By TIM KORTE
AP Sports Writer

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - UCLA coach Valorie Kondos said earlier this week the Bruins had the talent to dominate the NCAA women's gymnastics meet. All they needed was to hit their routines.

She wasn't boasting. Her prediction was right on the mark.

The Bruins scored 197.3 points Friday night, turning in strong team efforts on the floor, the vault and the beam to win their second national title in four seasons.

Utah surged late in the meet on the vault to place second at 196.875, almost half a point behind the Bruins. Georgia was third at 196.8, followed by Nebraska (196.725) and Alabama (196.5).

Michigan, which came into the meet expecting to challenge UCLA for the title, had two early beam falls and never recovered, placing sixth at 195.725.

The Bruins never fell at any station and locked up the title before they started their final event, the beam. Lena Degteva got a 9.850 and Mohini Bhardwaj followed with a 9.875 on the beam to complete the victory.

UCLA started on the floor, its most consistent event all season, and set the tone right away. Malia Jones and Kristin Parker opened with 9.85s and Bhardwaj and Heidi Moneymaker each added 9.9s.

The Bruins then moved to the vault, where Parker, Degteva, Bhardwaj and Moneymaker all delivered 9.9s. UCLA was steady on the bars, with Bhardwaj leading the way with a 9.95, Degteva scoring a 9.9 and Moneymaker adding a 9.875.

While Degteva and Moneymaker, both seniors, and Bhardwaj, a junior, led the way, Kondos credited freshmen Jones, Parker, Doni Thompson and Onnie Willis for the second straight night.

"Everybody performed like I expected, and the freshmen carried us for the second night in a row," Kondos said. "That's a lot to ask for kids that young."

A strong UCLA roster included four gymnasts - Bhardwaj, Thompson, Amy Young and Willis - with ties to the U.S. national team. Degteva was a Canadian team alternate at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Utah capped an injury-plagued season, surging to second place with its final event, the vault. Ashley Kever started with a 9.7, but it turned out that mark would be the one the Utes dropped.

Kim Allan and Theresa Wolf hit 9.9s, Angelika Schatton scored a 9.85, Denise Jones added another 9.9 and Deidra Graham finished with a 9.85. It made up for several earlier injuries, including one that ended the season for defending NCAA all-around champion Theresa Kulikowski.

"That's the best vaulting set we've had all year," Utah coach Greg Marsden said. "We knew we could do the other events well, but in the vault we really sucked it up and had the meet of our life."

Georgia's Kristi Lichey had a meet highlight, hitting a 10 on the vault that attracted applause from fans on every side of the Boise State Pavilion.

NCAA Women's Results
Final team results Friday from the NCAA women's gymnastics championships at the Boise State Pavilion. 1. UCLA 197.3 points (vault 49.45, bars 49.35, beam 49.125, floor 49.375).
2. Utah 196.875 (vault 49.4, bars 49, beam 49.125, floor 49.35).
3. Georgia 196.8 (vault 49.475, bars 49.025, beam 48.8, floor 49.5).
4. Nebraska 196.725 (vault 49.15, bars 49.25, beam 48.975, floor 49.35).
5. Alabama 196.5 (vault 49.275, bars 49.15, beam 48.925, floor 49.15).
6. Michigan 195.725(vault 49.375, bars 48.975, beam 48.1, floor 49.275).