Gymnastics
- Title:
- Undergraduate Assistant Coach
Olympian Jennifer Pinches will begin her first year in 2015-16 as an undergraduate assistant coach after competing for the Bruins in 2014 and 2015.
Pinches was a consistent competitor for the Bruins, hitting 31 of 32 routines (97%) in her career, including all 11 in 2015. The wrist injuries that eventually caused her medical retirement limited her training during her sophomore season, but she still posted career-high scores on both vault (9.85) and floor (9.875). As a key leadoff performer, she averaged 9.793 on floor over her career and 9.813 on vault in 2015.
Pinches came to UCLA in 2013-14 after retiring from gymnastics following the 2012 Olympics. During her freshman year, she competed primarily as the leadoff on vault and floor and once on beam and averaged 9.797 on floor. Additionally, she won the team’s Golden Paw Award for her clutch performance at the 2014 NCAA Regional Championships.
In 2012, Pinches competed at the Olympic Games in London, helping Great Britain finish a national all-time-best sixth in the team competition. Prior to the Olympics, she won the balance beam title and was second in the all-around and on vault at the 2012 British Championships and won bronze medals in the all-around, uneven bars and floor exercise at the 2011 British Championships. Pinches represented Great Britain in 2010 and 2011 at the World Championships.
Pinches is a two-time NACGC/W Scholastic All-American and is majoring in Psychology.
