Last weekend at the Pro Gymnastics Challenge in Pennsylvania, seniors Alyssa Pritchett and Vanessa Zamarripa didn’t know whether they were competing as gymnasts for the last time in their lives or for the very first time as professionals. Read more...
Photo: Although she believes many college gymnasts are burned out by graduation, senior Alyssa Pritchett intends to continue using her skills by going into stunt work, a common career path for former gymnasts.
Standing sideways on the balance beam, freshman Danusia Francis paused, her focus visible on her face. She took a deep inhale before flipping through the air in an inverted aerial, a move never before tried in a college competition - and one she only decided to try the night before. Read more...
Photo: According to UCLA coach Valorie Kondos Field, freshman Danusia Francis’ sideways aerial on beam was the first completed at the NCAA level.
I blinked for a second during Vanessa Zamarripa’s vault in Saturday’s team finals. She landed on her knees and I blinked again. Wait, what? Was that practice? Read more...
Photo: Senior gymnast Vanessa Zamarripa holds back tears as she is comforted by coach Valorie Kondos Field after scoring a 9.100 on vault, the final event for the Bruins in Saturday’s NCAA team championships. The team placed fourth behind Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama despite an early lead.
After a roller-coaster two days of team competition, UCLA’s gymnasts had an equally mixed bag of results in today’s individual event championships. Freshman Danusia Francis had one of the day’s more dramatic moments during her performance on balance beam. Read more...
The original version of this article contained an error and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information. For just a moment, before forcing a smile to her face and throwing her hands in the air, senior Vanessa Zamarripa froze. Read more...
“Individual squares of a trampoline” was how coach Valorie Kondos Field described her gymnasts at the beginning of the year. Read more...
Photo: UCLA has dealt with several injuries this season. The Bruins hope to take advantage of competing in Pauley Pavilion, where they won the 2004 NCAA championship.
Before every meet, UCLA gymnastics performs a candlelit ritual. Read more...
Photo: Senior Vanessa Zamarippa, the Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year, will compete in her final meet as a Bruin at the NCAA championships in Pauley Pavilion.
