EDWARD LIN/Daily Bruin Freshman Jamie
Dantzscher performs her floor routine in a meet this
January. UCLA will host the Bruin Classic at Pauley this
weekend.
By Adam Karon
Daily Bruin Staff
Westwood welcomes the fifth annual Bruin Classic gymnastics
tournament this weekend when No. 15 Cal, Utah State and UCSB come
to town.
The quadrangular meet is the first competition since UCLA set a
school record with a score of 198.25 two weeks ago in Corvallis,
Ore.
Since its inception in 1997, the Bruin Classic has been
dominated by UCLA. The Bruins have won all four competitions,
setting a meet record a year ago with a 197.575.
Senior Mohini Bhardwaj returns as the all-around champion. Last
year she set meet records for the bars (9.975), beam (9.9) and
all-around (39.725). Bhardwaj will not be able to defend her title
this year. She will forgo competition in the vault and floor due to
an injury suffered against Oregon State.
The tournament provides two Bruins with a chance to return to
Westwood, this time as coaches. California coach Trina Tinti was an
All-American on the floor in 1984 and was named UCLA Outstanding
Female Athlete that same year. UCSB coach Megan Fenton was a
two-time All-Pac-10 selection on the bars, becoming the first Bruin
ever to score a prefect 10 on the apparatus in 1993.
The tournament also gives the Bruins an opportunity to compete
in Westwood for the first time in three weeks.
“We’re really excited to be back home,” said
Head Coach Valorie Kondos Field. “There’s been a lot of
interest, the phone is ringing off the hook with people asking for
tickets.”
The meet is the second-to-last home competition before NCAA
regionals take place in April.
“I am excited to come back home and see the team pull
together,” said sophomore Kristin Parker. “I
can’t wait, I love home.”
The Cal Bears are led by Senior Pari Olver, who ranks 22nd
nationally in the all-around and floor exercises.
Utah State is ranked No. 7 in the North Central region. The
Aggies have a season-high of 194.9.
UC Santa Barbara heads to town with a season-best score of
189.5. Current UCLA Assistant Coach Randy Lane coached the Gauchos
before Fenton took over.
Even though the Bruins are expected to win their fifth straight
Bruin Classic, Kondos Field is taking no chances.
“We are putting up our guns,” she said referring to
the team’s top athletes. “It should be interesting to
see if we can keep momentum going.”
The Bruins will pick up a boost from the return of sophomore
Malia Jones. Jones missed the last two meets due to tendonitis in
her knee.
Lately the Bruins have received all the fire they need from
sophomore Onnie Willis. Willis, who was hampered by a foot injury
early this year, took the all-around title in Corvallis with a
score of 39.675. The win was her second in as many meets. Willis
scored a perfect 10 on the vault, one of two Bruins to do so
against Oregon State.
“I think we’re well-prepared and I look forward to a
good competition,” said freshman Alyssa Beckerman.
“We’re going to try our best to win, and everybody will
be there supporting one another.”