UCLA
Collegiate Challenge Powered by Under Armour (vs. California, Oklahoma and Stanford)
UCLA Places Second at Collegiate Challenge
January 04, 2020 | Gymnastics
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – No. 4 UCLA placed second at the Collegiate Challenge powered by Under Armour, scoring 196.575. No. 1 Oklahoma took first place with a score of 197.350, while California was third with 196.200, and Stanford placed fourth with 195.475. UCLA senior Kyla Ross won the all-around with a score of 39.725 and floor with a 9.95 and also tied for first on vault (9.9) and beam (9.95), while sophomore Margzetta Frazier placed fifth in her all-around debut with a 39.4.
"It was ridiculously fun," Chris Waller said of his first meet as UCLA's head coach. "I'm unbelievably proud of the team. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but they kept the energy up, they kept connected, they kept getting each other's back. On beam, we obviously started out rough, but once they got going, they weren't tight. Overall, it was a good start."
The Bruins had the lead after the first rotation after scoring 49.425 on the uneven bars. The Bruins were led by Frazier, who placed second on the event with a 9.95, and Ross, who scored 9.925. All six Bruin scores were 9.8 or higher.
UCLA lost the lead on balance beam in rotation two after the first two competitors fell on their flight series. The third competitor up, Kendal Poston, righted the ship with a solid score of 9.65, and Frazier followed with a 9.775 on her first counting routine on the event. The final two up – sophomore transfer Samantha Sakti and Ross – were magical, both scoring 9.95. Sakti, in her first routine as a Bruin, earned a 10.0 from one of the two judges. UCLA's score of 48.5, however, was the Bruins' first sub-49 in two years.
Trailing Oklahoma 98.750-97.925 at the halfway point, the Bruins rallied with a meet-high 49.425 on floor exercise. Ross was the high scorer of the meet on floor, earning a 9.95. Frazier stole the show with a crowd-stopping routine that scored 9.925, and Gracie Kramer was stunning with a 9.9. Nia Dennis also scored well with a 9.85, and Pauline Tratz added a 9.8 to help the Bruins cut into Oklahoma's lead by two-tenths.
UCLA finished the night on vault, the lowest-scoring event of the competition across the board, and recorded a meet-high 49.225. Dennis started the rotation with a high and stuck Yurchenko layout full that scored 9.825. Poston added a 9.775, Frazier and Kramer contributed 9.825s, and Ross's 9.9 and Felicia Hano's 9.85 closed the competition for the Bruins.
The Bruins will return to action on Sunday, Jan. 12 for their home opener against Boise State at 3pm in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Tickets are on sale now at uclabruins.com/tickets.
Players Mentioned
