Gymnastics Hosts Trio Of California Schools Sunday Afternoon
January 19, 2005 | Gymnastics
Jan. 19, 2005
Bruins Host Quadrangular Meet Sunday - The UCLA gymnastics team (2-1) returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 23 with a quadrangular meet against California, Cal State Fullerton and Sacramento State. The meet will take place in legendary Pauley Pavilion at 2 pm.
Olympic Medalists To Perform Prior To Meet - Olympic rhythmic gymnastics medalists Alina Kabaeva and Irina Tchachina will perform prior to Sunday's meet. Kabaeva is the 2004 Olympic gold medalist in the all-around and a six-time World Champion. Tchachina won the silver medal in the all-around at the 2004 Games. They are in town for the 2005 LA Lights competition in Culver City on Jan. 21-23.
Follow The Action Live - Live streaming video and live scoring will be available on the UCLA webpage, www.uclabruins.com. To access the video, you must have a high-speed connection and subscribe to the College Sports Pass, which costs $6.95 per month on $49.95 for the year. All of UCLA's home meets this season will have live streaming video.
Join The "Cub Club" - At each home meet, there will be a different collectible Bruin Cub in the Cub Club series for sale. The second Cub Club bear will be available for purchase for $7.50 at Sunday's meet. The first Cub in the series will also be available, while supplies last. Everyone who purchases a Cub will receive an email update from a different Bruin gymnast each week.
Tasha Schwikert Named Pac-10 Gymnast Of The Week - Freshman Tasha Schwikert was named the first Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week for the 2005 season. Schwikert scored UCLA's first perfect 10 of the season on the uneven bars and also tied for first on the balance beam with a career-high 9.975 against Nebraska. Against Oregon State, she won the all-around (39.05) and floor exercise (career-high 9.9).
Bruins Top 197 In Home Opener Against Nebraska - For the second time in three meets, UCLA topped the 197 mark, scoring 197.05 to easily defeat Nebraska (192.65) in the Bruins' home opener Jan. 17. Kate Richardson led a UCLA 1-2-3 sweep in the all-around with a 39.525. Jordan Schwikert was second with a career-high 39.475, and Kristen Maloney placed third with a 39.4. Tasha Schwikert scored UCLA's first perfect 10 of the season, receiving her mark on the uneven bars and helping UCLA achieve a national season-best score of 49.725, the third-highest bars score in UCLA history. Richardson (9.975), Jordan Schwikert (9.925) and Lindsey Vanden Eykel (9.925) also set or tied career-highs. Tasha Schwikert and Maloney won the balance beam with scores of 9.975.
UCLA Defeats Oregon State Jan. 14 - The Bruins won their first meet of the season on Friday evening, defeating Oregon State 194.5-192.875. Freshman Tasha Schwikert led a UCLA 1-2-3 sweep in the all-around. Schwikert scored a 39.05, followed by Jordan Schwikert's 39.025 and Ashley Peckett's career-high 38.575. The Bruins won every event, with Kristen Maloney winning the vault with a 9.875 and the beam with a 9.9. Lindsey Vanden Eykel won uneven bars with a 9.8, and Tasha Schwikert won floor with a 9.9. Sophomore Courtney Walker set career-highs on bars (9.625) and floor (9.675).
Bruins Score 197.3 In Season Opener - UCLA opened the 2005 season by scoring a 197.3 at Utah. It was the second-highest season-opening score in UCLA history but not enough to catch Utah, which scored 197.675. The Bruin freshmen turned in veteran-like performances, with Tasha Schwikert earning UCLA's highest all-around score with a 39.575. Jordan Schwikert was spectacular as well, scoring 39.4 with a 9.9 on beam. Lindsey Vanden Eykel tied for second on bars with a near-flawless routine that scored 9.925. The Bruin veterans gave outstanding performances as well, with senior Kristen Maloney scoring a 39.525 in the all-around and tying for first on vault with a 9.95. Junior Kate Richardson scored 39.475 in the all-around and tied for first with Tasha Schwikert on beam with a 9.95. Senior Christie Tedmon earned a career-high on vault with a 9.85.
In The Rankings - UCLA is ranked No. 2 in the national rankings this week, which are based on highest score. The Bruins' 197.3 is higher than all teams except Utah, which scored 197.675 to beat the Bruins last week. UCLA ranks No. 1 on vault (49.5), bars (tied with Utah with a 49.35) and beam (49.375) and 14th on floor (49.075). Individually, the Bruins have four ranked in the Top 10 in the all-around - No. 4 Tasha Schwikert (39.575), No. 6 Kristen Maloney (39.525), No. 7 Kate Richardson (39.475) and No. 10 Jordan Schwikert (39.4). Four Bruin vaulters are ranked in the Top 20 for that event - No. 2 Maloney (9.95), No. 4 Richardson (9.925), No. 8 T. Schwikert (9.9) and No. 20 J. Schwikert (9.875). Three Bruins are ranked in the Top 10 on bars - No. 3 Lindsey Vanden Eykel and T. Schwikert (9.925) and No. 10 Maloney (9.875). On beam, four UCLA gymnasts occupy the Top 6 spots, led by No. 1 Richardson and T. Schwikert (9.95), No. 6 J. Schwikert and Maloney (9.9).
About The Bruins - UCLA is coached by four-time national coach of the year Valorie Kondos Field. The Bruins return two All-Americans from last year's championship squad, both Olympians - 2000 U.S. Olympian and five-time All-American Kristen Maloney and two-time Canadian Olympian and eight-time All-American Kate Richardson. Adding to UCLA's Olympian pool is freshman Tasha Schwikert, Maloney's 2000 teammate and an alternate at the 2004 Games. Other notable returners for UCLA are Ashley Peckett, Lori Winn and Christie Tedmon, all key contributors to the Bruins' championship run last season. Sophomores Michelle Selesky and Courtney Walker should also see significant action in 2005. Joining Schwikert in the freshman class is her younger sister Jordan, a former two-time U.S. National Team member, and Lindsey Vanden Eykel, a former two-time U.S. National uneven bars champion.
A Look At The Opponents - California is coming off a tri-meet victory over UC Davis and Brown in the team's season opener. The Golden Bears scored 191.85 and were led by senior My-Lan Dodd, who won the all-around with a 38.775 and beam with a 9.8. Senior Miho Maeda scored a career-high 9.9 to place first on uneven bars and earned a 9.7 on floor to tie for first. Cal State Fullerton and Sacramento State each scored their best marks of the short season at their season opener in Fullerton. The Titans placed third in the quad meet with a 193.225, while Sacramento State was fourth with a 192.275. Fullerton's Erica Ficarrotta scored a 39.0 to place second in the all-around, and Sacramento State's Alexis Tsurumoto won the uneven bars with a 9.85.
Richardson Returns After Olympic Success - Junior Kate Richardson made history this summer when she became the first UCLA female gymnast to compete in the Olympics as a collegiate athlete. Richardson earned a spot on the Canadian Olympic team for the second-straight Games and qualified for the all-around finals after a 14th-place preliminary finish. She also became the first Canadian woman ever to qualify for event finals on floor exercise at the Olympic Games and only the second Canadian woman to make any event final at the Olympics. She finished seventh on floor.
Sister Act - Freshmen Tasha and Jordan Schwikert are the first pair of sisters to compete concurrently for UCLA's gymnastics team. Tasha, 20, deferred enrollment in college to train towards an Olympic berth. Jordan, 18, just graduated in the spring from Centennial HS in Las Vegas, NV. The two sisters trained together at Gym Cats and were both U.S. National Team members. Tasha was a member of the 2000 Olympic squad and captain of the 2003 World Championship gold medal-winning team. She has won six U.S. National titles in her career and was an alternate for the 2004 Olympic Games. Jordan was a rising star who made the National Team from 2001-02, but a back injury kept her out of gymnastics in 2003, and she returned in 2004 as a Level 10 champion. Both Schwikerts have competed in the all-around in all three meets, with Tasha earning a season-best of 39.575 at Utah, and Jordan scoring 39.475 vs. Nebraska.
