University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Gymnasts Win Quad Meet at Washington
February 27, 2000 | Gymnastics
Feb. 27, 2000
Seattle, Wash. - The fourth-ranked UCLA gymnastics team survived a last-rotation surge from the host Washington Huskies and came away with a close victory in a quadrangular meet in Seattle, Wash. The Bruins scored a 196.45 to edge second-place Washington's 196.175. Sacramento State was third with a 191.125, followed by Alaska-Anchorage with a 182.475.
UCLA led throughout the meet, scoring 49+ on bars, beam and floor and held a 0.775 lead over Washington heading into the final rotation. The Huskies gave it all they had in their last event, scoring a 49.425 on floor, but not even a perfect 10 from final competitor Tiffany Simpson could overtake the Bruins, who clinched the meet when Onnie Willis scored a 9.925 on UCLA's last vault.
The Bruin underclassmen provided most of the scoring for UCLA, as all-around regulars Heidi Moneymaker, Lena Degteva and Mohini Bhardwaj were rested. Willis, a freshman from Tacoma, Wash., made her homecoming a successful one, scoring a 39.5 in the all-around to place second behind Simpson (39.65). Willis won the vault for the second consecutive meet, scoring a 9.925. She also tied for second on bars (9.85), tied for third on floor (9.925) and tied for seventh on beam (career-high 9.8). Fellow freshman Doni Thompson (Olympia, Wash.) also returned to her home state and tied for second on bars (9.85), tied her career-high on beam with a 9.8 and scored a 9.725 on floor. Classmate Malia Jones tied for fourth in the all-around with a 39.325 score, which included a career-high tying 9.825 on vault.
Sophomore Valerie Velasco competed all-around for the first time this season and scored a 38.3, placing sixth. She made her season debut on vault, tied her season-high on bars (9.7) and scored a season-best 9.65 on floor. Classmate and team co-captain Stephanie Johnson also made her season debut on vault, scoring a 9.575.
Seniors Degteva and Moneymaker were impressive on the events in which they competed. Degteva placed second on vault (9.875) and bars (9.85) and third on floor (9.925). Moneymaker scored a 9.9 on floor and tied for second on beam with a 9.875.
UCLA's final regular season meet will take place on Sunday, Mar. 5 at the John Wooden Center at 2 pm. The Bruin Classic will pit the Bruins against second-ranked Michigan, UC Santa Barbara and Illinois-Chicago.
TEAM RESULTS 1. UCLA 196.45 2. Washington 196.175 3. Sacramento St. 191.125 4. Alaska-Anchorage 182.475ALL-AROUND RESULTS 1. Tiffany Simpson, UW 39.65 2. Onnie Willis, UCLA 39.5 3. Lanna Apisukh, UW 39.35
INDIVIDUAL EVENT WINNERS VAULT: 1. Onnie Willis, UCLA 9.925 2. Lena Degteva, UCLA 9.875 3. Lanna Apisukh, UW 9.85
BARS: 1. Tiffany Simpson, UW 9.9 2T. Lena Degteva, UCLA 9.85 2T. Doni Thompson, UCLA 9.85 2T. Onnie Willis, UCLA 9.85
BEAM: 1. Tiffany Simpson, UW 9.95 2T. Lanna Apisukh, UW 9.875 2T. Heidi Moneymaker, UCLA 9.875
FLOOR: 1. Tiffany Simpson, UW 10.0 2. Lauren Riesenman, UW 9.95 3T. Lanna Apisukh, UW 9.925 3T. Lena Degteva, UCLA 9.925 3T. Onnie Willis, UCLA 9.925
