January 8, 1999

CLASH OF THE TITANS - The last two NCAA team champions will battle it out on Sunday, January 10 when 1997 champion UCLA and 1998 champion Georgia meet at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion at 6:00 pm. Georgia is ranked No. 1 and UCLA is ranked No. 3 in the pre-season coaches' poll. Consistently two of the top teams in the nation each year, the Bruins and Gym Dogs remain the only two teams to have reached the NCAA Super Six Team Finals since its inception in 1993.

TICKETS - Tickets for the meet are available at the UCLA Central Ticket Office (310/UCLA-WIN). Reserved-section season tickets cost $25 for adults and $20 for youth. Individual meet tickets in the general admission-section only cost $8 for adults and $6 for youth.

EAST-WEST RIVALRY CONTINUES - UCLA-Georgia has turned out to be the biggest East-West rivalry in collegiate gymnastics. From the 1989 NCAA Championships, when Georgia outscored UCLA 192.65-192.60 in the closest meet in NCAA Championship history, to UCLA's NCAA Championship victory in 1997, these two teams have produced some of the most exciting meets in NCAA history.

THE HISTORY - Georgia owns a 7-2 advantage in the regular season, but UCLA has outscored the Gym Dogs in three of the last four post-season matchups. UCLA's regular season wins came in 1988 in Athens and 1989 at home.

LAST MEETING - UCLA led by over a point going into the final rotation thanks to four falls by Georgia on beam. But the Bruins fell victim to the same malady and lost the lead and the meet in the final rotation, 195.675-194.025. The Bruins' final score was a school record for a season opener. Kiralee Hayashi placed second in the all-around with a score of 39.075.

HOST OF MEET FUTURE NCAA CHAMPION? - In the past two seasons, the host of the UCLA-Georgia home season opener has gone on to win the NCAA Championship. In 1997, UCLA hosted Georgia in its home season opener and went on to win the NCAA Championships. In 1998, Georgia hosted UCLA in its home opener and went on to win the NCAA title. Notes UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos, "Guess what - it's back home."

NATION'S TOP GYMNASTS SHOWCASED - Competing in the UCLA-Georgia meet are three defending NCAA Champions - UCLA's Heidi Moneymaker (uneven bars) and Georgia's Karin Lichey (floor exercise) and Jenni Beathard (balance beam). UCLA returns six All-Americans (Moneymaker, Mohini Bhardwaj, Lena Degteva, Susie Erickson, Kiralee Hayashi and Luisa Portocarrero), while Georgia has seven (Lichey, Beathard, Amanda Curry, Kristi Lichey, Sam Muhleman, Suzanne Sears and Kathleen Shrieves) on its roster.

Not only are UCLA and Georgia the meccas for top collegiate talent, but both schools also harbor top international talent as well. UCLA has three former U.S. National Team members on its roster - Bhardwaj and freshmen Kaitie Dyson and Amy Young. Bhardwaj, Degteva (Canada) and Luisa Portocarrero (Guatemala) have competed in World Championships. Georgia counters with U.S. National Team Members Beathard, Karin and Kristi Lichey, Muhleman, Curry and Shrieves along with 1992 Canadian Olympian Stacey Galloway.

NATION'S TOP COACHES SQUARE OFF - The last two NACGC Coaches of the Year will hope to lead their respective teams to victory on Sunday. Leading UCLA is 1996 and 1997 NACGC Coach of the Year Valorie Kondos, as well as 1998 West Region Assistant Coach of the Year Randy Lane and former U.S. national team coach Steve Gerlach. Georgia is guided by 1998 NACGC Coach of the Year Suzanne Yoculan and 1998 NACGC Assistant Coach of the Year Doug McAvinn.

BRUINS FACE CAL STATE FULLERTON FRIDAY - UCLA officially opens the 1999 season Friday, January 8 at Cal State Fullerton at 7:00 pm in Titan Gym. The Bruins own the overall series lead against the Titans 27-24 and won the last meeting Feb. 22, 1998 at the Bruin Classic, 194.55-189.275.

UCLA EVENT BY EVENT

Vault: UCLA has five athletes in its lineup who could compete 10.0-valued vaults - Lisa Hiley and Heidi Moneymaker (piked front with a half-twist), Lena Degteva and Kiralee Hayashi (Yurchenko layout with a half-twist) and Mohini Bhardwaj (Yurchenko layout with one-and-a-half twists).

Bars: Traditionally one of UCLA's strengths, the Bruins may be one of the best bars teams in the nation. Anchoring the lineup is defending NCAA bars champion Moneymaker, the only athlete to win an NCAA title outright in 1998. The Bruins have two other first-team All-Americans on bars in Hayashi and Bhardwaj.

Beam: UCLA has most depth on the balance beam. All-Americans Susie Erickson, one of the best leadoff gymnasts in the nation; Hayashi and Luisa Portocarrero lead the Bruins.

Floor: Thanks to beautiful choreography by head coach Valorie Kondos, UCLA can always be looked upon to provide difficult tumbling and exquisite dance and expression on floor. Degteva, Hayashi and Moneymaker each have career high scores of 9.925.

VETERAN ALL-AROUNDERS KEY TO BRUIN SUCCESS - It is possible that no other team in the nation can boast four stronger all-arounders than UCLA. Veterans Kiralee Hayashi, Heidi Moneymaker, Lena Degteva and Mohini Bhardwaj have been among the tops in the nation throughout their careers. Hayashi, twice an All-Pac-10 selection in the all-around, placed fifth at the 1998 NCAA Championships with a career-high 39.4. Moneymaker, the defending NCAA bars champion, placed eighth at last season's NCAAs to earn first-team All-American honors. She posted career- high all-around scores of 39.375 twice in 1998. Degteva has twice earned second- team All-American honors in the all-around and won two all-around competitions in 1998. Her career high score is 39.4. Injuries limited Bhardwaj from competing all-around after February last season, but the sophomore has more than a few all-around accolades. She placed third at the 1997 U.S. Championships and scored career highs of 9.85 on all four events last year.

BRUIN FRESHMEN SET TO MAKE COLLEGIATE DEBUT - UCLA's freshman class will make its debut this weekend. Leading the Bruin newcomers are USA Championship competitors Kaitie Dyson and Alison Stoner (Laguna Hills, CA) and walk-ons Valerie Velasco (Fullerton, CA), Stephanie Johnson and Lindsey Dong.

YOUNG OUT FOR SEASON WITH KNEE INJURY - Freshman Amy Young (Diamond Bar, CA), a member of the U.S. National Team in 1997-98, will miss the 1999 season with an ACL tear in her knee, her second in two years.

1999 Pre-Season Coaches' Poll

Rk. School Pts.
 1. Georgia (32) 942
 2. Florida (1) 873
 3. UCLA (1) 824
 4. Utah (1) 820
 5. Alabama (2) 816
 6. Arizona State 743
 7. Michigan (1) 742
 8. Washington 638
 9. LSU 600
10. Stanford 587
11. Nebraska 457
12. BYU 435
13. Penn State 435
14. West Virginia 387
15. Oregon State 372
16. Arizona 357
17. North Carolina St. 305
18. Minnesota 253
19. Boise State 214
20. Ohio State 200
21. Iowa State 183
22. Kentucky 183
23. Utah State 162
24. Michigan State 152
25. Illinois-Champaign 80