University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Drops Season Opener at Utah, 195.7-195.3
January 07, 2011 | Gymnastics
Jan. 7, 2011
Salt Lake City, UT - The top-ranked UCLA Gymnastics team dropped its season opener to fifth-ranked Utah in Salt Lake City, Friday night, 195.7-195.3. UCLA trailed throughout the meet and had their comeback hopes dashed by a pair of falls on balance beam in the final rotation.
The Bruins started the meet with six solid routines on uneven bars but were unable to break 49 on the event, scoring 48.825. Veterans Brittani McCullough and Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs earned the meet's top marks on the event, with scores of 9.8. Freshman Sydney Sawa had a strong debut routine with a 9.775. Sophomore Monique De La Torre also performed well, scoring 9.75. Rounding out the scoring were Olivia Courtney (9.7) and Aisha Gerber (9.675). Utah grabbed the early lead by scoring 49.275 on vault, led by a meet-high 9.925 from Kyndal Robarts.
UCLA narrowed the gap to just .025 points (98.000-97.975) after the second rotation, scoring 49.15 on vault while the Utes recorded 48.725 on bars. De La Torre led off with a 9.8, followed by a 9.75 from Sawa, 9.85 from Hopfner-Hibbs and 9.775 from McCullough. Tauny Frattone contributed a 9.85, and Courtney closed with a team-best 9.875.
In rotation three, the Bruins had six hit floor exercise routines but a few stumbles that contributed to a team total of 48.85. UCLA was led by a pair of freshmen - Courtney with a meet-high-tying 9.85 and Sawa with a 9.775. The Bruins also received marks of 9.75 from Frattone and Lichelle Wong, 9.725 from Hopfner-Hibbs, and 9.7 from Niki Tom. Utah, meanwhile, overcame a fall from its leadoff gymnast, hitting its last five routines to post a team score of 48.875.
Down by .05 (146.875-146.825) going into the final rotation, the Bruins needed solid routines on the balance beam and got them from the top half of the lineup. Mizuki Sato started with a 9.675, followed by a 9.8 from Tom and a career-high 9.825 from Wong. But falls from two of the last three competitors prevented UCLA from catching up to the Utes. The Bruins scored 48.475 on beam, led by Gerber's meet-high 9.875, while Utah scored 48.825 on floor to clinch the win.
UCLA returns home for Sunday's Pac-10 Showcase against Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon State, Stanford and Washington. The meet will take place in Pauley Pavilion at 2 pm. Tickets are available at the UCLA Central Ticket Office and can be purchased at the Central Ticket Office (tickets.ucla.edu) or at the door.
Team Results
1. Utah - 195.7
2. UCLA - 195.3
All-Around
1. Stephanie McAllister, Utah - 39.175
2. Corrie Lothrop, Utah - 39.025
3. Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, UCLA - 38.675
Vault
1. Kyndal Robarts, Utah - 9.925
2. Olivia Courtney, UCLA - 9.875
3t. Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, UCLA; Tauny Frattone, UCLA; Nansy Damianova, Utah; Stephanie McAllister, Utah - 9.85
Uneven Bars
1t. Brittani McCullough, UCLA; Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, UCLA - 9.8
3t. Sydney Sawa, UCLA; Gael Mackie, Utah; Stephanie McAllister, Utah - 9.775
Balance Beam
1. Aisha Gerber, UCLA - 9.875
2. Kyndal Robarts, Utah - 9.85
3t. Lichelle Wong, UCLA; Cortni Beers, Utah - 9.825
Floor Exercise
1t. Olivia Courtney, UCLA; Stephanie McAllister, Utah - 9.85
3. Jacquelyn Johnson, Utah - 9.8
