There isn’t much that the UCLA gymnastics program
hasn’t accomplished so far this decade.
The Bruins, led by longtime coach Valorie Kondos Field, have
established themselves as the sport’s newest dynasty, winning
four of the last five national titles.
Yet, as second-seeded UCLA heads into competition tonight at the
NCAA Championships in Auburn, Ala., in search of its sixth national
title, it has yet to accomplish one of the most hallowed feats in
all of sports: a three-peat.
“It’s difficult enough to win one
championship,” Kondos Field said. “It is extremely
difficult to repeat that. To three-peat, after all of the
improvements we have made this year would be altogether
different.”
UCLA would become just the second team in the history of
women’s collegiate gymnastics to win three consecutive
titles, joining Utah, a team that reeled off five titles in a row
from 1982-1986, as the sole members of the distinguished club.
But to do so, Kondos Field said the Bruins must first put
together a performance superior to any other they have shown this
season.
“We need to step it up a little,” Kondos Field said.
“We mainly need to work on landings. Everyone has to be at
the top of their game in order to win.”
Competition begins this morning as regional qualifiers LSU,
Utah, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State and Oklahoma battle for three
spots in the NCAA Super Six Team Finals.
UCLA competes in the evening session, facing Alabama, Florida,
BYU, Iowa State and Georgia. The night session figures to be the
more competitive of the two, with four of last year’s Super
Six teams in the mix.
“The prelims are getting harder and harder,” Kondos
Field said. “It used to be that you could go in as an
at-large qualifier and make it to the Super Six, but that
isn’t the case anymore.”
Still, the team does not seem concerned with the competition.
When asked what she thought of the other teams in her session,
freshman Tasha Schwikert couldn’t respond.
“What teams are in our session again?” she
asked.
The top three finishers from each of today’s competitions
will meet tomorrow in the Super Six Finals with the winner crowned
NCAA Champions, a title the Bruins are confident they can come away
with.
“I feel really prepared,” Schwikert said. “I
don’t have any worries.
“Ever since the Pac-10 Championships (last month), this
team has been doing really well, and as long as we have another
meet like those, we will do well.”
If the Bruins are to succeed, they will once again have to
battle through health issues. Senior Kristen Maloney, who was
noticeably hurting during vault warm-ups yesterday, continues to
recover from a sprained ankle. Sophomore Ashley Peckett recently
contracted strep throat, but is still likely to compete. And senior
Christie Tedmon, who injured her knee and will decide whether to
have her meniscus repaired after the conclusion of the season, will
be relegated to beam only.
With or without injuries, this championship meet already has a
different feel than the others.
“If you asked any of the coaches (during) the past five
years who they thought was going to win it, they would have said
UCLA,” Kondos Field said. “This year, they aren’t
saying that. They all know that if any one team gets on a roll,
they could take it. That includes us.”