Post-Meet Quotes
April 24, 2003 | Gymnastics
April 24, 2003
UCLA Head Coach Valorie Kondos Field
"I think we're right on track. I'm pleased with how we did. We definitely were not on fire by any means, but we just came out and did some good, solid routines. In hindsight, it's a good thing we had to count a fall on the balance beam in the last rotation because as a coach, you want them to be hungry going into (Friday) night for the team finals. I'm really proud of the way the team was able to compete the same all year long. We've had very little highs and lows, they've been very focused for every meet we've been in. We're right in the place we want to be."
(On the fall on balance beam by the first competitor)
"Going into the meet, everyone is joking that this is
a cake walk. No coach in their right mind would ever
really think that this competition is a cake walk. Two
of the hardest meets are regionals and this meet. In
the back of my mind, I'm always thinking, every once
in a while in the course of a few seasons, you have a
meet where things just don't go your way. When the
first person falls, then there's a chance that someone
else might. There's also a much greater chance if the
fall happens later on in the rotation. I try to stay
focused. It's just gymnastics. We take things one
minute at a time, one athlete at a time and one skill
at a time."
(On Friday's lineup for UCLA)
"We're keeping the same lineup. One of the highlights
of the meet for all of them was Doni Thompson coming
in for the second time this year on uneven bars. The
first time she competed was at our Pac-10 Conference
meet, and she fell. Her body is so broken down. For
her to be on that event and competing was great. She's
had a rough go this season, so it was thrilling to
watch her. That was our question mark on bars. She's
one of the most beautiful bar workers I've ever seen."
UCLA Junior Jamie Dantzscher
"Usually it's pretty difficult to start off with a bye
and then floor, but we kept our energy up in the
locker room and then went out there and just hit
floor, which was a good start, and we kept it all the
way through the meet. It's also difficult to end on
beam. I was really nervous, but I held on. Before I
competed, I think about my little sisters (Janelle and
Jalynne) because they don't get as nervous as I do
when they compete in gymnastics. They calm me."
(On competing at Nebraska)
"I think the facilities are great. They are holding a
great competition, a great host. Everyone's friendly,
the crowd is nice. The Nebraska fans cheered for us,
and we are looking forward to having a bigger crowd on
Friday."
(About her individual standing going onto beam
immediately after a fall)
"I wasn't thinking about my individual standing, but
right then I thought to myself that going into
(Friday), we needed to hit. When she fell, I really
tried to block it out and tried to remove myself from
that. I thought to myself, I don't practice beam every
day to go out there and mess up."
(On the pressure to come on Friday)
"I think (Friday) is a little more pressure. I don't
think we had any doubt that we would be here tomorrow.
I think it is a good thing we didn't peak today so
that we can peak tomorrow."
