University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Wins John Wooden Challenge With 196.65
February 27, 2011 | Gymnastics
Feb. 27, 2011
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Los Angeles, Calif. - Ninth-ranked UCLA put together another solid team performance, winning its annual John Wooden Challenge on Sunday afternoon in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins scored 196.65 to easily defeat 21st-ranked Minnesota, which placed second with 194.475, and 12th-ranked Denver, which placed third with 193.85. Bruin junior Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs won the all-around and three events to lead UCLA.
To start the meet, UCLA had a solid vault rotation, with six well-landed vaults, totaling 49.1. Hopfner-Hibbs and Tauny Frattone led the charge with first-place scores of 9.875. The score was a season-high for Hopfner-Hibbs, and the victory was Frattone's fifth in a row on vault. Olivia Courtney contributed a 9.85, and Sydney Sawa and Brittani McCullough added 9.75s. The Bruins' 49.1 total, however, was just shy of Minnesota's 49.125 on bars.
The Golden Gophers' lead was short-lived, however, after the Bruins blasted into first place in the second rotation with a season-high 49.325 on uneven bars. McCullough led off on with a 9.8, followed by a 9.875 from Sawa and a 9.85 from Aisha Gerber. Monique De La Torre ended her powerful routine with a stuck double layout dismount and scored 9.85. Hopfner-Hibbs added a 9.825, and Samantha Peszek stuck her double layout dismount for a season-high and meet-winning 9.925 to push UCLA's two-event total to 98.425, over a point better than second-place Minnesota (97.225) and nearly two points better than third-place Denver (96.45).
On beam in rotation three, the Bruins showed some fight, with two gymnasts saving falls to keep the team score at a respectable 48.85. Hopfner-Hibbs had the team's high score with a 9.875, Gerber scored 9.85, and McCullough contributed a 9.825. Niki Tom and Frattone kept the Bruins from counting a fall with hard-fought attempts to stay on the beam. Tom had a big bobble on a tuck jump full and was unable to do her connecting jump out of it. Her start value dropped to 9.9, but she avoided a fall with a 9.65. Frattone also saved a fall on a punch front and finished with a 9.65. UCLA finished with a three-event score of 147.275, staying ahead of Minnesota (146.25) and Denver (145.05).
UCLA's final event, floor exercise, was a huge hit, with the Bruins scoring 49.375. Frattone led off with a 9.775. Tom earned a 9.875, and received a 9.95 from one judge. Sawa scored 9.9, Courtney earned 9.75, and Hopfner-Hibbs nailed her routine for a meet-high 9.925. McCullough ended the day with a season-high-tying 9.9, giving UCLA a comfortable win.
Hopfner-Hibbs won the all-around with a 39.5 and also placed first on three events (vault, beam and floor). McCullough was second with a 39.275.
The Bruins are back in action on Sunday, Mar. 6 in Pauley Pavilion with a tri-meet against Georgia and Arizona at 2 pm.
