MAIYA HOLLIDAY Junior Malia Jones and
the UCLA gymnastics team will host three other squads at Sunday’s
Bruin Invitational.
By Adam Karon
Daily Bruin Contributor
The UCLA gymnastics team will rack up some frequent flier miles
this weekend when it heads north to Washington on Friday before
returning home for the Bruin Invitational on Sunday.
It has been over a month since the Bruins competed at two meets
in one weekend, having swept Fullerton and Arizona back in
January.
“We are going to be competing our entire lineup
again,” head coach Valorie Kondos Field said.
Friday’s contest will be the time to empty the bench. The
Bruins face Washington and Seattle-Pacific, which together have
fewer victories this year than UCLA.
Three Bruins get the opportunity to return to their home
state.
Juniors Onnie Willis (Tacoma) and Doni Thompson (Olympia) will
compete in front of their home crowds for the second year in a row.
The 2001 Pac-10 finals were also held in Seattle. Sophomore Carly
Raab, who hails from Seattle, will be unable to compete while she
recovers from a torn ACL.
“It’s always exciting to go home,” Thompson
said.
The second meet in Pauley Pavilion should be extremely
competitive.
UCLA plays host to No. 3 Michigan, No. 9 Minnesota and Cal State
Fullerton in the Bruin Invitational. The Bruins are looking to win
the tournament for the 11th consecutive time.
Bruin Olympians Jamie Dantzscher, Kristen Maloney and Alyssa
Beckerman will get to catch up with former Olympic teammate Elise
Ray of Michigan. The last time the group competed with one another
was at the national championships a year ago, when Ray helped
Michigan to a third place finish.
“You’re going to see big-time gymnastics on
Sunday,” Kondos Field said. “We have a great rivalry
with Michigan.”
As if the drama wasn’t enough, Sunday’s contest will
be the last home meet for Bruin seniors Valerie Velasco and Lindsay
Dong. Each has competed on two national championship teams and they
will both be recognized in a pre-meet ceremony.