The stomach flu doesn’t always peak around this time in the season, but when it does, it has the power to change the lineup of the UCLA women’s gymnastics team.
While on the road facing No. 4 Utah Utes, the No. 8 UCLA Bruins had to substitute senior Olivia Courtney for sophomore Danusia Francis during the meet.
UCLA’s eight-meet winning streak against Utah ended on Saturday night with a final score of 195.875 to Utah’s 197.125.
“We did not have our best meet,” said coach Valorie Kondos Field. “We were making lineup changes from the start of the meet, all the way to the end of the meet.”
Though she was battling an illness, Francis earned the top score on beam with a 9.95 – her only event of the night.
“Beam is my best event. It comes quite naturally, so if I was going to do anything when I wasn’t feeling well, it was going to be that,” Francis said. “I was really happy that I could go out there and do my best for the team today.”
Freshman Hallie Mossett helped boost the team with her first-place all-around performance. This meet was the first time Mossett participated in the all of the events this season.
“I was a little bit nervous when I heard that I was going to do it, but I was also really excited I got the chance to prove myself,” Mossett said.
While illnesses may have shaken up the sequence of gymnasts, mistakes on bars and beam also cost the Bruins the win. Redshirt sophomore Ellette Craddock earned an 8.1 on the uneven bars after falling twice.
Kondos Field said Ellette imploded on bars after getting off-rhythm.
“It didn’t really go how it was supposed to at all, which was the frustrating part because it was pretty consistent in workout all the time,” Craddock said. “At the same time, maybe it’s a good thing it happened. It’s like a wake-up call. Next time, I can just make sure I have a clear mind before I go, and I can hit it.”
Craddock was first on beam in the the next rotation. After her less-than stellar bars routine, she earned a 9.775, and she may have a different spot in the lineup from now on. Kondos Field said she may have found the person to start the team on beam.
Despite the loss, Kondos Field feels that the team has made progress.
“We’re not pleased at all with this road score,” Kondos Field said. “But I am really pleased with the fact that the people that needed to step up and do a little better, did.”