A Look At The Field
March 27, 2001 | Gymnastics
UCLA Bruins
Defending national champion UCLA has been the nation's No. 1 team all season and has rewritten the school record books several times this year. The Bruins, under three-time national coach of the year Valorie Kondos Field, have broken school records for team score (198.25), bars (49.75), beam (49.7) and floor (49.85). Senior Mohini Bhardwaj leads the nation in the all-around with an RQS of 39.58 and recorded the second-highest all-around total in NCAA history Mar. 18 with a 39.975. Sophomore Onnie Willis also ranks in the Top 10 in the all-around. Bhardwaj and freshman Jamie Dantzscher both lead the nation on bars with an RQS of 9.97. Dantzscher, one of four 2000 Olympians on the Bruins squad, ranks just ahead of Bhardwaj on floor with an RQS of 9.995. UCLA gymnasts have scored 20 perfect 10s this year.
BYU Cougars
Under the direction of head coach Brad Cattermole, the 11th-ranked BYU Cougars have set several school records in 2001. In the Cougars' regular season finale at Utah, they scored a 197.35 to break the record set the week before (197.325). They also recorded a school record on vault with a 49.175. Former U.S. National Team member Kelly Parkinson has been among the nation's best all-arounders, ranking fifth with an RQS of 39.505. She twice set the school record in the all-around with scores of 39.625. Senior Kim Little also broke the school record on floor this year with a 9.975. BYU qualified for the NCAA Championships a year ago, placing 11th.
Oregon State Beavers
Former UCLA All-American Tanya (Service) Chaplin heads the talented Beaver squad, which is currently ranked 13th in the nation. Under Chaplin's direction this year, Oregon State set a school record 197.625 in its regular season finale. Senior All-American Katrina Severin has been one of the nation's best tumblers, ranking fourth on vault and 12th on floor. She scored a perfect 10 on vault Feb. 16 against UCLA. Stephanie Bychowski also has two Top 15 rankings, checking in at No. 8 on bars and No. 12 on beam. Senior Lara Degenhardt is ranked 20th on floor. Oregon State also qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2000, placing 10th.
California Golden Bears
The Golden Bears have had a successful 2001 campaign under head coach Trina Tinti, another former UCLA All-American and last year's West Regional Coach of the Year. Cal, which has 15 victories this year, set a new school record of 196.075 Feb. 18 against Stanford and also set school records on vault (49.025), beam (49.15) and floor (49.3). Senior Pari Olver has been Cal's top all-around performer, recording a career-best of 39.3. Cal returns to regional competition after a two-year absence.
Boise State Broncos
Boise State is making its 15th consecutive regional appearance and enters the meet with a 10-8 regular season record. The Broncos, led by head coach Sam Sandmire, broke a school record in 2001 with a team score of 197.05, set Mar. 2. Junior Jamie Johns won the Big West bars championship with a score of 9.95, and senior Jessica Berry won the beam with a 9.875 and the floor with a 9.925. Johns recorded the second-highest all-around total in school history (39.525) Mar. 10. Sophomore Breanne Holmes is close behind on the all-time list with a 39.5, set Mar. 2.
Cal State Fullerton Titans
Cal State Fullerton will be making its third and most important trip to Pauley Pavilion this year. The Titans placed second at the Big West Championships Mar. 24, where sophomore Kelly Mathiasen won the all-around with a career-best 39.425 and was chosen the Big West Gymnast of the Year. Joanna Hughes, a 1996 Australian Olympian, won the Big West vault title with a school-record 9.95 and tied for first on the balance beam. She is also ranked 22nd nationally on the uneven bars. Fullerton, which is coached by Julie Knight, is making its first regional appearance since 1997.
Individual All-Arounders
Dani Albright, San Jose State - Albright, a sophomore from Morgan Hill, CA, won a share of the all-around title at the Western Independent Championships with a 39.175. She also won the vault title with a 9.775. Earlier this season, Albright set a new school record with a 39.375 and has five of the top six all-around scores in school history. Albright is the defending NIT vault champion.
Shirla Choy, San Jose State - Choy, a freshman from University Place, WA, finished third in the all-around at the Western Independent Championships with a 39.15. She owns a career-best mark of 39.175 and has five of the school's Top 10 all-around scores. Choy also owns the school record on the uneven bars with a 9.9.
Kimmy Cianci, San Jose State - Cianci, a junior from Greenville, PA, set a career-high all-around mark with a 39.1, a mark that ranks 10th on San Jose State's all-time list. At the Western Independent Championships Mar. 24, Cianci broke the school record on floor, earning a 9.925 to tie for third place. Last year, she was voted San Jose State's Most Outstanding Gymnast.
Flora Bare, UC Davis - Bare, a sophomore from Santa Cruz, CA, won a share of the Western Independent floor title with a school record 9.95, helping her team to a school record 49.425 team total on the floor. At the Western Independents, she recorded a season-best all-around total of 38.975. Bare is a two-time USAG All-American.
Ericka Ruelas, UC Davis - Ruelas, a junior from Sacramento, CA, holds a season-best all-around mark of 38.95, set Mar. 2 at Seattle Pacific. Last season, she became the first Aggie ever to break the 39 barrier. After winning the bars and floor titles and finishing second in the all-around at the USAG Championships in 2000, Ruelas was selected UC Davis' Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year for all sports.
Individual Event Specialists
Vault: Alison Siegel, Seattle Pacific - Siegel, a junior from Oakland, CA, owns a career-best mark of 9.85, set earlier this year, and is tops in the Division II rankings with an RQS of 9.78. She tied for first at the Western Independent Championships on the vault with a 9.775.
Bars: Toni Peterson, Sacramento State - Peterson, a sophomore from Fresno, CA, holds a team-leading RQS of 9.825 on the uneven bars. She tied her career high of 9.85 at the Western Independents Mar. 24.
Beam: Cassie Althauser, Seattle Pacific - Althauser, a senior from Centralia, WA, is ranked second nationally in Division II with an RQS of 9.78 and has a high score of 9.875.
Floor: Jami Scoville, Sacramento State - Scoville, a senior from Kaysville, UT, finished the season with an RQS of 9.860 on the floor exercise. She recorded a career-high 9.9 on two occasions this season, most recently at the Western Independents.
