Richardson, Dantzscher Win NCAA Individual Titles
April 26, 2003 | Gymnastics
April 26, 2003
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Lincoln, NE - The UCLA gymnastics team concluded its NCAA Championships competition with three more national titles, as freshman Kate Richardson won the balance beam and tied with junior Jamie Dantzscher for the uneven bars crown at the Individual Event Finals Saturday night at the University of Nebraska's Bob Devaney Center.
Richardson, a freshman and 2000 Canadian Olympian, had a near flawless routine on the balance beam that displayed unique flexibility and difficult tumbling. Richardson's score of 9.938 gave UCLA its 20th individual national title and its fourth balance beam title. She added another title on the uneven bars, tying Dantzscher with a 9.9.
"Winning an individual title is icing on the cake after the team," said Richardson. "The team title was a huge accomplishment. My goal tonight was to win beam. Bars is a little bit of a surprise. It's just more icing on the cake. I wanted to redeem myself after making a mistake on bars. Sharing it with Jamie makes it more special."
Dantzscher's win gives her four individual national titles, tying Kim Hamilton's school record. Dantzscher has titles in four different specialities, making her only the third woman in NCAA history, along with Kentucky's Jenny Hansen and Utah's Missy Marlowe, to accomplish this feat.
"I was a little disappointed that I took a step on the landing because I usually stick my dismount," said Dantzscher about her bars performance. "I'm happy to share the title with my teammate."
All of Dantzscher's individual accomplishments, however, mean little compared to the team's championship. "The team title is obviously what we train for all year," she said. "The meaning of that championship, I can't put into words."
Jeanette Antolin, the No. 1 ranked vaulter in the nation, was the first competitor on the vault and earned a 9.9 on her first vault, a Yurchenko full then a 9.8625 on the second, a Yurchenko full on, pike off, for an average of 9.882, good for fifth place. Onnie Willis competed third on vault and averaged a 9.844 and placed seventh. Dantzscher averaged a 9.925 with a 9.95 on her Yurchenko layout full and a 9.9 on her Yurchenko layout half, but finished second on vault to Alabama's Ashley Miles, who earned a 9.938, with a 10.0 on her first vault.
On floor exercise, defending floor champion Dantzscher had the misfortune of competing first but made the most of it with a dynamic routine that featured a double layout opening pass and a high double tuck dismount along with difficult dance. She scored a 9.938 and was edged out four competitors later when Nebraska's Richelle Simpson earned a 9.962 to place first. The win was Simpson's second individual title of the competition. She won the all-around title on Thursday, just edging out Dantzscher. Also competing on floor for the Bruins were Richardson, who tied for fifth with a 9.887, and Willis, who scored a 9.863 to place eighth.
Juniors Yvonne Tousek, the 2001 NCAA bars champion, and Antolin tied for fourth on the uneven bars with a 9.85.
UCLA has now won three individual titles in each of the last three years and at least two individual titles in each of the last six years. The Bruins now have 22 individual titles, tying Utah for the second-most among all schools.
Richardson and Dantzscher are the fourth and fifth uneven bars champions for UCLA, and Richardson is UCLA's third balance beam champion in the last five years. Richardson is only the third Bruin to win multiple NCAA titles in one year, joining Kim Hamilton (1989 vault and floor) and Dantzscher (2001 all-around, vault and floor).
Individual Event Finals Results
Vault 1. Ashley Miles, Alabama - 9.9375; 2. Jamie Dantzscher, UCLA - 9.925; 3. Chelsa Byrd, Georgia - 9.906; 4. Richelle Simpson, Nebraska - 9.8875; 5. Jeanette Antolin, UCLA - 9.8815; 6. Annabeth Eberle, Utah -9.8565; 7. Onnie Willis, UCLA - 9.8435; 8. Jeana Rice, Alabama - 9.8375; 9. Gina Bruce, Nebraska - 9.8; 10. Brittany Smith, Georgia - 9.7125.
Bars 1T. Jamie Dantzscher, UCLA - 9.9; 1T. Kate Richardson, UCLA - 9.9; 3. Veronique Leclerc, Utah - 9.863; 4T. Yvonne Tousek, UCLA - 9.85; 4T. Jeanette Antolin, UCLA - 9.85; 4T. Alexis Maday, Iowa - 9.85; 4T. Jeana Rice, Alabama - 9.85; 8. Mari Bayer, Alabama - 9.825; 9. Richelle Simpson, Nebraska - 9.812; 10. Julie Houk, Nebraska - 9.725.
Beam 1. Kate Richardson, UCLA - 9.938 ; 2. Richelle Simpson, Nebraska - 9.925; 3. Jeana Rice, Alabama - 9.887; 4. Courtney Bumpers, North Carolina - 9.863; 5. Becca Clauson, Michigan - 9.838; 6T. Cassie Bair, Georgia - 9.8; 6T. Kristin Sterner, Alabama - 9.8; 8. A.J. Lamb, Nebraska - 9.762; 9. Lindsay Wing, Stanford - 9.338.
Floor 1. Richelle Simpson, Nebraska - 9.963; 2. Jamie Dantzscher, UCLA - 9.938; 3. Ashley Miles, Alabama - 9.925; 4. A.J. Lamb, Nebraska - 9.912; 5T. Kate Richardson, UCLA - 9.887; 5T. Calli Ryals, Michigan - 9.887; 7. Chelsa Byrd, Georgia - 9.875; 8. Onnie Willis, UCLA - 9.863; 9. Melissa Vituj, Utah - 9.825.
