior Shannon Hackett won
the individual 400-meter freestyle with a time of 4:34.64. A slew
of contributors from the Bruin deck won the six other races.
In the diving competition, seniors Amanda Blong and Sara Clark
finished up their careers at home with wins in the one- and
three-meter dives, respectively.
Compiled by Bruin Sports senior staff.