University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Bruins Voted Preseason Favorites in Pac-12 Gymnastics Coaches Poll
December 19, 2012 | Gymnastics
Dec. 19, 2012
For the second consecutive year, the UCLA gymnastics team was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Pac-12 in a polling of the Conference's eight coaches. The defending Pac-12 champions received 46 points and four first-place votes to edge out 2012 Pac-12 runner-up Utah, which had 44 points and four first-place votes.
Stanford was picked to finish third with 38 points, followed by Oregon State (31), Washington (23), Arizona (21), Arizona State (11) and California (10).
The order of the Pac-12 coaches' poll mirrors that of the national coaches poll, which has UCLA No. 2, Utah No. 5, Stanford No. 6, Oregon State No. 9, Washington No. 17, and Arizona No. 19.
The Bruins return All-Americans Vanessa Zamarripa, Olivia Courtney, Sydney Sawa but will be without 2011 NCAA beam champion Samantha Peszek for 2013 due to an Achilles injury suffered this week.
This is the second year of the preseason coaches poll, with UCLA claiming the top spot in the preseason poll last year and then being crowned the 2012 Pac-12 Champion. The 2013 season is set to begin Friday, Jan. 4. The Bruins' season opener is Sunday, Jan. 6 against Southern Utah in Pauley Pavilion.
Pac-12 Gymnastics will be featured 12 times on the Pac-12 Networks, including the Bruins' Jan. 12 meet against Utah and their Feb. 2 meet at Stanford. The 2013 Pac-12 Championships will also be televised live on March 23. For a full schedule of televised Pac-12 events, visit www.pac-12.com.
2013 PAC-12 WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS COACHES POLL
1. UCLA (4 first-place votes), 46 points
2. Utah (4), 44
3. Stanford, 38
4. Oregon State, 31
5. Washington, 23
6. Arizona, 21
7. Arizona State, 11
8. California, 10
Players Mentioned
