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UCLA Advances to NCAA Gymnastics Championships

Gymnastics

The second-ranked UCLA Gymnastics team advanced to the NCAA Championships at Boise State University by winning the NCAA Region 1 Championship with a score of 197.025. The Bruins will be making their n

April 1, 2000

Corvallis, OR - The second-ranked UCLA Gymnastics team advanced to the NCAA Championships at Boise State University by winning the NCAA Region 1 Championship with a score of 197.025. The Bruins will be making their ninth consecutive and 17th overall NCAA Championships appearance.

UCLA was in control of the meet from the get-go. After starting the meet on a bye, the Bruins began competition on the floor exercise and scored a 49.55, the third-highest floor total in school history. Malia Jones began the set with a 9.85, followed by a career-high 9.9 from Kristin Parker, a 9.925 from Mohini Bhardwaj, a 9.825 from Onnie Willis, a 9.925 from Lena Degteva and a career-high tying 9.95 from Heidi Moneymaker.

The Bruins continued to cruise in their next rotation, recording a 49.5 on vault (third-highest in school history). Jones led off with a career-high tying 9.85, followed by a 9.875 from Parker, 9.975 from Degteva, 9.875 from Bhardwaj, 9.9 from Willis and 9.875 from Moneymaker.

Bars was more of the same, with UCLA scoring a team total of 49.4. Degteva and Bhardwaj tied for meet honors on that event with a pair of 9.925s. By the time the Bruins reached their last event, beam, they had a large lead of over a point over Oregon State and Stanford. And UCLA needed that large lead when three competitors fell on beam. Bruins Parker (9.875), Moneymaker (9.875) and Bhardwaj (9.925) righted the ship and gave UCLA its final team total of 197.025, well ahead of second-place Oregon State's 196.175. The total was UCLA's fourth 197+ score of the season.

UCLA gymnasts took the top three spots in the all-around. Bhardwaj won the all-around for the third consecutive meet, scoring a 39.65. Moneymaker placed second with a 39.575, followed by Degteva and Stanford's Jen Exaltacion with 39.3s. Parker was eighth with a 39.025. Bhardwaj tied for first on bars with Degteva and on beam with Stanford's Katy Herbert. Degteva also won vault, and Moneymaker placed first on floor.

UCLA and Oregon State advance to the Championships Apr. 13-15 along with Utah, West Virginia, Nebraska, LSU, Alabama, Iowa State, Michigan, Penn State, Georgia and BYU.