The UCLA gymnastics family saw one of its members selected for
the USA gymnastics hall of fame last week, another accomplishment
in a prolific year of awards.
Chris Waller, UCLA’s assistant gymnastics coach, will be a
part of the Aug. 23 induction ceremony in Anaheim, along with other
gymnastics greats Bonnie Davidson, Harold Holmes Jr., Charles
Lakes, Shannon Miller and Jaycie Phelps.
Former UCLA gymnast Scott Keswick has also been chose to receive
this honor.
Waller has helped UCLA and the U.S. gymnastics teams obtain
championship status multiple times during his gymnastics career. He
captured the U.S. all-around crown in 1991 and won pommel horse
titles from 1991-1993. He was an all-around finalist at the 1992
Olympics in Barcelona and took fifth on the pommel horse, just
one-tenth of a point away from the gold medal. In addition, Waller
won three medals at the 1990 Goodwill Games and a team gold at the
1995 Pan-American Games.
“When I found out about this, the thing that struck me
most was that it made me reflect on so many more people who helped
me achieve the things I did,” Waller said. “This has
provided me a chance to thank those people and to understand that
no matter how successful an individual is, it has to do with the
people who helped support that person.”
In winning the 2003 National Championships in Nebraska, Waller
added another prestigious award to his trophy case. At UCLA, Waller
earned four All-American honors and helped the Bruins capture the
NCAA title in 1987. He also won individual titles on the pommel
horse in 1989 and the high bar in 1990.
In addition to his individual accomplishments while competing
for the Bruins, Waller’s quick adjustment to the world of
coaching has played an integral role in this past year’s
championship run.
Forced to takeover the team midseason for injured head coach
Valorie Kondos Field, Waller showed tremendous poise and confidence
in leading the Bruins to a road win over Utah, snapping the
Utes’ then-national best 170-game home winning streak.