Author Archives: Frank Portillo

She doesn’t wear the fancy athlete backpack, but that doesn’t matter. Though her name remains in relative obscurity, UCLA archer Kate Anderson has the opportunity to do something few “recognizable” UCLA athletes have ever done ““ she is just one step away from representing the United States at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Anderson […]

When the going gets tough, the tough don’t let the other team score. After losing a heartbreaking game on Friday, the Bruins rebounded with two wins, capitalized by an utter blowout 14-0 Sunday that gave UCLA the series win over Washington State. “(Friday) was a reality check,” left fielder Brandon Averill said. “We know we’re […]

With a team title in hand, it was on to personal business for the UCLA gymnasts. On Saturday night, Bruin seniors Jamie Dantzscher, Jeanette Antolin, Yvonne Tousek, Kristen Maloney, and sophomore Kate Richardson competed in the NCAA Championship individual event finals. All five gymnasts qualified for the individual finals after scoring in the top four […]

The UCLA women’s gymnastics team entered Pauley Pavilion wearing floral crowns atop their heads. They left as members of gymnastics royalty. Upon capturing their fifth national championship Friday night at Pauley Pavilion, the Bruins laid claim to the title of the best team in the history of the sport. UCLA dominated five other squads in […]

UCLA gymnastics fans held their collective breath as they saw junior Christie Tedmon fall on her vault landing ““ the Bruins’ first routine of the night. But they cheered the rest of the way as UCLA took first place on Thursday, the first day of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships at Pauley Pavilion. “It seems like […]

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 […]

Teams shoot for home-floor advantage during the postseason all the time. Why is this phenomenon so rampant in the sports world? Well, as the name infers, it’s an advantage ““ in every sport except gymnastics. In the gymnastics world, hosting the NCAA Championships has turned into a jinx of sorts. In the past nine years, […]