Jan. 6, 2001
Maui, HI -
The top-ranked UCLA women's gymnastics team opened the 2001 season by scoring a 196.2 to win the Maui Invitational late Friday night. The score is the highest ever for a Bruin team in a season opener. Sixth-ranked Nebraska placed second with a 194.95, followed by 11th-ranked Arizona State with a 191.525. UCLA's "B" team, competing unofficially, was fourth with a 188.7.
Freshman Jamie Dantzscher (San Dimas, CA), a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team, made a stunning collegiate debut, scoring two perfect 10s on her only two events of the evening, uneven bars and floor exercise. Dantzscher becomes the first UCLA gymnast ever to record two perfect 10s in the same meet.
Senior Mohini Bhardwaj (Cincinnati, OH) also scored her first career perfect 10 on the floor exercise. Bhardwaj placed second in the all-around with a mark of 39.4. Sophomore Malia Jones (Sparks, NV) was third with a 39.225.
Others in UCLA's heralded freshman class also had outstanding performances. U.S. Olympian Kristen Maloney (Pen Argyl, PA) won the balance beam with a 9.95 and tied for third on vault with a 9.8. Yvonne Tousek (Cambridge, ON), a two-time Canadian Olympian, scored a 9.975 on the uneven bars to place second and recorded a 9.925 on floor to place fourth.
UCLA led Nebraska by less than two-tenths of a point heading into the final rotation then pulled away with a school-record 49.75 on bars. All six Bruins scored a 9.9 or higher - Jones and Doni Thompson with 9.9s, Kristin Parker with a 9.925, Bhardwaj with a 9.95, Tousek with a 9.975 and Dantzscher with a 10.0.
The Bruins return to Southern California for a Sunday, Jan. 14 competition at Cal State Fullerton at 2:00 pm.
Team: 1. UCLA - 196.2, 2. Nebraska - 194.95, 3. Arizona State - 191.525, 4. UCLA B - 188.7
All-Around: 1. Alecia Ingram, Neb. - 39.425, 2. Mohini Bhardwaj, UCLA - 39.4, 3. Malia Jones, UCLA - 39.225. Also: 6. Kristin Parker, UCLA - 38.775, 7. Yvonne Tousek, UCLA - 38.5, 8. Doni Thompson, UCLA - 38.425
Vault: 1. Ingram, Neb. - 9.9, 2. Bhardwaj, UCLA - 9.85, 3t. Kristen Maloney, UCLA - 9.8, 3t. Gina Bruce, Neb. - 9.8, Also: 7t. Jones, UCLA - 9.7, 7t. Tousek, UCLA - 9.7, 15t. Parker, UCLA 9.1, 17. Thompson, UCLA - 9.075
Bars: 1. Jamie Dantzscher, UCLA - 10.0, 2. Tousek, UCLA - 9.975, 3t. Bhardwaj, UCLA - 9.95, 3t. Laura Moon, ASU - 9.95. Also: 5. Parker, UCLA - 9.925, 6t. Jones, UCLA - 9.9, 6t. Thompson, UCLA - 9.9
Beam: 1. Maloney, UCLA - 9.95, 2. Amy Ringo, Neb. - 9.925, 3. Ingram, Neb. - 9.875. Also: 4t. Jones, UCLA - 9.775, 7. Parker, UCLA - 9.75, 8t. Bhardwaj, UCLA - 9.6, 8t. Thompson, UCLA - 9.6
Floor: 1t. Bhardwaj, UCLA - 10.0, 1t. Dantzscher, UCLA - 10.0, 3. Ringo, Neb. - 9.95. Also: 4t. Tousek, UCLA - 9.925, 8t. Jones, UCLA - 9.85, 8t. Parker, UCLA - 9.85, 8t. Thompson, UCLA - 9.85