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Meet the Bruins
UCLA Gymnastics Dazzles in Meet the Bruins
December 09, 2018 | Gymnastics
LOS ANGELES - The defending NCAA champion UCLA Gymnastics team showed off their new routines and dazzled the Bruin fans with two perfect scores in the annual Meet the Bruins Paw-liday Party in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Kyla Ross scored a 10 on uneven bars, and Nia Dennis contributed a 10 on floor exercise and a 9.975 on vault as the Blue and White team finished in a dead heat, each totaling 118.250 points.
The Bruins split into Blue and White teams for a three-up, three-count intrasquad doing full routines. The Blue team took the early lead after scoring 29.65 on vault, led by Dennis' leadoff 9.975. The White team scored 29.475, led by Ross' 9.85. The Bruins showed off five 10.0 start value vaults – Yurchenko 1.5s from Dennis, Ross, Gracie Kramer and Felicia Hano and a handspring pike front half from Kendal Poston. Each team also had the opportunity to perform an exhibition routine, and Anna Glenn scored 9.9 on her stuck Yurchenko layout full vault.
The White team took over the lead, 59.075-58.900 after uneven bars thanks to Ross' perfect 10 and Margzetta Frazier's 9.875. The Blue team was led by Glenn's 9.8, and they also received a 9.8 in an exhibition performance by Macy Toronjo.
A Perfect ?? on bars from KYLA BOSS. @kyla_ross96 does it again!
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) December 9, 2018
Watch on https://t.co/0f0BUH4dTl pic.twitter.com/pptQ8MoGi7
Team White continued its winning ways on balance beam, outscoring Team Blue, 29.425-29.250. Norah Flatley's 9.875 and Poston's 9.8 led the way for the White team, who also had a 9.9 in an exhibition from Brielle Nguyen, while Anna Glenn's 9.9 and Grace Glenn's 9.8 paced the Blue team.
Trailing by 0.35 going into the last rotation, the Blue team pulled out all the stops to try to stage a 2018 NCAA Championship-like comeback. After White's Kramer led off with a 9.85, Dennis got her team started with a perfect 10, nailing her piked full-in opening pass and double tuck last pass. Ross added a 9.9 for White, and Pauline Tratz answered with a 9.925. After Frazier's 9.775 with an out-of-bounds deduction, Hano stepped up needing a 9.95 to tie. And she scored just that, giving each team a final score of 118.025.
WOW. @DennisNia just lit up Pauley with a perfect ?? on floor! pic.twitter.com/TAMZFEy0tB
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) December 9, 2018
Not satisfied with a tie, the Bruins then went to a back tuck competition to find a winner but saw every competitor stick for another tie. In true Bruin fashion, the meet ended in a dance-off between a fan from the Blue side and a fan from the White side, with Team Blue unofficially claiming the win.
UCLA will begin the 2019 season on Friday, Jan. 4 against Nebraska in Pauley Pavilion. The meet will begin at 6 pm and will be televised live on ESPN2. Tickets are on sale now at uclabruins.com/tickets.
Vault Scores
Blue - 29.65 (Dennis 9.975, Tratz 9.825, Hano 9.85, A. Glenn 9.9 ex.)
White - 29.475 (Kramer 9.8, Poston 9.825, Ross 9.85, Flatley 9.75 ex.)
Bars Scores
Blue - 29.250 (A. Glenn 9.8, Hano 9.75, Kocian 9.7, Toronjo 9.8 ex.)
White - 29.600 (Frazier 9.875, Flatley 9.725, Ross 10.0, Kooyman 9.8 ex.)
Beam Scores
Blue - 29.25 (G. Glenn 9.8, A. Glenn 9.9, Dennis 9.55, Hano 9.8 ex.)
White - 29.425 (Poston 9.8, Frazier 9.75, Flatley 9.875, Nguyen 9.9 ex.)
Floor Scores
Blue - 29.875 (Dennis 10.0, Tratz 9.925, Hano 9.95, Ohashi 9.95 ex.)
White - 29.525 (Kramer 9.85, Ross 9.9, Frazier 9.775, Flatley 9.9 ex.)
Players Mentioned
