Monday, March 2, 1998
While resting for NCAA Regionals, Bruins drop match to
Washington
STORY: Injuries trouble UCLA more than the meaningless loss
By Christie DeBeau
Daily Bruin Contributor
The five consecutive meet winning streak for the UCLA women’s
gymnastic team came to an end Friday night in Seattle. However, in
a sport where the win-loss record does not matter, the Bruins were
still victorious.
Fifth-ranked UCLA scored a 194.425, a score only slightly below
last week’s meet totals. The Bruins broke 195 twice this season but
were not able to raise their scores high enough on Friday to beat
No. 13 University of Washington’s 195.900.
UCLA’s loss at Friday’s meet was the end of its sterling record
against the Huskies, a record that had not been tarnished in 24
meetings.
However, UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos’ goal of the meet was to
rest gymnasts as the team moves closer to NCAA Regionals. Kondos
competed only five gymnasts on two of the events instead of the
maximum number, six.
"I found out that this was the first time Washington had ever
beat us and people asked me if I would have done things any
differently had I known this, but I wouldn’t have," Kondos
said.
"I was not going for the win at the meet, our win-loss record
does not matter. You have to get the ego out of the way. We went
with five competing on the floor and five on vault. I was trying to
rest people. But Carmen Tausend tore her ACL on bars. She finished
her routine, landed her dismount and then grabbed her knee. This is
the first time we have had a season-ending injury in four
years."
Senior Tausend had returned to the team in October, after she
retired last April, and was finishing up her career as a Bruin this
year.
Tausend’s injury is not the first one to plague the Bruins this
season. Less than four months ago, junior Susie Erickson broke her
foot and only returned to competition two weeks ago. Fellow junior
Luisa Portocarrero injured her ankle and is not back in action.
Freshman all-arounder Mohini Bhardwaj was out with an ankle
injury but returned to the competition floor at Friday’s meet.
Bhardwaj competed in one event – bars – and received her season
high in that event, a 9.85.
"Every time I try to rest someone, I can’t. I was trying to rest
Stella at the meet but I had to put her in to compete for Carmen,"
Kondos said.
"The injuries will effect the scores in this respect but they
will move on. We have actually been very lucky injury-wise. Most
teams have season-ending injuries, at least one if not
multiple."
Although she was not scheduled to compete, senior Stella Umeh
came through for the team on floor scoring a 9.925 which placed her
at No. 3 in that event.
Heidi Moneymaker was also successful on floor (9.875) with a new
tumbling pass, a whip to a double back, that she had learned just
last week.
Other successful performances of the meet came from Lena Degteva
and junior Kiralee Hayashi. Degteva tied for first place in
all-around competition, her second consecutive win this season.
Hayashi competed in three events and hit either her career or
season high on vault, bars and balance beam. On vault, Hayashi
placed third with a career high 9.90.
Another career high came on beam with a 9.90 which placed her in
second. Hayashi reached a season high on bars with a 9.85 tying her
for second place.
DERRICK KUDO
Kiralee Hayashi had a season high 9.85 on the beam at Friday’s
meet in Washington.