University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Kate Richardson Selected UCLA/MET-Rx Student-Athlete Of The Week
April 28, 2003
Richardson helped lead UCLA to its fourth overall NCAA team title and its third in four years and then won individual event titles on the uneven bars and balance beam. She also earned first-team All-America honors in the all-around (third place), bars, beam and floor (fifth place).
In the Super Six Team Finals, her near flawless balance beam routine earned a 9.95 and helped UCLA score a 49.525 on that event. The Bruins' beam set gave them a fairly comfortable three-tenths cushion over second-place Alabama heading into the final rotation. In the team preliminaries, Richardson scored a 39.525 in the all-around, a score that was third-best on the day. She totaled scores of 9.825 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.925 on beam and 9.9 on floor.
At the individual event finals, Richardson won the balance beam title with a score of 9.938 to earn the Bruins' fourth overall title on that event. She later added a share of the uneven bars crown with teammate Jamie Dantzscher. Both gymnasts scored a 9.9. Richardson became only the third Bruin ever to win multiple NCAA titles in one year.
This is Richardson's third UCLA/MET-Rx Student-Athlete of the Week honor of the season and of her career.
Also nominated: Ben Aragon (m. track & field), Natalie Golda (w. water polo), Sheena Johnson (w. track & field), Hana Kim (w. golf), Marcin Matkowski (m. tennis), Natasha Watley (softball).