April 19, 1999

NEXT WEEK - UCLA (20-5, seeded No. 2) will seek its second NCAA team title when it competes in the NCAA Gymnastics Championships Apr. 22 24 in Salt Lake City, UT.

COMPETITION FORMAT - The three-day competition begins on Thursday, Apr. 22 at the University of Utah's Huntsman Center with two sessions (1:00 pm and 7:00 pm MT) of preliminary team competition. The Top 3 teams from each Thursday session will advance to the team finals (The "Super Six"), which will begin at 7:00 pm on Friday, Apr. 23. The individual event finals competition will be held Saturday, Apr. 24 at 7:00 pm. The all-around champion and individual event finalists will be determined during the preliminary competition. Individuals qualify to event finals by placing in the top four (including ties) of that particular event during their own preliminary session.

THE TEAMS - Competing in the Championships (in order of seed) are Georgia (197.375 regional score), UCLA (197.025), Michigan (196.750), Alabama (196.625), Utah (196.425), Nebraska (196.325), Penn State (196.325), West Virginia (195.275), Florida (195.225), Arizona State (195.1), Stanford (194.675) and LSU (194.6).

UCLA TO COMPETE IN AFTERNOON SESSION - In a blind draw conducted by the NCAA, UCLA drew the afternoon (1:00 pm) session, along with Alabama, Stanford, West Virginia, Arizona State and LSU. Georgia, Michigan, Utah, Nebraska, Penn State and Florida will vie for three spots in the Super Six during the evening session.

ROTATION ORDER - UCLA will begin the preliminary competition on a bye before floor. After competing on floor, the Bruins will then move to vault, bye and bars before ending on beam. Below is the complete rotation order for the first preliminary session:

 V Bye UB BB Bye FX
 I WVU ASU LSU Stan. UCLA Ala. 
 II Ala. WVU ASU LSU Stan. UCLA 
 III UCLA Ala. WVU ASU LSU Stan. 
 IV Stan. UCLA Ala. WVU ASU LSU
 V LSU Stan. UCLA Ala. WVU ASU 
 VI ASU LSU Stan. UCLA Ala. WVU

UCLA AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS - The Bruins won its first-ever NCAA Championship in 1997, breaking the Utah-Georgia-Alabama triumvirate which had won all the other previous titles. This is UCLA's eighth consecutive and 16th overall appearance in the 18 NCAA Championships. UCLA and Georgia are the only two teams to qualify for every Super Six.

MONEYMAKER SEEKS BARS REPEAT - Bruin junior Heidi Moneymaker will attempt to defend her NCAA uneven bars title in Salt Lake City. Last season, in her home arena, Moneymaker became UCLA's first-ever NCAA bars champion, scoring a 9.95 to win the title. She was the only gymnast to win an event title outright last year. Four other defending event champions return - Larissa Fontaine, Stanford (vault); Jenni Beathard, Georgia (beam, also 97 bars); Betsy Hamm, Florida (beam); and Karin Lichey, Georgia (floor). Other former NCAA champs returning in 99 are Heidi Hornbeek, Arizona (96 floor) and Elizabeth Reid, Arizona State (97 beam).

INDIVIDUAL NCAA HISTORY - Four Bruins have won NCAA titles - Kim Hamilton (1987-89 floor, 1989 vault), Jill Andrews (1988 vault, 1989 beam), Stella Umeh (1995 and 1998 floor), and Heidi Moneymaker (1998 bars). Two other Bruins won AIAW national titles - Sharon Shapiro (1980-81 all-around and vault, 1980 bars, 1980 beam, 1980 floor) and Diane Dovas (1981 bars). Shapiro remains the only gymnast ever to sweep the all-around and all four events in one year. Hamilton is the only woman to win three consecutive floor titles.

LAST YEAR AT THE NCAAs - UCLA won its preliminary session to advance to the Super Six, but three falls on the beam put UCLA out of contention in the first rotation of the team finals. However, the Bruins battled back like the defending champions they were, posting a meet-high 49.5 on floor and 49+ scores on both vault and bars to place fifth. Stella Umeh provided UCLA a memorable moment by scoring the first 10.0 of her career on the floor exercise. She also received a perfect 9.9 score on vault. The next day at event finals, Umeh won the floor title, and Heidi Moneymaker captured the bars crown.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR - UCLA entered the 1997 season as the pre-season No. 1, saw Georgia assume the role of favorites during the regular season, then proved they were worthy of the No. 1 ranking by winning the school's first-ever NCAA Gymnastics title. Georgia opened the door early for UCLA, counting two falls on beam while the Bruins were on a first-rotation bye. In contrast, the Bruins scored a 49.2 on beam to stay in contention. Going into the final rotation, UCLA and Michigan trailed Arizona State, which ended its meet with a final score of 196.6. The Bruins and Wolverines needed a 49.25 in the final rotation to overtake the Sun Devils. While Michigan could only score 48.875 on floor, UCLA recorded a school-record 49.525 to win the crown with a final score of 197.15.

COINCIDENCE, OR NOT? - The 1999 Bruins are drawing some eerie resemblances to the 1997 Championship squad. Consider:

• The Bruins scored in the 191s while facing Cal State Fullerton in the opening meet of the season both years.
• UCLA's home openers in 1997 and 1999 were against Georgia.
• A key Bruin performer missed a month because of an injury suffered at the Georgia meet (Stella Umeh in 1997, Susie Erickson in 1999).
• UCLA lost at Arizona State then followed up that meet with a win at the UCLA Invitational in 1997 and 1999.
• A Bruin gymnast won the all-around title and Gymnast of the Year honors in 1997 (Leah Homma) and 1999 (Heidi Moneymaker, all-around; Kiralee Hayashi, Gymnast of the Year).
• UCLA won both Pac-10 and Regional titles.
• UCLA entered the Championships in 1997 as the No. 2 seed and competed in the afternoon session. The Bruins will do the same in 1999.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES -

• Only four teams have even won the NCAA title in the 17 years of the Championships - Utah (9), Georgia (4), Alabama (3) and UCLA (1).
• Nine schools return from the 1998 NCAA Championships - Georgia (1st place), Florida (2nd), Alabama (3rd), Utah (4th), UCLA (5th), Arizona State (6th), Michigan (8th), LSU (9th) and Penn State (10th). Washington (7th), North Carolina State (11th) and BYU (12th) did not qualify in 1999.
• Utah has hosted the NCAA Championships six times, winning the crown four times while competing at home.
• UCLA's best finishes at a Utah-hosted NCAA Championships were third-place showings in 1987 and 1988. In the 1988 Championships, Jill Andrews won the vault title and placed second in the all-around, and Kim Hamilton won the floor crown.
• The last time Utah hosted an NCAA Championship was in 1994. The Utes won the meet over Alabama by .05. UCLA placed fifth.
• UCLA ranks fourth (tied with Arizona State) with nine individual titles. Georgia leads all teams with 24.
• The Pac-10 Conference has qualified three teams to the NCAA Championships - UCLA, Stanford and Arizona State. All three teams are competing in the same preliminary session. The conference has been represented by at least two teams in all 18 championships. A record six Pac-10 teams competed in the 1992 Championships.

UCLA vs. 1999 FIELD - The Bruins have amassed a 2-2 record against its preliminary session opponents. UCLA lost in the regular season to Arizona State and Stanford but beat both teams at the Pac-10 Championships. Against the rest of the field, UCLA is 3-3. The Bruins defeated Utah at Regionals, Penn State in a triangular meet and Florida at the UCLA Invitational. The three losses came to Georgia (Jan. 10), Penn State (Jan. 16) and Michigan (Mar. 13).

DEGTEVA FAMILY REUNION - The NCAA Championships will be the setting of a family reunion for the Degteva family. UCLA's Lena Degteva and LSU's Marina Degteva will compete against each other for the first time in college when the two teams meet in Day One of the Championships. Lena, a junior, and Marina, a freshman, trained together under their mother Svetlana at Gymnastics Mississauga in Ontario, Canada. Lena and Marina's father Pavel is also a gymnastics coach at Winstonettes.

MONEYMAKER, DEGTEVA NAMED TO ALL-PAC-10 TEAM - Juniors Heidi Moneymaker and Lena Degteva were named for the first time in their careers to the All-Pac-10 team in the all-around. Moneymaker also earned all-conference honors on vault, bars and beam. No other gymnast this season earned more than two honors, and Moneymaker also tied a school record for most Pac-10 honors in a season.

ERICKSON EARNS PAC-10 ACADEMIC HONORS - Senior Susie Erickson earned second-team Pac-10 All-Academic honors with a 3.4 GPA in Environmental Studies. Erickson earned honorable mention acclaim the last two seasons.

HAYASHI FINALIST FOR AMERICAN AWARD - Senior Kiralee Hayashi has been named a finalist for the AAI American Award. The award is given by American Athletic, Inc. (AAI) to the outstanding women's gymnast who exemplifies excellence in academics, public service and athletics. The other finalists are: Jenni Beathard (Georgia), Susan Hines (Florida), Missy Leopoldus (Penn State), Tiffany Simpson (Washington) and Gwen Spidle (Alabama). Hines, Leopoldus and Simpson have suffered major injuries this season and are not expected to compete at the NCAA Championships. The award will be given out during the Championship festivities.

BRUINS WIN REGIONALS TO EARN NCAA BERTH - Needing to place in the Top 2 at Regionals to qualify for the NCAA Championships, UCLA won its regional Apr. 10 in Corvallis, OR with a score of 197.025, the second-highest mark in all six Regionals. UCLA hit all 24 of its routines en route to the win.

MONEYMAKER WINS ALL-AROUND TITLE - With amazing consistency in all four events, Heidi Moneymaker won the Region 1 all-around title with a score of 39.525, edging out Utah freshman sensation Theresa Kulikowski (39.5). Moneymaker had scores of 9.85 or higher on all four events - 9.85 on vault (second place), 9.925 on bars (second place), 9.875 on beam (eighth place) and 9.875 on floor (sixth place). The all-around win was Moneymaker's second consecutive. She also won the Pac-10 crown Mar. 20.

MONEYMAKER REGION 1 GYMNAST OF THE YEAR - In a vote by Region 1 judges, Heidi Moneymaker was selected the Region 1 Gymnast of the Year. Moneymaker won 18 event titles this season, including the Regional and Pac-10 all-around crowns.

BRUIN ALL-AROUNDERS SHINE - All four of UCLA's all-around competitors placed in the Top 5 at Regionals with scores of 39+. Heidi Moneymaker was the champion with a 39.525. Kiralee Hayashi tied her career-high in the all-around with a 39.4 while placing third. Mohini Bhardwaj set a new career-high with a fourth-place score of 39.375, and Lena Degteva placed fifth with a 39.35.

HILEY PROVIDES HI-LIGHT ON VAULT - Senior Lisa Hiley ended UCLA's successful regional meet with a bang, scoring a career-high 9.8 (fourth place) on her vault (handspring front pike with a half-twist). Hiley, a walk-on who began competitive gymnastics just six years ago, worked her way not only into the vault lineup, but into the anchor spot for the fifth-ranked vaulting team in the nation.

HAYASHI GIVES HEARTFELT PERFORMANCE, NAMED PAC-10 GYMNAST OF THE YEAR - Senior co-captain and five-time All-American Kiralee Hayashi (Kailua, HI) became UCLA's third consecutive and eighth overall Pac-10 Gymnast of the Year when she was given the honor after the Championships. Hayashi, who follows 1997 winner Leah Homma and 1998 winner Stella Umeh, sat out vault and bars at Pac-10s due to a racing heartbeat but returned to score career-highs on beam (9.9) and floor (9.95). Hayashi has a condition known as benign atrial tachycardia, which causes her heart to race at an abnormally fast pace. This is the first time her condition has kept her out of competition. This season, Hayashi has averaged a 38.982 in the all-around, 9.81 on floor, 9.757 on vault and a team-best 9.768 on bars. She has five individual wins and 20 Top 3 finishes.

HEIDI IS MONEY - Junior Heidi Moneymaker (Santa Rosa, CA) has placed first on vault seven times in her last nine meets. Her last win came at the Pac-10 Championships, where she scored a 9.925. The junior All-American also scored career-highs of 9.925 on beam and floor and 39.675 in the all-around at Pac-10s. Moneymaker now has a team-high 18 event titles and 34 Top 3 finishes to her credit this season. In addition, her average of 39.002 in the all-around is a team-best. She has scored 39+ in five of her last six meets. In the national rankings, Moneymaker ranks 12th in the all-around (39.2562 RQS) and 8th on vault (9.9062).

MS. RELIABLE - Senior Susie Erickson (Pomona, CA) increased her "hit" streak on beam to 21 straight routines without a fall. She achieved a season-high score of 9.825 at Regionals, and at Pac-10s, Erickson, UCLA's leadoff performer, scored a 9.775 to help lead UCLA to its season-best team total of 49.425, the third-best beam score in school history. She also helped the Bruins on bars, scoring a career-high 9.9 to place fourth.

BHARDWAJ BACK IN ALL-AROUND - Sophomore standout Mohini Bhardwaj (Cincinnati, OH) made her first all-around appearance since Jan. 10 when she competed on all four events at Regionals. Bhardwaj, who was out for nearly two months with an elbow injury, scored a career-high 39.375 to place fourth. At the Pac-10 meet, she recorded career-highs on beam (9.925) and floor (9.95).

ALL ALL-AROUND, ALL THE TIME - Junior All-American Lena Degteva (Mississauga, Ont.) has displayed her strength and fitness all year, competing 47 of 48 possible routines (11 times in the all-around in 12 meets) so far this season. The only time this year she was held out of an event was on beam at the Bruins' season opener at Cal State Fullerton. Despite her lack of rest throughout the season, Degteva has been spectacular, winning 12 event titles (including three on floor and three in the all-around) and placing in the Top 3 29 times. She is ranked 20th nationally on vault and averages a 9.8 and also ranks 21st on floor with an RQS of 9.8937. In the all-around, she ranks 23rd (39.1562), and she scored a career-high 39.575 in the all-around to place third at the Pac-10 Championships.

PORTOCARRERO VAULTS TO NEW HEIGHTS - Senior Luisa Portocarrero (Guatemala City, Guatemala) had her fifth straight strong showing on vault, placing fourth at Regionals with a 9.8. At Pac-10, she scored a career-high 9.9 to place third. Portocarrero, who now averages a 9.85 in five vault attempts, made a dramatic return to the Bruin vault lineup at the UCLA Invitational Feb. 20, tying for first on her first vault in a year with a 9.85. The 1992 Olympian from Guatemala performed her first collegiate vault Feb. 7, 1998 and sprained her foot in the process, keeping her out of competition for two months. Prior to that vault last season, her last vault occurred at the 1993 World Championships. She performs a Yurchenko laid-out Arabian (10.0 start value).

BRUIN VAULTERS INCREASE DIFFICULTY - With the return of Mohini Bhardwaj and the emergence of Lisa Hiley into the vault lineup, UCLA now has seven vaulters with 10.0 start values. Freshman Lindsey Dong upgraded her vault to a 10.0 start value, throwing a Phelps and scoring a career-best 9.85 at the Pac-10 Championships. Bhardwaj averages a 9.881 and competes a layout Yurchenko one-and-a half, with a career-high of 9.95. UCLA's other 10.0 vaults include a layout Yurchenko Arabian (Portocarrero, Degteva, Hayashi) and a handspring front pike with a half-twist (Moneymaker, Hiley).

FRESHMEN WALK-ONS PROVIDE PLEASANT SURPRISE - Walk-on freshmen Lindsey Dong (San Jose, CA) and Valerie Velasco (Fullerton, CA) have been the biggest surprises for the Bruins this season. On a team filled with national-caliber scholarship athletes, the freshmen duo have been constants in the Bruin lineup. Dong has competed on vault in 11 of the Bruins' 12 meets. She averages a 9.611 but most recently hit a career-best 9.85 at the Pac-10 Championships. Since upgrading her vault to a 10.0 start value, she is averaging a 9.7. Velasco was UCLA's savior during its injury-riddled first half of 1999. With several key gymnasts out, she filled in admirably in the all-around, averaging 38.15. Velasco's best all-around meet came at ASU, where she placed fourth with a career-high 38.85. But she one-upped that performance at Pac-10s, scoring career-highs on all three events in which she competed (9.75 vault, 9.775 bars, 9.85 floor). Velasco accomplished this despite being a last-minute substitute for Kiralee Hayashi.

UCLA ON VAULT:

• Seven Bruins have thrown 10.0 vaults in 1999 - Lindsey Dong (Phelps); Lena Degteva, Kiralee Hayashi, Luisa Portocarrero (Laid-out Yurchenko Arabian); Heidi Moneymaker and Lisa Hiley (pike front with a half-twist); and Mohini Bhardwaj (Laid-out Yurchenko one-and-a-half).
• UCLA's best vault performance came at the Pac-10 Championships, where the Bruins scored a 49.425, the fourth-highest vault score in school history. The Bruins averaged a 9.885, with a high of 9.925 from Heidi Moneymaker, to achieve the score. UCLA's lowest counted score was a 9.85.
• The Bruins have scored 49+ in their last four meets.
• UCLA has five vaulters who average 9.75 or better - Hayashi (9.757), Degteva (9.8), Portocarrero (9.85), Moneymaker (9.856) and Bhardwaj (9.881).
• All six Bruin vaulters placed in the Top 7 at Regionals.
• Moneymaker is an All-Pac-10 performer and the Pac-10 champion on vault. She scored a career-high 9.975 this season.
• Degteva averages a 9.87 on vault during NCAA Championship competition. She scored 9.9s on both days of the Championships last season.
• Bhardwaj was an event finalist on vault last year after scoring a 9.95 during the preliminary session.

UCLA ON BARS:

• The Bruins scored a season-best 49.325 at the Pac-10 meet.
• UCLA has scored 49+ in three of its last four meets.
• Three Bruins average 9.7 or better: Moneymaker (9.705), Degteva (9.721), Hayashi (9.768).
• Moneymaker, the defending NCAA champion with a winning score of 9.95 at the Championship last year, has UCLA's 1999 high score, a 9.95 Feb. 12 at ASU.
• Moneymaker earned All-Pac-10 honors on bars this year.
• Leadoff performer Erickson scored a career-high 9.9 at Pac-10s.
• Three Bruins qualified for event finals on bars last year - Moneymaker (first), Bhardwaj (fourth) and Hayashi (seventh).

UCLA ON BEAM:

• The Bruins scored a season-best 49.425 (third-best score in school history) at the Pac-10 meet. UCLA had four scores of 9.9 or better at that meet.
• Leadoff performer Erickson has hit 21 consecutive beam routines.
• Degteva holds the second-highest beam score in school history - a 9.95 set at the 1997 Regionals.
• Bhardwaj and Moneymaker have the sixth-highest all-time score, 9.925s set at the 1999 Pac-10s.
• Anchor performer Portocarrero is a 1996 first-team All-American on beam and has a move named after her in the International Code of Points. A Portocarrero is a kickover front tuck to sit-down with no hands.

UCLA ON FLOOR:

• UCLA set a school record of 49.6 at the Pac-10 Championships to clinch the team title. The Bruins scored a 9.8, a 9.85, two 9.925s and two 9.95s.
• The Bruins have scored 49+ in four of their last six meets.
• Bhardwaj has placed in the Top 3 on floor in five of her six meets.
• Five Bruins average 9.7 or better on floor: Degteva (9.713), Alison Stoner (9.736), Moneymaker (9.745), Hayashi (9.81) and Bhardwaj (9.854).
• Leadoff performer Velasco has hit 9.75 or better in four of her last six meets.

 UCLA Floor Exercise Music
	 
 Bhardwaj - Music from LA Confidential 
 Degteva - "Cafe Europa" by Deep Forest 
 Dong - by Kitaro
 Dyson - "Icare" from Cirque du Soleil 
 Erickson - "Roller" by Art of Noise
 Hayashi - "Duende" by Bozzio Levin Stevens, from the album Gypsy Soul 
 Moneymaker - by Kitaro
 Stoner - "My Drag" by Squirrel Nut Zipper 
 Velasco - "Savana Dance" by Deep Forest

ALL-AROUND ACTION:

• Four Bruins are expected to compete all-around at NCAAs: Moneymaker (high of 39.675), Degteva (39.575), Hayashi (39.4) and Bhardwaj (39.375).
• Hayashi (5th place) and Moneymaker (8th place) are returning first-team All-Americans in the all-around. Degteva is a two-time second-team All-American.
• Moneymaker and Degteva were selected to the Pac-10 All-Conference team in the all-around.
• Velasco is the only other Bruin to go all-around this season, scoring a career-high 38.85 at Arizona State.

UCLA IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS - In the final national rankings (by regional qualifying score - average of the top two home, top two away, plus two other top scores, throwing out the high and low), UCLA finished ranked 15th with an RQS of 195.2937. The Bruins ranked fifth on vault (49.1125), 20th on bars (48.9437), 23rd on beam (48.675) and 20th on floor (49.0187).

Individually, Heidi Moneymaker was the Bruins' top all-arounder at 12th (39.2562). Lena Degteva was 23rd (39.1562). Moneymaker finished tied for eighth on vault (9.9062), while Degteva tied for 20th on vault (9.8562) and 21st on floor (9.8937).

BRUINS SIGN GREATEST RECRUITING CLASS IN HISTORY - UCLA has signed what is considered to be the greatest recruiting class in the history of the sport. Four current or past national champions highlight head coach Valorie Kondos' recruiting class of 1999-2000.

Signing with UCLA in November were current U.S. national all-around champion Kristen Maloney (Allentown, PA/Parkettes); 1997 Canadian national all-around champion Sarah Deegan (Oshawa, Ontario/Gemini Gymnastics); 1995 USA balance beam national champion Doni Thompson (Olympia, WA/Black Hills Gymnastics); and 1998 Level 10 national all-around, vault and bars champion Onnie Willis (Tacoma, WA/Puget Sound Gymnastics).

Maloney will defer college until after the 2000 Olympics, as will another Bruin signee, Alyssa Beckerman (Middletown, NJ/Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy). Beckerman placed eighth in the all-around and beam, second on bars and seventh on floor at the 1998 USA National Championships.

Also signing with UCLA are three top Level 10 competitors, Malia Jones (Sparks, NV/Flips Gymnastics); Kristin Parker (Hanford, CA/Central California Gymnastics Institute); and Carly Raab (Seattle, WA/Cascade Elite Gymnastics).

Said Kondos, "I am so excited about this year's recruiting class. This is the greatest collection of student-athletes gymnastics has ever seen."

 UCLA's Past NCAA Championship History 
	 
 Year Finish Winner
 1998 5th Georgia
 1997 1st UCLA
 1996 2nd Alabama
 1995 4th Utah
 1994 5th Utah
 1993 4th Georgia
 1992 9th Utah
 1991 - Alabama
 1990 4th Utah
 1989 2nd Georgia
 1988 3rd Alabama
 1987 3rd Georgia
 1986 7th Utah
 1985 - Utah
 1984 2nd Utah
 1983 6th Utah
 1982 6th Utah
 
 UCLA's Returning All-Americans
 Year Name Event 
 1998 Mohini Bhardwaj V, UB
 Lena Degteva AA*, V
 Susie Erickson BB*
 Kiralee Hayashi AA, V*, UB, BB* 
 Heidi Moneymaker AA, V*, UB
 1997 Lena Degteva AA*, V
 Kiralee Hayashi BB*
 1996 Luisa Portocarrero BB 
	 
 *denotes second-team
 
	 
  UCLA's NCAA Champs
	
 Team Championships:
 1997
	 
 Vault Champions:
 Jill Andrews, 1988
 Kim Hamilton, 1989
	 
 Bars Champions:
 Heidi Moneymaker, 1998
	 
 Beam Champions:
 Jill Andrews, 1989
	 
 Floor Champions:
 Kim Hamilton, 1987-89
 Stella Umeh, 1995-98
 
	 
 UCLA Individual Career Highs
	 
 Gymnast V UB BB FX AA 
 Bhardwaj 9.95 9.925 9.925 9.95 39.375 
 Degteva 9.925 9.925 9.95 9.95 39.575 
 Dong 9.85 9.475
 Dyson 9.675 9.675 
 Erickson 9.9 9.85 9.6
 Hayashi 9.925 9.9 9.9 9.95 39.4 
 Hiley 9.8 9.875
 Johnson 9.625
 Moneymaker 9.975 9.975 9.925 9.925 39.675 
 Portocarrero 9.9 9.875 9.9 9.725 
 Stoner 9.75 9.45 9.85
 Velasco 9.75 9.775 9.85 9.85 38.85