Women's Gymastics Takes Second at Third Annual Bruin Classic
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
March 7, 1999
LOS ANGELES - UCLA scored a season-high 196.5 to remain the only champion of the Third Annual Bruin Classic. The Bruins, who did not count a fall for the first time this season, outscored second-place Michigan State (193.05), Kentucky (191.95) and California (191.525). More importantly, UCLA improved upon its previous season-best team score by nearly two full points.
UCLA swept the individual event titles, with Lena Degteva successfully defending her Bruin Classic title with a career-high and Bruin Classic record 39.425. Her Bruin teammate Heidi Moneymaker was second with a season-high 39.325, followed by Michigan States Melissa Green with a career-high 38.925. Degteva, a junior from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, also won the bars with a season-high 9.9 and the floor with a career-high and meet record 9.95. Moneymaker flirted with perfection on vault, scoring a career-high and meet record 9.975 on her pike front with a half-twist. The junior from Santa Rosa, CA also tied for first with teammate Luisa Portocarrero on beam with a 9.8. Portocarrero, a senior who braved back spasms to compete in the last home meet of her career, reclaimed the Bruin Classic beam title she won in the inaugural meet in 1997.
The Bruins took control of the meet in the first rotation, scoring a season-high 49.275 thanks to career-high scores from Moneymaker (9.975), Kiralee Hayashi (9.925) and Portocarrero (9.875). Bars was more of the same, as Susie Erickson totaled a career-high 9.825, and Degteva scored a season-best 9.9 to help bring UCLAs team bars score to another season-high of 49.1.
UCLA was steady on beam, scoring a 48.775, but exploded on floor, scoring a season-high 49.35. Four Bruins set new career-highs - Valerie Velasco (9.75), Alison Stoner (9.85), Mohini Bhardwaj (9.925 in her first competition on floor since Jan. 10) and Degteva (9.95). Said UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos, "Staying true to Bruin form, we are peaking at the right time. We saw real fire in them that is consistent with what weve seen in years past, including our championship year (1997). I was especially pleased because our team competed with quite a few injuries. They didnt make excuses and hit their routines like nothing was wrong."
The Bruins will next compete at Michigan on Saturday, March 13 in Ann Arbor, MI at 4:00 pm local time. The meet, a triangular meet with the Wolverines and Rutgers, will signal a homecoming for Bruin freshman Stephanie Johnson, who hails from Ann Arbor.
TEAM RESULTS 1. UCLA 196.500# 2. Michigan State 193.050 3. Kentucky 191.950 4. California 191.525ALL-AROUND RESULTS 1. Lena Degteva, UCLA 39.425* 2. Heidi Moneymaker, UCLA 39.325# 3. Melissa Green, Michigan St. 38.925* INDIVIDUAL EVENT WINNERS
VAULT: 1. Heidi Moneymaker, UCLA 9.975* 2. Kiralee Hayashi, UCLA 9.925* 3t. Luisa Portocarrero 9.875* 3t. Elisabeth Forshier, MSU 9.875#
BARS: 1. Lena Degteva, UCLA 9.900* 2t. Kiralee Hayashi, UCLA 9.875 2t. Polly Kiker, MSU 9.875
BEAM: 1t. Heidi Moneymaker, UCLA 9.800 1t. Luisa Portocarrero, UCLA 9.800 3. Emily Bails, Cal 9.775
FLOOR: 1. Lena Degteva, UCLA 9.95* 2. Mohini Bhardwaj, UCLA 9.925* 3t. Kiralee Hayashi, UCLA 9.875 3t. Leila Khoury, Cal 9.875* * Career high; # Season high
Attendance: 3,132