UCLA
California
Pack Pauley Sunday for UCLA vs. Cal Gymnastics
March 01, 2017 | Gymnastics
#4 UCLA vs. #19 California
Sunday, Mar. 5 - 1pm PT (Pauley Pavilion)
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Jim Watson, Amanda Borden)
Tickets: uclabruins.com/tickets
Online: pac-12.com/now
Live Stats: uclabruins.com
Twitter: @uclagymnastics
Top 20 Matchup in Pauley Sunday
No. 4 UCLA (7-2, 4-1 in the Pac-12) will host No. 19 California (11-3, 4-2) on Sunday, Mar. 5 in Pauley Pavilion.The meet will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks at 1pm.
Pack Pauley
UCLA is looking to Pack Pauley and sell out this Top 20 matchup between the Bruins and Golden Bears. To help set the UCLA Gymnastics attendance record, UCLA will be offering $4 tickets using the promo code PACKPAULEY. Visit uclabruins.com/tickets to purchase, while supplies last.
Meet Timeline
11:45 am - Doors Open
12:45 pm - Pre-meet entertainment/Be in your seats
12:49 pm - National Anthem (Sarah Dahdouh)
12:52 pm - Introductions
1:00 pm - Meet Begins
Clear Bag Policy in Effect at Pauley
Enhanced screening procedures have been implemented at Pauley Pavilion. The Clear Bag Policy limits the size and type of bags that may be brought into Pauley Pavilion. The policy is designed to provide more consistent screening and to expedite fan entry. Increased screening through the use of electronic security equipment will be used at all entry gates. For more information, visit uclabruins.com/pauleygamedayinfo.
Tickets and Promotions
Tickets for the UCLA-California meet are on sale now at the UCLA Central Ticket Office. UCLA students are free with ID and eligible to win a raffle prize each home meet. This week's prizes are an Apple Watch and Mammoth Mountain passes. Additionally, pom poms, courtesy Massage Envy, will be distributed to the first 1,000 fans.
Follow Live
Live stats will be available at uclabruins.com. Live updates can be found on Twitter: @UCLAGymnastics.
Bruins Earn Second-Highest Score of Season in Win Over Arizona
UCLA earned 10 scores of 9.9 or better, including a near-perfect 9.975 on floor exercise by Hallie Mossett, and cruised to a 197.725-196.275 victory over Arizona on Saturday. The Bruins were competing in their third meet in seven days yet got better as the day progressed, earning the team's second-highest score of the season. UCLA started with a 49.175 on vault, earned 49.425 on uneven bars, 49.5 on beam and finished with a season-best 49.625 on floor exercise. Madison Kocian won the all-around for the fifth time this season, and Kyla Ross won all three events on which she competed, tying with Kocian and Sonya Meraz for first on vault and winning bars and beam outright with scores of 9.95. Mossett captured the win on floor with her career-best 9.975.
UCLA Captures Program's 700th Victory
Saturday's dual meet win over Arizona marked the 700th all-time victory for UCLA. Since 1977, the Bruins have posted an overall record of 700-206-3. Head coach Valorie Kondos Field has 488 of those victories in her 27 years as head coach.
Mossett Named Pac-12 Specialist of Week
Senior Hallie Mossett has earned Pac-12 Specialist of the Week awards, the fifth time a Bruin has won this award this season. Mossett scored a career-high 9.975 on floor exercise on Feb. 25 to help UCLA record its second-highest team score of the year in a 197.725-196.275 win over Arizona. Mossett also contributed a 9.825 on balance beam and has scored 9.8 or better on every routine she has competed this year. This is Mossett's fourth Pac-12 weekly honor of her career. She previously earned Specialist of the Week honors in 2016 and was twice the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week in 2014.
Meraz Earns First Event Victory
Junior Sonya Meraz recorded the first event victory of her career on Feb. 25, tying for first place on vault with a score of 9.85. As the first competitor of the meet, Meraz stuck her Yurchenko layout full for the second meet in a row, and she ended up tied for first with teammates Kyla Ross and Madison Kocian. Meraz had never before won an event title, although she did earn one all-around victory in 2015. On Feb. 20, she led off with a career-high 9.875 on vault and tied for second place.
Lee Nominated for AAI Award
Christine Peng-Peng Lee has been selected as a nominee for the AAI Award, which is awarded to the nation's top senior gymnast. Lee ranks No. 4 in the nation on the uneven bars and has a team-high-tying five uneven bars wins this year. On Feb. 11, she scored the first perfect 10 of her career on uneven bars. On balance beam, she owns a career-high of 9.975 and a season-high of 9.95.
Ross Ranked No. 1 on Bars
With two perfect 10s under her belt, both on the road, freshman Kyla Ross now ranks No. 1 in the nation on uneven bars. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist and 2013 World silver medalist has a RQS of 9.955 and is averaging 9.963 in her last four meets.
10.0 Club
Three Bruins have joined the 10.0 club this season, as Kyla Ross (Jan. 28, Feb. 18, Feb. 20), Madison Kocian (Feb. 11) and Christine Peng-Peng Lee (Feb. 11) have all scored perfect 10s in the last three weeks. Twenty-eight different UCLA gymnasts have scored a total of 109 perfect 10s, with 12 Bruins totaling 24 perfect 10s on uneven bars and six scoring 10 perfect 10s on balance beam. Ross, Kocian and Lee are the first Bruin trio to score perfect 10s on the same event in one year since Kate Richardson, Jeanette Antolin and Kristen Maloney all did so on vault in 2004.
Perfect Scores Abound for Ross
Freshman Kyla Ross, a member of the gold medal-winning 2012 U.S. Olympic team and a five-time World medalist, has performed seven routines in her last six meets that have earned at least one perfect score. Ross has scored two perfect 10s on bars, both on the road, and scored her first perfect 10 on beam at home on Monday. Only one other gymnast in the nation has more perfect 10s than Ross this season - Oklahoma's Maggie Nichols, who has four.
Ross' first perfect 10 came on Jan. 28 at Oregon State on uneven bars, and her second was earned on bars again at Utah on Feb. 18. She nabbed her first 10 on beam in the Bruins' tri-meet on Feb. 20, giving her two 10s in less than 48 hours. Ross also has two 9.975s - one on beam on Feb. 4 and another on bars on Feb. 11 - and has also scored 9.925 on her 9.95 start-valued vault in two meets, receiving the maximum 9.95 score from one of the two judges. Ross is the first Bruin gymnast to score three 10s in a season since Tasha Schwikert in 2005.
Perfect Pair
Madison Kocian and Christine Peng-Peng Lee made history on Feb. 11 when they became the first UCLA duo to score perfect 10s on uneven bars in the same meet. The perfect 10s were the first of their careers, and the second and third by a Bruin gymnast on bars this season. Kyla Ross scored the first 10.0 on Jan. 28. Kocian and Lee are the first Bruins to score perfect 10s on the same event in the same meet since Kristen Maloney and Jeanette Antolin scored a pair of perfect 10s on vault at the NCAA Regionals on Apr. 3, 2004.
Preston Hits Perfect 9.95 Vault
Sophomore Madison Preston was the third Bruin to receive a perfect score on one of her routines against Stanford Feb. 11, scoring 9.95 on her 9.95-start value vault. Preston stuck a perfect Yurchenko layout full to score a career-high and win the event for the second time in as many meets.
Macy Makes Mighty Comeback
After sitting out over a year with a torn rotator cuff and having her comeback delayed this year due to a rare eye condition (VKH syndrome) that caused temporary blindness, redshirt freshman Macy Toronjo completed her comeback on Feb. 20. Toronjo made the competition lineup for the first time in her career and scored 9.9 on floor exercise to tie for first place. She improved her score a few days later on Feb. 25, earning a 9.925 to place third.
Kramer Hits First 10.0-Start Value Vault
During the Bruins' win over Stanford on Feb. 11, freshman Gracie Kramer became the first Bruin to hit a 10.0-start value vault - a Yurchenko 1.5. Kramer scored a career-best 9.925 on the vault to place second. Kramer has vaulted in seven of eight meets this season but had been throwing the 9.95-start value Yurchenko full in the first four meets, with a high mark of 9.8.
A Look at the Golden Bears
California has been hurt by recent season-ending injuries to Dana Ho and 2016 Olympian Toni-Ann Williams but has rallied with a 197.075-196.825 win over Oregon State on Feb. 18 and a season-high road score of 196.400 at Nebraska on Feb. 25. The 197.075 score was the third-highest in school history. The Golden Bears rank 15th in the nation on vault, 17th on beam and 25th on bars and floor.
In the Rankings
UCLA has moved up to No. 4 in the national rankings with a Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) of 197.180. UCLA is second on bars, third on beam, sixth on vault and eighth on floor. Kyla Ross took over the top spot on bars and ranks seventh on beam and 13th on vault. Madison Kocian ranks fourth, seventh on floor, ninth on beam and 25th on vault. UCLA has three Bruins in the Top 10 on beam - No. 5 Katelyn Ohashi, No. 7 Ross and No. 9 Kocian - and two in the Top 5 on bars - No. 1 Ross and No. 4 Christine Peng-Peng Lee. National rankings are based on Regional Qualifying Score, which takes the team's Top 3 away scores plus three other scores, drops the high and averages the remaining five scores.
Streaks
Mikaela Gerber has a streak of 31 consecutive hit routines dating back to 2015. She hit all 19 of her routines last year, including all 14 as the leadoff on beam โฆ Four Bruin returners competed in all 14 meets last season - Mikaela Gerber, JaNay Honest, Sonya Meraz and Madison Preston. Meraz has competed in 32-straight meets, and Honest has competed in 22-straight โฆ Madison Kocian competed on 24 consecutive events, going all-around in the first six meets before being held to just bars and beam at the Bruins' tri-meet on Feb. 20.
Kocian, Ross Become First Olympic Gold Medalists to Compete Collegiately
UCLA freshmen Madison Kocian and Kyla Ross made history in the season opener when they became the first two Olympic gold medalists ever to compete in an NCAA women's gymnastics meet. Kocian won team gold as a member of the Final Five along with uneven bars silver at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, while Ross won team gold at the 2012 Olympics in London (along with UCLA volunteer coach Jordyn Wieber) as a member of the Fierce Five. Kocian won the all-around, bars, beam and floor in her collegiate debut, while Ross tied for first with Kocian on bars.
Go All-Access with Bruins
Pac-12 Networks debuted a behind-the-scenes documentary featuring UCLA and Utah in the lead-up to last Saturday's matchup in Salt Lake City. The 30-minute documentary, Pac-12 All-Access: UCLA & Utah Gymnastics, will air periodically on Pac-12 Network.
Vaulting Upwards
Although the Bruins have only thrown a total of two 10.0 start-value vaults all season, the team holds a season average of 49.241 and a high of 49.5 set Feb. 11. Madison Preston holds the team's highest vault score of the season with a 9.95. Kyla Ross has two 9.925s and two 9.9s. Gracie Kramer has performed the only 10.0 vaults of the season, twice throwing a Yurchenko 1.5. Her career-high is 9.925, set Feb. 11. Seven Bruins are averaging 9.8 or higher on vault this season - Ross (9.888), Angi Cipra (9.856), Preston (9.855), Madison Kocian (9.854), Felicia Hano (9.825), Sonya Meraz (9.810) and Stella Savvidou (9.8).
Raising the Bar
UCLA scored the highest uneven bars total in the nation on Feb. 11 with a 49.725 that included two perfect 10s and a 9.975. Three Bruins have scored four perfect 10s in the last six meets, with Kyla Ross recording the first in the nation on bars on Jan. 28 at Oregon State and her second one at Utah on Feb. 18, and Madison Kocian and Christine Peng-Peng Lee each earning a perfect score against Stanford on Feb. 11. Lee and Ross lead the team in uneven bars victories with five each. Ross, a World silver medalist on bars, ranks No. 1 in the nation on this event and has scored a national-best two perfect 10s on bars. Lee, who ranks fourth in the nation, has a bar routine that is widely considered one of the most dynamic in the NCAA. She performs three difficult release moves in her routine - a Ray (toe-on Tkatchev), a Bhardwaj (full-twisting Pak salto) and a Shaposh half. Kocian is the reigning World co-champion and Olympic silver medalist on the event and has a perfect 10 to her credit this year. Additionally, JaNay Honest is the reigning Pac-12 co-champion with a career-high score of 9.95, and Stella Savvidou earned a career-high 9.9 at Utah on Feb. 18. Sonya Meraz has twice scored a career-high of 9.875 this season, including last week, and has added difficulty to her routine this year, upgrading her Tkatchev to a toe-on Tkatchev (Ray).
Bruins are Beaming
UCLA's balance beam lineup is stacked with experienced, consistent, difficult and elegant routines from start to finish. Sonya Meraz, who scored 9.85 or higher eight times last year, earned a season-best 9.875 at Utah on Feb. 18 and owns a career-high of 9.9. Hallie Mossett set a new career-high at Utah with a 9.9 and has consistently hit a unique side somi to layout full dismount. Kyla Ross ranks seventh nationally and has a perfect 10 on Feb. 20 and a 9.975 and 9.95 to her credit. She was the U.S. beam champion in 2013 and 2014 and the world silver medalist in 2013. Madison Kocian averages 9.856 and ranks ninth in the nation. She has twice scored 9.95 on the road (at ASU and at Utah). Christine Peng-Peng Lee owns a career-high of 9.975 and a season-high of 9.95. She does some of the most unique skills in NCAA, including the Homma flairs mount, a backhandspring-two-foot layout and a double turn. Katelyn Ohashi is the highest-ranked Bruin on beam at No. 5. She has hit several times this season possibly the most difficult flight series in NCAA history, a backhandspring-backhandspring-layout full. Ohashi set her career-high Feb. 11 with a 9.975 and followed it up with a 9.95 in her next two meets. Regular leadoff performer Mikaela Gerber has missed the last three meets and is likely out this week with a broken pinky toe, but when she is healthy, she is as consistent as can be, hitting 22 consecutive beam routines and a career-high of 9.925. The Bruins average 49.316, with a high of 49.55 set on Feb. 18 at Utah, and has scored 49.25 or higher in their last seven meets.
Show-Stoppers
UCLA's floor exercise routines are not to be missed. With routines choreographed by Valorie Kondos Field and Hallie Mossett, the Bruins put on a show every time they step onto the floor. Mossett helped choreograph the floor routines for JaNay Honest, Gracie Kramer, Giulianna Pino and Mercedez Sanchez, along with co-choreographing her own Beyonce-inspired routine with Kondos Field. Mossett just missed out on a perfect 10 last week, scoring a career-high 9.975. Madison Kocian holds the team's highest season average with a 9.925 and a high of 9.95, set three times in the last four weeks. Kocian has three event titles on floor this season. Macy Toronjo made her floor debut on Feb. 20 and hit 9.9 to capture first place. She bettered her mark in the Bruins' next meet, scoring 9.925. Katelyn Ohashi averages 9.875, mostly in the leadoff position, and has a high of 9.9. UCLA's floor lineup was bolstered by the return of Angi Cipra, who earned All-America and All-Pac-12 honors a year ago. She scored 9.9 in her last meet. In 2016, she scored 9.9 or higher seven times, with a high of 9.975. Stella Savvidou and Napualani Hall each scored new career-highs on Feb. 11 with scores of 9.925 and 9.875, respectively. Sonya Meraz has a season-high of 9.85. UCLA earned a season-high of 49.625 on floor last week.
Looking Ahead
UCLA will host North Carolina on Mar. 12 for the regular season finale. The Bruins will honor seniors Angi Cipra, Mikaela Gerber, Christine Peng-Peng Lee, Hallie Mossett, Alex Waller and Jordyn Wieber in post-meet ceremonies.
Get Social
UCLA Gymnastics has one of the largest social media followings in all of women's collegiate sports, ranking third across all women's sports in combined likes/followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The Bruins rank first among all NCAA gymnastics teams on both Instagram (121k) and Facebook (129k) and third on Twitter (17.4k). Among all UCLA teams, gymnastics ranks first on Instagram and Facebook, and UCLA Gymnastics is the most followed Instagram team account in any sport in the Pac-12 and the most followed collegiate women's team in the nation. Follow the Bruins at @UCLAGymnastics on Instagram and Twitter and on Facebook at facebook.com/uclagymnastics. The team's Snapchat name is also uclagymnastics.
Players Mentioned
