Feb. 24, 1998
THIS WEEK - Defending NCAA Champions UCLA (11-1, ranked No. 5) will face a strong challenge this Friday, Feb. 27 when it meets Washington (7-3) in Seattle at Hec Edmundson Pavilion at 7 pm.
BRUINS LOOK TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED VS. UW - UCLA will attempt to extend its unbeaten streak against Washington to 25 meetings. The Bruins' 24-0 record against the Huskies currently stands as their best record against any school.
A LOOK AT THE HUSKIES - Seventeenth-ranked Washington had a breakthrough year in 1997, placing eighth at the NCAA Championships and second to UCLA at the West Regionals. Individually, head coach Bob Levesque was named the Pac-10 and West Regional Coach of the Year, and four Huskies earned All-American acclaim. All four of those gymnasts return in 1998 - Klara Kudilkova, Lauren Reisenman, Tiffany Simpson and Jamie Stauffer. Washington had its best meet of the season last Friday, scoring a season-best 195.225 in a loss to second-ranked Utah. Kudilkova won the all-around with a career-high 39.625.
UCLA WINS BRUIN CLASSIC - The Bruins won all four events en route to winning the Bruin Classic Sunday with a score of 194.55. Eleventh-ranked Oregon State was second with a 193.55, followed by seventh-ranked Penn State (190.8) and Cal State Fullerton (189.275). The win was UCLA's fifth consecutive meet victory. The Bruins have defeated 11 teams without a loss since their season-opening loss to Georgia.
DEGTEVA WINS FIRST ALL-AROUND OF 1998 - Sophomore Lena Degteva won the all- around at the Bruin Classic with a meet record 39.15. The win was Degteva's first of the season and just the second in her collegiate career. Degteva, a former two-time Canadian national champion, recorded a season-high 9.85 on the beam.
QUICK STUDY HILEY HITS CAREER HIGH ON VAULT - Junior walk-on Lisa Hiley performed the best vault of her career, scoring a career-high 9.775 to place second, the highest placement she has ever reached on any event. For just the second-time ever in competition, Hiley performed a pike front with a half-twist, one of the most difficult vaults being done in collegiate gymnastics and valued at a 10.0. Hiley is a relative newcomer to the sport of gymnastics, having started competition just five years ago.
MONEYMAKER "CASH" TO BRUINS ON BARS - Sophomore team co-captain Heidi Moneymaker has been cash to UCLA on her best event, bars. The second-ranked bars worker in the nation has placed first on that event in UCLA's last five meets and is averaging a 9.0 for the season. Moneymaker performs some of the most difficult skills in the nation, including a piked Jaeger and a double layout dismount.