Three months later, it’s all come to a head ““ and
things really haven’t changed that much.
In a January coaches poll, UCLA was pegged as the
No. 1 team in the nation, heavily favored to win their second
consecutive national title.
Fast forward to April, and the spectacle called the NCAA
Women’s Gymnastics Championship has arrived with UCLA holding
the No. 1 ranking and favored to take the title.
“Being No. 1 is definitely a confidence booster for the
team,” senior Jeanette Antolin said.
Another confidence booster for the Bruins this year is the
home-floor advantage UCLA holds, as Pauley Pavilion hosts the meet
for the first time since 1998.
“It’s extremely exciting to host nationals,”
coach Valorie Kondos Field said.
“We get to feel the magic of Pauley [Pavilion], and
we’re thrilled to be with the home crowd.”
The Bruins begin preliminary competition tonight at 7 p.m.
against No. 17Arizona State, No. 2 Utah, No. 5 LSU, No. 3 Alabama
and No. 19 Michigan.
UCLA holds the favored “Olympic Order” rotation in
their preliminary group.
The “Olympic Order” rotation is the same rotation
UCLA uses during their regular-season home meets, and sees them
start on the vault and end on the floor exercise.
“Starting off on vault will be good for our team because
we do have a strong vault and we also have a strong floor
exercise,” Antolin said.
“We can start the competition on a good foot and end it on
a good foot.”
The top three teams of the evening preliminary competition will
face the top three teams from the afternoon preliminary on Friday,
during the “Super Six” competition. The winner of the
“Super Six” is crowned NCAA national champion.
UCLA is making its 12th consecutive NCAA Championship appearance
and has walked away with three of the last four titles.
If the Bruins’ regular-season meetings against the teams
they’ll be facing today (and possibly Friday) are any
indication of how the Bruins will fare, things are looking
good.
Of the NCAA competitors who they’ve faced this year, UCLA
has defeated Georgia, Arizona State, Michigan and Nebraska, while
succumbing to Utah and splitting two meets against Stanford.
The Bruins, Utah and Alabama have combined for 17 of the 22 NCAA
titles that have been awarded.
“UCLA’s an outstanding team,” Arizona State
coach John Spini said. “UCLA is the showcase right
now.”
Gymnasts will compete on a podium for the first time ever in
NCAA Championship history.
The podium is a three-foot high elevated surface similar to the
one used in Olympic and World Championship competition.
“[The podium] is a lot more exciting,” Antolin said.
“You get to perform more for the audience.”
While the podium setting may put some teams at a disadvantage
since many of their gymnasts have never performed on one, the
podium setting plays right into UCLA’s hands as many of its
members have had experience in international competition.
As ASU’s Spini said, “[UCLA] might have to stumble
in order for someone to put their foot in the door.”