CHRIS BACKLEY/Daily Bruin Sophomore Malia
Jones performs on the balance beam.
By Adam Karon
Daily Bruin Staff
Last call for Krispy Kreme!
The UCLA gymnastics team closes its regular season against No. 5
Georgia at Pauley Pavilion Sunday, providing fans with a final
chance to win free doughnuts when a Bruin scores a perfect 10.
From the way the Bruins have been performing, Krispy Kreme must
be glad to see the season come to an end.
UCLA gymnasts have recorded at least one perfect score in all
four home meets this season.
In doing so they have beaten national powerhouses then-No. 2
Alabama and No. 1 Utah.
The meet marks an important stretch for the Bruins as they head
into the Pac-10 Championships, followed by NCAA regional and
national tournaments.
“I’m excited to see us pull together as a
team,” sophomore Kristin Parker said.
In addition, the contest will be the last at home for UCLA
standout senior Mohini Bhardwaj.
Bhardwaj was last year’s national champion on the uneven
bars, also winning the Pac-10 and regional all-around contest.
This year has been no different as she has tallied five perfect
10s. Besides setting a school record with an all-around score of
39.8, Bhardwaj has led a relatively young group to one of the most
successful seasons in school history.
“Mohini has performed at a higher level of gymnastics than
anyone who has ever competed in Pauley,” Kondos Field said.
“That includes the 1984 Olympians.”
Teammates know how important the meet is for the Bruins’
lone senior, but she is downplaying her final meet in Pauley,
citing more important future contests.
“It’s really just another meet,” Bhardwaj
said. “If there is more pressure I don’t mind. I like
the pressure.”
With the ties between the two teams running as rich as the
custard center of a chocolate-covered donut, (the two teams have
combined for the last four national championships and seven total
NCAA titles) the Bulldogs will neither sit nor roll over for the
powerful Bhardwaj-led Bruins.
“Georgia is always very good,” Head Coach Valorie
Kondos Field said. “It should be a good
competition.”
Georgia recently achieved a season-high 197.8 against North
Carolina State. They hold the No. 1 vault ranking in the nation led
by senior Kristi Lichey who has a regional qualifying score of
9.970.
Georgia’s strength is not restricted to the vault, though.
UCLA, renowned for its floor routines, might want to take note of
the Bulldogs’ Suzanne Sears, who has drawn perfect scores
from the judges on the floor in her last three meets.
“The meet should be close,” Bhardwaj said.
“Hopefully it will help us kick it into gear heading into
nationals.”
Georgia’s flawlessness pales in comparison to UCLA’s
perfection this year. The Bruins have scored 16 perfect 10s so far,
four more than the school has had in its entire history coming into
the 2001 season.
“This meet really begins our championship run,”
Kondos Field said. “You can feel the excitement amongst the
team.”