January 31, 1999

Los Angeles - No. 9 UCLA overcame a .375 deficit after three rotations to defeat 15th-ranked Washington, 22nd-ranked Maryland and UC Santa Barbara with a final team score of 192.35. The Bruins trailed Washington heading into the final rotation and responded by scoring a meet-high 48.725 on floor, while the Huskies, plagued by low start values, could only muster a 47.475 on vault to reach their team total of 191.475. Maryland was third with a 188.4, followed by UC Santa Barbara with a 183.575.

UCLA junior All-American Heidi Moneymaker won the all-around with a season-best 39.25, as well as the vault (season-best 9.85), bars (season-best 9.875) and beam (9.7). She also tied for second on floor with a 9.825, behind teammate Alison Stoner's career-high 9.85.

The Bruins led after the first and second rotations, but Washington grabbed the lead in the third after scoring a 48.1 on floor to bring its team total to 144.0. UCLA, meanwhile, struggled on beam, counting two falls to score 47.525, 143.625 after three rotations. Maryland, after a 47.775 on vault, inched towards the lead with a 142.675.

But on floor, UCLA displayed the outstanding choreography and tumbling it is known for. Four Bruin freshmen pulled through with solid scores. Kaitie Dyson, stepping in on floor for the first time ever after senior All-American Kiralee Hayashi had to scratch due to illness, scored a 9.55. Valerie Velasco contributed a 9.675, and Stoner pulled in her winning score of 9.85. Moneymaker and Lena Degteva each earned 9.825s to close out the win for UCLA. Washington, who had just three vaults valued at 9.9 or higher, had no vault score higherthan a 9.55. Maryland fell out of contention on bars, counting four falls and scoring just a 45.725.