January 11, 1999

THIS WEEK - The third-ranked UCLA women's gymnastics team will travel to the East Coast for the first time in 1999 when it faces 13th-ranked Penn State and unranked New Hampshire at Penn State's Rec Hall. The meet will take place on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 4:00 pm Pacific time.

A LOOK AT PENN STATE - Penn State, which finished 10th at last year's NCAA Championships, has two returning All-Americans in Ellen Casey and Missy Leopoldus. Leopoldus won the all-around in the Lions' meet with Rutgers last weekend with a score of 39.575. Her score included a 9.95 on beam and 9.925 on floor. The Lions won that meet 195.075-187.975. UCLA has won five of six regular season meets with Penn State, including last year's win at the Bruin Classic (194.55-190.8). Penn State's only win was the first-ever meeting, back in 1981.

A LOOK AT NEW HAMPSHIRE - New Hampshire placed fifth last season at the Northeast Regionals. The Wildcats' top gymnast is junior Cara Lepper, a member of the U.S. National team in 1991-92. Lepper, who redshirted last season with an ankle injury, holds the school record on beam with a perfect 10.0. UCLA has faced the Wildcats just once, winning in 1994 at UCSB's Gold's Challenge Invitational.

KONDOS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT 1999 - Despite a 195.8-193.5 loss to defending NCAA Champion and top-ranked Georgia, UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos was extremely pleased with her team's performance and prospects for the season. "I was shocked at how good we are. I didn't know we were this good. We're really good!" she proclaimed. "Before this weekend I felt we were one of the Top 10 teams in the nation. After this weekend, I think we're in the Top 2."

BHARDWAJ SHINES FOR BRUINS - Sophomore Mohini Bhardwaj is one of the reasons why Kondos is so optimistic. The former U.S. national team member won the all-around at Cal State Fullerton last Friday with a then-career high 38.525 then upped that performance with another career high of 38.8 Sunday vs. Georgia to place third. In that Georgia meet, Bhardwaj nailed a laid-out Yurchenko 1 1/2 for a career high-tying 9.95. She received a 10.0 from one of the judges for that vault. At Fullerton, Bhardwaj won the vault (9.85) and bars (9.825) along with the all-around and also placed second on floor (9.65).

ERICKSON PICKS UP WHERE SHE LEFT (OR LED) OFF - Senior All-American Susie Erickson has continued to show why she is one of the top leadoff beam performers in the nation. Erickson led UCLA to a beam victory over Georgia last Sunday, 48.85-48.825, with a leadoff score of 9.775 (tied for fourth place). That performance, along with her 9.675 showing at Fullerton, gave her 15 straight hits on the balance beam. She has not fallen off the beam since her sophomore year.

MONEYMAKER WINS ON BEAM - Heidi Moneymaker, the defending NCAA bars champion, has shown her prowess on another event - the balance beam. Moneymaker won the beam vs. Georgia with a 9.85 and placed second at Fullerton Friday with a 9.775.