No matter how great something is, after a while it just seems routine. Yes, even winning championships.
After taking four national championships in five years, winning became the norm for the UCLA women’s gymnastics team. So much so that last year when the Bruins failed to qualify for the NCAA Championships, they were surprised and shocked.
“After a while, I think we got too used to it,” said senior Ashley Peckett, a member of UCLA’s 2004 championship-winning team. “We took it for granted that we’d always make it to the national championships. Last year, not being there made us realize how special it really is.
“I think because we didn’t go last year, it makes this year that much more special. It gave me a whole new appreciation for being here now.”
After a tough season full of injuries, the women have overcome all odds to gain the opportunity to compete for a title once again. And this time, they are not taking it lightly.
As the Bruins head to Utah for this week’s NCAA Championships, the team knows that it has a lot to prove before it can reclaim the throne of women’s gymnastics. But they are motivated and enthusiastic about having this opportunity with no plans of letting it slip away.
“To say that I am excited about this opportunity is an understatement,” senior Michelle Selesky said. “After four years of hard work, I am seeing all the efforts come to fruition. When you want something so bad, you feel like you should be nervous, but I know what to expect and now I just want to go out and win it.”
The three-day event begins today with a preliminary meet. The Bruins will compete in the evening against Utah, Stanford, Michigan, Denver, and LSU. Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Nebraska, Oregon State and Oklahoma will go head-to-head in the afternoon session. The top three teams from each group will go on to compete in the Super Six final on Friday for the NCAA title.
Although all eyes will be on Friday night’s final, the Bruins cannot overlook Thursday’s event. The evening meet features three teams that have already defeated UCLA earlier this season.
“Honestly, any of the 12 teams competing this week can win it all,” coach Valorie Kondos Field said. “There is just that much parity in our sport, which is great for the game. The team that performs most consistently and plays to win will come out on top.”
Additionally, the Bruins will have to deal with injuries to their own lineup. Junior Jordan Schwikert is suffering from a hamstring injury and her participation will be a last-minute decision for the team. Leadoff gymnast Ariana Berlin has also been struggling with leg pain due to prior injuries, and the team plans to use her on an as-needed basis.
“The challenge this week will be to keep the girls healthy,” Kondos Field said. “Jordan and Ariana have not trained since regionals and we would like to save them for the finals. You’re most likely going to see everyone on our lineup.”
However, the Bruins’ depth has made it easy to overcome injuries to different gymnasts. Last week at the NCAA Regionals, both Schwikert and Berlin were removed from the floor lineup at the last minute. Janelle Dantzscher and Ashley Jenkins substituted for them and picked up right where they left off, hitting their routines to score a 9.75 and 9.8, respectively.
“What is different about this year’s team is that it is a lot smaller than my team from freshman year, so everyone is vital,” Selesky said. “There is no deadweight on this team. Everybody on the team has bought into the system one hundred percent, and we are all going to give it our best.”
UCLA will be looking for freshman Anna Li to give a strong showing. Li has been the only gymnast on the team to compete in the all-around in every meet this season and her consistency has been the most reliable thing the Bruins have had.
“I think gymnastics is all about consistency,” Peckett said. “We have all done well at times this season, so now if we can all hit our routines and hit them well, then we should end up on the top.”
The team is riding a wave of momentum, coming off two first-place finishes in the postseason and is hitting its stride at the perfect time.
The Bruins have scored over 197 in three of their last five meets, and they have received a tremendous amount of recognition for their performance this season.
If everything falls into place for the team, this week could mark the beginning of a tremendous celebration. Should the team win the championship it would mark UCLA’s 100th national title.
This year alone, four teams have advanced as far as the semifinals but have come up just shy of that elusive goal. The women’s gymnastics team hopes to end the wait.
“It would be awesome if we won No. 100 just because I know how much publicity we would get,” Kondos Field said. “I feel like a team like ours would represent the university really well and it would make it all that much more special.”