Jan. 20, 2011
Pre-meet interview with Valorie Kondos Field
Complete Release in PDF Format 
UCLA At Stanford - The eighth-ranked UCLA gymnastics team (5-3) faces off with second-ranked Stanford (6-0) for the second time in three weeks. The two teams met on Jan. 9 in Pauley Pavilion, with Stanford winning the matchup, and will meet again in Stanford on Sunday, Jan. 23 at 2 pm in Burnham Pavilion.
In The Rankings - After the second week of competition, UCLA now stands at No. 8 in the national rankings with a season average of 195.217. The Bruins rank sixth on vault (49.133), 15th on bars (48.775), 11th on beam (48.625) and 23rd on floor (48.683). Individually, the Bruins have three gymnasts ranked in the Top 25 in the all-around - Olivia Courtney (7th, 39.3), Brittani McCullough (17th, 39.15) and Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs (21st, 39.113). Courtney is tied for first in the nation on beam (9.875). Aisha Gerber ranks 20th on beam (9.833). Sydney Sawa ranks 20th on bars (9.838) and 21st on beam (9.825). Monique De La Torre is tied with Sawa for 20th on bars (9.838).
Last Week: UCLA At Southern Utah - With an experimental lineup that had 11 routines being competed for the first time this season, UCLA faltered on two events and suffered a 194.75-194.425 loss at 23rd-ranked Southern Utah on Friday. Freshman Olivia Courtney made a big statement in her first collegiate all-around turn, winning with a score of 39.3. Courtney also won the vault with a career-high 9.9 and the beam with a 9.875 on her first collegiate routine ever on the event. Also making a stunning season debut was senior Talia Kushynski, who scored a team-best 9.8 on floor in her first competitive routine of the year. Freshman Sydney Sawa made a case for inclusion in the beam lineup with a 9.825 on her first beam routine of the year. The Bruins scored a season-high 49.1 on beam in the final rotation.
Injury Update - Senior Mizuki Sato suffered a season-ending knee injury on her beam dismount at Southern Utah on Friday. She joins junior Vanessa Zamarripa (torn Achilles tendon) and Alyssa Pritchett (foot surgery) on the injured list. Also out for the beginning of the season is freshman Samantha Peszek, who fractured her fifth metatarsal in early January. Monique De La Torre was pulled from Friday's lineup after tweaking her ankle in warmups but is expected to compete on uneven bars this weekend.
About Stanford - Stanford has just one meet under its belt so far this season, having won the Pac-10 Showcase on Jan. 9. The Cardinal hit all of its routines competed and scored 196.625, outscoring second-place UCLA by .700. Senior Allyse Ishino ranks fourth in the nation in the all-around and second on bars and floor. Sophomore Ashley Morgan ranks No. 1 on floor, and senior Shelley Alexander is tied for eighth in the all-around.
Gerber Takes Lead On Beam - Junior Aisha Gerber took over the all-important leadoff position on beam at Southern Utah, leading the way towards a season-high 49.1 team score. Gerber had been fifth in the lineup in the previous two meets and scored 9.875 and 9.85. Her stability on the event to start the rotation immediately paid of dividends, as her 9.775 leadoff score paved the way for her teammates to score big. Niki Tom followed with a season-high 9.825, and Lichelle Wong scored 9.8. Freshmen Olivia Courtney and Sydney Sawa made their season debuts on beam and earned 9.9 and 9.825, respectively.
Oh Canada - UCLA's Canadian trio of Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, Aisha Gerber and Sydney Sawa have been amongst the team's standouts so far this season. Hopfner-Hibbs won the all-around at the Pac-10 Showcase with a nation-high score of 39.55 and also placed first on beam (9.95) and floor (career-high tying 9.95). She also tied for first on bars at Utah with a 9.8. Gerber won beam at Utah with a 9.875 and was third at the Pac-10 Showcase with a 9.85. She also won bars at Southern Utah with a season-high 9.875. Sawa has been extremely consistent in all three, averaging 9.75 or better on all four events this year. She has highs of 9.85 on vault, 9.9 on bars, 9.825 on beam and 9.8 on floor.
Consistent Bruins - UCLA ended its 2010 season with amazing consistency, hitting 95 of 96 postseason routines without a fall. Three returning Bruins missed just one routine all of last year (all on beam) - Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs and Brittani McCullough, who each went 40-for-41, and Aisha Gerber, who hit 30-for-31. Vanessa Zamarripa, who is redshirting this season, hit 52-for-53, and graduated senior Anna Li was a perfect 47-for-47. McCullough is six-for-six on the year and has hit 76 of her last 77 routines, including 29 in a row. Gerber had a hit streak of 30 snapped over the weekend but has hit 37 of her last 39 routines. Hopfner-Hibbs has hit 63 of her last 65 routines.
Looking Ahead - UCLA continues Pac-10 play on Friday, Jan. 28 in the second of four scheduled competitions against Oregon State in 2011. The Bruins had the advantage in the first matchup, placing second ahead of the Beavers at the Pac-10 Showcase on Jan. 9.