University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Luisa Portocarrero
June 21, 1999 | Gymnastics
Junior
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Sport Seneca/Elizardo Urizar HS
1997 -- Tied a career-high with a 9.9 to win the Bruin Classic beam title ... Also scored a 9.9 at Regionals to tie for third ... Averaged a 9.667 on beam ... Had seven Top 5 finishes on beam ... Competed once on bars against BYU, scoring a 9.175 ... Competed once on floor at the Shanico Inn-vite, scoring a 9.65.
1996 -- Became UCLA's most consistent beam performer, scoring no lower than 9.725 and averaging a 9.832 ... Earned first-team All-American honors on beam by recording the third-best qualifying score in the preliminaries (9.85) ... Placed sixth on beam at the NCAA event finals with a 9.825 ... Hit a career-best 9.775 with a leadoff performance on bars at the NCAA Super Six Team Finals ... Also tied a career high on beam at Super Six with a 9.9 ... Placed first on beam at Regionals to earn the first event title of her career ... Made her Bruin debut at the UCLA Invitational, scoring a 9.75 on beam to tie for third ... Competed on bars (9.675) and floor (9.725) at Regionals.
Club -- Trained for the 1992 Olympics at Sport Seneca in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with former Bruin teammate Leah Homma ... Coached at Seneca by Carol Orchard ... Is one of two current Bruins who competed in the 1992 Olympics (Stella Umeh is the other) ... Placed 18th at the Olympics in all-around competition ... Competed in the 1993 and 1991 World Championships for Guatemala ... Placed 12th in the all-around at the 1991 Worlds ... Alternate at the 1994 World Event Championships on bars ... Won beam titles at the 1991 and 1992 Canadian Championships ... Placed 10th all-around at the 1991 Canadian Championships and 19th in 1992 ... Competed in the 1991 Pan American Games, placing seventh in the all-around ... Named the Athlete of the Year in Guatemala from 1992-94 ... Has two moves named after her in the international code of points ... The "Portocarrero" on beam is a kickover front tuck to sit-down with no hands ... The "Portocarrero" on bars is a front giant one-and-a-half turn to overshoot.
Personal -- Hobbies include dancing and hanging out with friends ... Lists her all-time favorite gymnast as Hungarian Olympian Henrietta Onodi ... Named competing at the 1992 Olympics her greatest moment ... Favorite apparatus is beam ... Full name is Luisa Fernanda Portocarrero Diaz ... Born May 5, 1977 in Managua, Nicaragua ... Environmental studies major.
Career Highlights *First-team All-American on beam in 1996 *1996 West Regional beam champion *1997 Bruin Classic beam champion *1992 Olympian *Two-time World Championships competitorPortocarreros Best Marks: UB 9.775, 1996 BB 9.9, 1997 FX 9.725, 1996
