Lori Winn, a key contributor on UCLA’s
national-championship gymnastics team a year ago, was suspended for
four meets before last Friday’s competition, coach Valorie
Kondos Field announced.
Accounts differ as to the reason for the suspension. Kondos
Field said it was a disciplinary matter, while Winn, a sophomore,
had a different take.
“It was a personality conflict with the coaches,”
Winn said. “I’m still training with the team, and
I’ll be eligible to compete again after the Michigan meet (on
Feb. 4).”
Kondos Field would not specify the exact nature of Winn’s
violations, but said she felt she had no choice but to suspend the
Oklahoma City native.
“She’s broken team rules, and when you sign up, you
agree to play by the rules,” Kondos Field said. “If I
was just focused on winning, I wouldn’t have benched
her.”
Winning without Winn wasn’t a problem over the holiday
weekend for the Bruins (2-1), who wrapped up dominant wins over No.
8 Oregon State and No. 14 Nebraska in her absence.
At Oregon State on Friday, with Winn out and junior Kate
Richardson relegated to just one event due to the flu, three Bruins
answered a call they might not have otherwise received.
Sophomore Ashley Peckett accumulated a career-high 38.575
all-around score, which was good enough for third place.
Additionally, sophomore Courtney Walker’s 9.675 on the floor
exercise helped the Bruins pull away from the Beavers early on,
while senior Christie Tedmon’s solid 9.8 sealed the deal for
UCLA in a 194.5-192.875 victory over the Beavers.
“I think every girl on the team had an impact,”
freshman Tasha Schwikert said.
Monday’s meet against Nebraska brought more of the same
for Bruin gymnasts. Peckett stepped up to fill in on three of the
meet’s four events, and the freshmen trio picked up the slack
as well.
On bars, Schwikert scored the meet’s only 10.0, while her
sister Jordan and the fellow freshman Lindsey Vanden Eykel added a
pair of 9.925s.
“I think we’re pretty deep on some events,”
senior Kristen Maloney said. “We’re becoming much more
confident now.”
By the end of the meet, UCLA’s depth helped to utterly
dominate the Huskers by a score of 197.05-192.65.
“Our athletes were ready at the drop of a hat this
weekend,” Kondos Field said. “I was very proud with how
everyone handled themselves.”
Even without Winn, a regular all-around contributor last year
and a standout on the bars and the beam, UCLA’s ultimate
objective has not changed.
“Our goal is still to win,” Schwikert said.
“Hopefully everything works out.”