March 5, 2000
The second-ranked UCLA gymnastics team scored a meet and arena record 197.575 to claim its fourth consecutive Bruin Classic team title Sunday at UCLA's John Wooden Center. Third-ranked Michigan placed second with a 196.975, followed by Illinois-Chicago (192.5) and UC Santa Barbara (188.95).
In UCLA's last home meet of the season, Bruin seniors Lena Degteva and Heidi Moneymaker went out with a bang, scoring perfect 10s on vault in the first rotation and identical scores of 39.7 in the all-around. For Degteva, the 39.7 all-around mark was a new career-high, and the 10.0 was the first of her career. Moneymaker, who nearly scored two 10s in the meet but instead settled for a 9.975 on bars, recorded her second 10 on vault this year, becoming the first UCLA gymnast ever to score two perfect 10s on the same apparatus.
Bruin junior Mohini Bhardwaj won the all-around with a career-high tying and Bruin Classic record 39.725. Bhardwaj also placed first on bars (career-high tying 9.975, tied with Moneymaker) and beam (career-high tying 9.925), tied for second on floor (9.925) and fifth on vault (season-high 9.925). Degteva successfully defended her Bruin Classic floor title, scoring a meet-record and career-high tying 9.95.
UCLA started the meet with a school-record 49.65 on vault. Lindsey Dong started the set with a 9.625, followed by Malia Jones' career-high 9.85, Kristin Parker's 9.875, Bhardwaj's season-best 9.925 and then Degteva and Moneymaker's consecutive 10s. Meanwhile, Michigan kept pace by scoring 49.325 on bars, led by freshman Tara Tagliarino's third-place mark of 9.925.
The Bruins then moved on to bars, where they scored 49.575, the second-highest bars score in school history. UCLA scored no lower than 9.775 and closed the set with a pair of 9.975s from Moneymaker and Bhardwaj. Michigan ran into a few problems on beam and scored 48.75 to fall 1.15 points behind the Bruins.
UCLA survived beam with a 48.85, while Michigan recorded a 49.3 on floor, and the Bruins held a seven-tenths of a point lead heading into the final rotation. Although the Wolverines scored a season-high 49.6 on vault, they could not overtake the Bruins, who scored 49.5 on floor for an overall score of 197.575 (third-highest in school history).
Michigan's Sarah Cain joined in on the 10.0-fest in the final rotation, recording her second 10 this weekend on vault. The perfect mark was her 11th overall in her career and her sixth on vault. Cain finished the meet in fourth place in the all-around with a 39.65.
TEAM RESULTS 1. UCLA 197.575^ 2. Michigan 196.975 3. Illinois-Chicago 192.500 4. UC Santa Barbara 188.950ALL-AROUND RESULTS 1. Mohini Bhardwaj, UCLA 39.725* 2T. Lena Degteva, UCLA 39.7* 2T. Heidi Moneymaker, UCLA 39.7
INDIVIDUAL EVENT WINNERS VAULT: 1T. Lena Degteva, UCLA 10.0*^ 1T. Heidi Moneymaker, UCLA 10.0*^ 1T. Sarah Cain, Michigan 10.0*^
BARS: 1T. Heidi Moneymaker, UCLA 9.975*^ 1T. Mohini Bhardwaj, UCLA 9.975*^ 3. Tara Tagliarino, Michigan 9.925
BEAM: 1. Mohini Bhardwaj, UCLA 9.9^ 2T. Lena Degteva, UCLA 9.875 2T. Sarah Cain, Michigan 9.875
FLOOR: 1. Lena Degteva, UCLA 9.95*^ 2T. Heidi Moneymaker, UCLA 9.925 2T. Mohini Bhardwaj, UCLA 9.925 2T. Sarah Cain, Michigan 9.925
*career-high ^Bruin Classic record