UCLA
Bridgeport and Utah State
Ross Scores Another Perfect 10 in Tri-Meet Win
February 20, 2017 | Gymnastics
LOS ANGELES - Freshman Kyla Ross scored her second perfect 10 in three days, this time on the balance beam, as No. 6 UCLA defeated No. 24 Utah State and Bridgeport in a tri-meet in Pauley Pavilion. UCLA scored 195.875 to top Utah State (195.700) and Bridgeport (193.225).
Ross scored a perfect 10 on uneven bars Saturday night at Utah and followed it up with her first on the balance beam. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist has recorded three perfect 10s this season - two on bars and one on beam.
Ross also won the all-around with a 39.225 and placed first on vault with a 9.9 and second on bars with a 9.925. Christine Peng-Peng Lee, who sang the national anthem prior to the meet with Hallie Mossett and Alex Waller, won uneven bars with a 9.95, and Katelyn Ohashi and Macy Toronjo tied for first on floor exercise with a 9.9. Ohashi's score tied her career-best, and Toronjo's came in her competitive debut after sitting out the 2016 season with a torn rotator cuff.
BOOM. Peng Peng Lee scores a 9.95 on the uneven bars! ????
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 20, 2017
Watch: https://t.co/qcjjBLiDnV
https://t.co/MxYueKsFdv
The Bruins had strong showings on the first three rotations, scoring 49.2 on vault, 49.4 on bars and 49.275 on beam but ran out of steam in the final rotation. Ohashi and Toronjo started the set with a pair of 9.9s, but the final four competitors had major miscues that dropped the Bruins' floor total to just 48.0. UCLA had built up a big enough lead after three, however, to hold off Utah State, who scored 48.925 on vault.
"We need to work on our consistency," said UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos Field. "We need to help them figure it out; they need to figure it out. We told them that we're past mid-season now, and whoever is consistent will be competing. We are no longer going to be playing with the lineup."
With UCLA coming off a road meet Saturday night, a few new faces were brought in to give some of the Bruin regulars rest. Sonya Meraz was added back into the vault lineup and made a strong case for a permanent spot, sticking her vault in the leadoff spot for a leadoff score of 9.875, a new career-high. Sophomore Stella Savvidou vaulted for the first time as a Bruin and hit a solid 9.8, and Madison Preston stuck her vault once again and scored 9.875. Preston has stuck every vault she has competed in Pauley Pavilion this season. Toronjo's floor exercise debut was the big highlight for the newcomers, and she was mobbed by her teammates and coaches after her routine.
HUGE vault and stuck landing by @MadisonPreston8! She scores 9.875. #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/qtoWvv2i8k
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) February 20, 2017
UCLA (6-2) will next host Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1pm in Pauley Pavilion.
Players Mentioned
