UCLA Begins Season No. 1 in Preseason Coaches Poll
December 10, 2018 | Gymnastics
The defending NCAA champions will begin where they finished last season โ ranked No. 1 in the nation. UCLA will open the year as the preseason favorite, as voted on by the coaches of the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association.
The Bruins totaled 1,961 points and 20 first-place votes to edge out second-ranked Oklahoma, who totaled 1,959 points and 25 first-place votes. The Pac-12 has three teams in the Top 10 โ No. 1 UCLA, No. 5 Utah and No. 8 California.
UCLA will face nine teams in the Top 36 this season, starting with No. 11 Nebraska in the season opener in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom on Jan. 4. Also on the season slate are home matchups against No. 20 Arizona State on Jan. 21, No. 33 Arizona on Feb. 16, and No. 21 Stanford on Mar. 10. The Bruins have road meets against No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 5 Utah, No. 8 California (in Anaheim), No. 15 Washington and No. 17 Oregon State.
The Bruins return all but four routines from the NCAA Championships and have five All-Americans on the roster, including 2018 NCAA floor champion Katelyn Ohashi, 2017 NCAA bars and beam champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Kyla Ross, and 2016 Olympic gold and silver medalist Madison Kocian. UCLA showed off tremendous depth and strength at Sunday's Meet the Bruins Blue vs. White intrasquad, hitting 32 routines without a fall and scoring two perfect 10s (Ross on uneven bars and Nia Dennis on floor exercise). The Blue and White teams put together an actual team total of 197.225.
2019 Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association Preseason Poll
1. UCLA โ 1961 points (20 first-place votes)
2. Oklahoma โ 1959 (25)
3. Florida โ 1946 (9)
4. LSU โ 1891 (2)
5. Utah โ 1783
6. Alabama โ 1672
7. Georgia โ 1585 (1)
8. California โ 1526
9. Michigan โ 1517
10. Kentucky โ 1481
11. Nebraska โ 1361
12. Arkansas โ 1341
13. Denver โ 1286
14. Auburn โ 1281
15. Washington โ 1253
16. Boise State โ 1183
17. Oregon State โ 1005
18. Ohio State โ 989
19. Missouri โ 912
20. Arizona State โ 862
21. Stanford โ 831
22. Illinois โ 809
23. Minnesota โ 798
24. BYU โ 749
25. North Carolina State โ 704
26. George Washington โ 611
27. Penn State โ 525
28. Iowa State โ 517
29. Iowa โ 442
30. Central Michigan โ 403
31. Maryland โ 403
32. Southern Utah โ 364
33. Arizona โ 314
34. New Hampshire โ 280
35. West Virginia โ 259
36. Pittsburgh - 247
