UCLA Bruins gymnastics team
Encyclopedia
The UCLA Bruins
women's gymnastics
team represents the University of California at Los Angeles and competes in the Pacific 12 (PAC-12) Conference. They currently compete in Pauley Pavilion
, Los Angeles, CA. The team, coached by head coach Valorie Kondos Field, has won 6 NCAA Women's Gymnastics championships (1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2010) and 18 Regional titles, including nine in the last 10 years. UCLA won the 2010 NCAA Women's Gymnastics championship
on April 23, 2010. Vanessa Zamarripa was the vault champion with a score of 9.9250 and Brittani McCullough won the floor exercise championship with a 9.9375.
There had been some doubts as to the stability of women's gymnastics at UCLA after the athletic department cut the program in the fall of 1993.
In 1994, the UCLA women's gymnastics team signed Kerri Strug. Strug's letter of intent was for the season following the 1996 Olympics. After her participation in the Ice Capades
and Disney on Ice
, Strug announced her retirement and enrolled in UCLA. As a professional, she could not compete in NCAA gymnastics events, so she worked for a time as team manager. She later transferred to Stanford University
.
Some notable former UCLA gymnasts include current stuntwoman Heidi Moneymaker and Olympic
Team members Jamie Dantzscher
, Mohini Bhardwaj
, Kate Richardson
, Tasha Schwikert
, Kristen Maloney
, Yvonne Tousek
, Stella Umeh, Luisa Portocarrero and Sam Peszek.
Chris Waller - Assistant Head Coach
Randy Lane - Assistant Coach
Amy Smith - Volunteer Assistant Coach
Mizuki Sato- Undergraduate Assistant Coach
Brianna McCullough - Team Manager
Others:
in 1984 and 1987. The program has since discontinued.
Some of outstanding team members who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics
:
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
women's gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
team represents the University of California at Los Angeles and competes in the Pacific 12 (PAC-12) Conference. They currently compete in Pauley Pavilion
Pauley Pavilion
Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion, commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located in the Westwood Village district of Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams...
, Los Angeles, CA. The team, coached by head coach Valorie Kondos Field, has won 6 NCAA Women's Gymnastics championships (1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2010) and 18 Regional titles, including nine in the last 10 years. UCLA won the 2010 NCAA Women's Gymnastics championship
NCAA Women's Gymnastics championship
The NCAA introduced Women's Gymnastics as a championship sport in 1982. Since then, only four universities have claimed the overall Division I championship; Division II competition was discontinued in 1987. During the early years of competition, the University of Utah under the leadership of head...
on April 23, 2010. Vanessa Zamarripa was the vault champion with a score of 9.9250 and Brittani McCullough won the floor exercise championship with a 9.9375.
There had been some doubts as to the stability of women's gymnastics at UCLA after the athletic department cut the program in the fall of 1993.
In 1994, the UCLA women's gymnastics team signed Kerri Strug. Strug's letter of intent was for the season following the 1996 Olympics. After her participation in the Ice Capades
Ice Capades
The Ice Capades was a traveling entertainment show featuring theatrical performances involving ice skating. Shows often featured former Olympicand National Champion figure skaters who had retired from amateur competition....
and Disney on Ice
Disney on Ice
Disney On Ice is a touring ice show produced by Feld Entertainment under agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Aimed primarily at children, the shows feature figure skaters dressed as Disney cartoon characters in performances that each derive their music and plot from elements collected from...
, Strug announced her retirement and enrolled in UCLA. As a professional, she could not compete in NCAA gymnastics events, so she worked for a time as team manager. She later transferred to Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
Some notable former UCLA gymnasts include current stuntwoman Heidi Moneymaker and Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Team members Jamie Dantzscher
Jamie Dantzscher
Jamie Annette Dantzscher is a retired American gymnast. She was a member of the bronze medal winning US team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney...
, Mohini Bhardwaj
Mohini Bhardwaj
Mohini Bhardwaj is a retired American gymnast who competed at the 1997 and 2001 World Championships and earned a team silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
, Kate Richardson
Kate Richardson (gymnast)
Kate Richardson is a Canadian artistic gymnast. She began gymnastics at age three. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she placed 7th in the floor exercise event and 15th all-around. She graduated UCLA in 2007 with a degree in psychobiology.Member of Canada's Women's Artistic Gymnastics Team, 1996-2004...
, Tasha Schwikert
Tasha Schwikert
Tasha Schwikert Warren is an American gymnast who is a 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, a World Gymnastics Championships team gold medalist, the 2001 and 2002 U.S...
, Kristen Maloney
Kristen Maloney
Kristin Ann Maloney , also known as Kristen Maloney, is a retired gymnast from Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, United States, who was coached by Jack Carter in the 2000 Olympics and won bronze in the Team Event. Maloney was also the U.S...
, Yvonne Tousek
Yvonne Tousek
Yvonne Tousek is a retired artistic gymnast who competed for her native Canada in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney...
, Stella Umeh, Luisa Portocarrero and Sam Peszek.
Highlights
- 2008 Canadian Olympic Gymnastics team member Elyse Hopfner-HibbsElyse Hopfner-HibbsElyse Hopfner-Hibbs is a Canadian gymnast. She was born in Mississauga, Ontario. She first started gymnastics in 1993, and competed in her first international event in 2001...
is attending UCLA, a member of the team since the 2008-2009 season. - The Bruins won the 2009 Pac-10 title, their 14th, and was 7th seeded in the NCAA National ChampionshipsNCAA Women's Gymnastics championshipThe NCAA introduced Women's Gymnastics as a championship sport in 1982. Since then, only four universities have claimed the overall Division I championship; Division II competition was discontinued in 1987. During the early years of competition, the University of Utah under the leadership of head...
. They competed at the NCAA North Central Regionals at Carver-Hawkeye ArenaCarver-Hawkeye ArenaCarver–Hawkeye Arena is a 15,500-seat multi-purpose indoor arena located in Iowa City, Iowa. Opened in 1983, it is the home court for The University of Iowa Hawkeyes men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the university's wrestling, gymnastics, and volleyball teams. It was named for the...
on Saturday, Apr. 4 with Florida (#6), Minnesota (#18), Denver (#20), Iowa State (#23) and Iowa (#28). The Bruins came in second behind Florida. - 2009 – In the second session of the national championships, the Bruins finished tie for third place with UtahUtah Red RocksThe Utah Utes women's gymnastics team represents the University of Utah and competes in the Pac-12 Conference. The Utes compete in the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. As of the end of the 2011 season, the Red Rocks have won 10 Women's Gymnastics championships and been runner-up 8...
. But Utah won the tie breakers by counting all the scores of the six competitors in each event and advanced to the Super Six team finals. - 2010 – The team won its 15th Pacific-10 Championship, with Anna Li scoring a perfect 10 on uneven bars. Vanessa Zamarripa won all-around and vault, and was named 2010 Pac-10 Gymnast Of The Year.
- 2010 – UCLA Gymnastics won the Los Angeles Regional and qualified for the NCAA ChampionshipsNCAA Women's Gymnastics championshipThe NCAA introduced Women's Gymnastics as a championship sport in 1982. Since then, only four universities have claimed the overall Division I championship; Division II competition was discontinued in 1987. During the early years of competition, the University of Utah under the leadership of head...
in Gainesville, FloridaGainesville, FloridaGainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
. Anna Li again scored a perfect 10 on the uneven bars at Pauley PavilionPauley PavilionEdwin W. Pauley Pavilion, commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located in the Westwood Village district of Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams...
, where both of her parents, Li YuejiuLi YuejiuLi Yuejiu is a former male Chinese gymnast.Li competed at 1984 Olympic Games, and won a silver medal in Men's Team competition. He was China's first World Champion on floor exercise in 1981. Li retired in October 1984. He went to study in Canada, and became a coach in Canadian national gymnastic...
and Wu JianiWu JianiWu Jiani is a former female Chinese gymnast.Wu was born in Shanghai. She started gymnastic training in 1973, and was admitted into Shanghai gymnastic team in 1976, and Chinese national team in 1977....
won medals at the 1984 Olympic Games1984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
. - 2010 - USA Olympic team silver medalist Sam Peszek is attending UCLA, and is a new member of the 2011 UCLA gymnastics team.
- 2011 – UCLA finished second in the national competition; Athens Regional champions; Sam Peszek was first in balance beam with a 9.90 score.
Current roster (2012)
| Name | Height | Year | Hometown | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaelie Baer | 5-6 | SR | Columbus, IN | DeVeau's |
| Sadiqua Bynum | 5-4 | FR | Berkeley, CA | Head Over Heels Athletic Arts |
| Olivia Courtney | 5-2 | SO | Fairfax, VA | Orlando Metro |
| Ellette Craddock | 5-5 | FR | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo Gymnastics Center |
| Monique De La Torre | 5-3 | JR | Glendale, AZ | Carter's Gymnastics Academy |
| Tauny Frattone | 5-4 | SR | Lake Forest, CA | Olympic Gymnastics |
| Aisha Gerber Aisha Gerber Aisha Gerber is a world-class Canadian artistic gymnast.Starting as a member of the Cambridge Kips gymnastics club at the age of three, Gerber was coached by former Soviet Olympic champion Elvira Saadi and Vladimir Kondratenko... |
5-4 | SR | Cambridge, ON | Oakville Gymnastics |
| Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs is a Canadian gymnast. She was born in Mississauga, Ontario. She first started gymnastics in 1993, and competed in her first international event in 2001... |
5-0 | SR | Toronto, ON | Sports Seneca Gymnastics |
| Tiffany Hyland | 5-8 | SR | Dove Canyon, CA | Diamond Elite |
| Kassidy Kozai | 4-11 | SO | Encino, CA | ics Center |
| Mattie Larson Mattie Larson Mattie Larson is an elite American gymnast. She is a member of the U.S. National Team and is the 2010 National Champion on floor exercise. Additionally, she was the 2005 Level 10 State, Regional, and National Champion. Her parents, Eric Larson and Gail Boggs, are actors.Though expected to... |
5-2 | FR | Los Angeles, CA | All Olympia Gymnastics Center |
| Ti Liu | 5-3 | FR | Montreal, QC | Gymix |
| Dana McDonald | 5-3 | FR | Piedmont, CA | Darrell Boykins Gymnastics |
| Samantha Peszek Samantha Peszek Samantha Nicole Peszek is an American national team gymnast. She was a member of the United States' 2008 Olympic women's gymnastics team.-Career:In 2007, Peszek competed on the gold medal-winning U.S... |
5-1 | SO | Indianapolis, IN | Sharp's Gymnastics/DeVeau's |
| Alyssa Pritchett | 5-1 | RS JR | Orange, CA | Wildfire Gymnastics |
| Sydney Sawa | 5-2 | SO | Calgary, AB | Calgary Gymnastics Center |
| Cassie Whitcomb | 5-3 | FR | Lexington, KY | CGA/Legacy Gymnastics |
| Lichelle Wong | 5-4 | JR | Ossendrecht, Holland | TSH Heerenveen |
| Vanessa Zamarripa | 5-1 | RS SR | O'Fallon, IL | Midwest Twisters |
Chris Waller - Assistant Head Coach
Randy Lane - Assistant Coach
Amy Smith - Volunteer Assistant Coach
Mizuki Sato- Undergraduate Assistant Coach
Brianna McCullough - Team Manager
NCAA Championships
With the titles in 2010, UCLA now has 30 NCAA individual titles and six team titles:| Event | Winner/Year |
|---|---|
| Team | UCLA (6) 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2010 |
| All Around | Onnie Willis, 2001; Jamie Dantzscher Jamie Dantzscher Jamie Annette Dantzscher is a retired American gymnast. She was a member of the bronze medal winning US team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney... , 2002; Tasha Schwikert Tasha Schwikert Tasha Schwikert Warren is an American gymnast who is a 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, a World Gymnastics Championships team gold medalist, the 2001 and 2002 U.S... , 2005; Tasha Schwikert Tasha Schwikert Tasha Schwikert Warren is an American gymnast who is a 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, a World Gymnastics Championships team gold medalist, the 2001 and 2002 U.S... , 2008 |
| Vault | Heidi Moneymaker, 1999; Jamie Dantzscher Jamie Dantzscher Jamie Annette Dantzscher is a retired American gymnast. She was a member of the bronze medal winning US team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney... , 2002; Kristen Maloney Kristen Maloney Kristin Ann Maloney , also known as Kristen Maloney, is a retired gymnast from Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, United States, who was coached by Jack Carter in the 2000 Olympics and won bronze in the Team Event. Maloney was also the U.S... , 2005; Vanessa Zamarripa, 2010 |
| Uneven Parallel Bars | Heidi Moneymaker, 1998; Mohini Bhardwaj Mohini Bhardwaj Mohini Bhardwaj is a retired American gymnast who competed at the 1997 and 2001 World Championships and earned a team silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens... , 2000; Yvonne Tousek, 2001; Jamie Dantzscher Jamie Dantzscher Jamie Annette Dantzscher is a retired American gymnast. She was a member of the bronze medal winning US team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney... , 2003; Kate Richardson, 2003; Tasha Schwikert Tasha Schwikert Tasha Schwikert Warren is an American gymnast who is a 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, a World Gymnastics Championships team gold medalist, the 2001 and 2002 U.S... , 2008 |
| Balance Beam | Lena Degteva, 2000; Kristen Maloney Kristen Maloney Kristin Ann Maloney , also known as Kristen Maloney, is a retired gymnast from Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, United States, who was coached by Jack Carter in the 2000 Olympics and won bronze in the Team Event. Maloney was also the U.S... , 2005; Sam Peszek, 2011 |
| Floor Exercise | Stella Umeh,1995; Stella Umeh, 1998; Mohini Bhardwaj Mohini Bhardwaj Mohini Bhardwaj is a retired American gymnast who competed at the 1997 and 2001 World Championships and earned a team silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens... , 2001; Jamie Dantzscher Jamie Dantzscher Jamie Annette Dantzscher is a retired American gymnast. She was a member of the bronze medal winning US team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney... , 2002; Kate Richardson Kate Richardson (gymnast) Kate Richardson is a Canadian artistic gymnast. She began gymnastics at age three. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she placed 7th in the floor exercise event and 15th all-around. She graduated UCLA in 2007 with a degree in psychobiology.Member of Canada's Women's Artistic Gymnastics Team, 1996-2004... , 2006; Brittani McCullough, 2010 |
Former team members
Notable rosters (1996-1997 Championship):- Lena Degteva
- Anne Dixon
- Susie Erickson
- Andrea Fong
- Kiralee Hayashi
- Lisa Hiley
- Leah Homma
- Deborah Mink
- Heidi Moneymaker
- Luisa Portocarrero
- Karin Silvestri
- Amy Smith
- Carmen Tausend
- Stella Umeh
Others:
- Kristina Comforte
- Jordan Schwikert
- Tasha SchwikertTasha SchwikertTasha Schwikert Warren is an American gymnast who is a 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, a World Gymnastics Championships team gold medalist, the 2001 and 2002 U.S...
- Kim Hamilton Anthony, first African-American female gymnastics champion.
Team notes
- 2008 Record: 18-6, 3rd place in Conference, 2nd place in Regional, 7th place in NCAA.
- Both of Anna Li's parents competed at the 1984 Olympics in Pauley Pavilion for China. Li's father YuejiuLi YuejiuLi Yuejiu is a former male Chinese gymnast.Li competed at 1984 Olympic Games, and won a silver medal in Men's Team competition. He was China's first World Champion on floor exercise in 1981. Li retired in October 1984. He went to study in Canada, and became a coach in Canadian national gymnastic...
was a silver medalist. He was also the first World Champion on floor exercise in 1981 for China. Yuejiu led both of the Chinese men's and women's Olympic Gymnastics teams to the 2008 Olympic gold medal, and the 2006 World Championship team title. Her mother JianiWu JianiWu Jiani is a former female Chinese gymnast.Wu was born in Shanghai. She started gymnastic training in 1973, and was admitted into Shanghai gymnastic team in 1976, and Chinese national team in 1977....
was a five-time Chinese National Champion, World Championship bronze medalist on beam in 1981 and an Olympic bronze team medalist in 1984. - 2009 - UCLA has now qualified for 25 NCAA Gymnastics Championships.
- Lichelle Wong, of OssendrechtOssendrechtOssendrecht is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Woensdrecht, about 12 km southeast of Bergen op Zoom.Ossendrecht was a separate municipality until 1997, when it became part of Woensdrecht....
, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, has signed a letter-of-intent to join the team in the fall of 2009.
Men's team
The Bruins men's gymnastics team won two NCAA national championsNCAA Men's Gymnastics championship
This is a list of National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Gymnastics champions, by division and year. All schools currently compete in one division, because only 17 schools sponsor men's gymnastics teams...
in 1984 and 1987. The program has since discontinued.
Some of outstanding team members who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
:
- Tim DaggettTim DaggettTimothy P. Daggett is an American gymnast born in Springfield, Massachusetts and an Olympic gold medalist. He is a graduate of West Springfield High School and UCLA, who competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, along with Bart Conner, Peter Vidmar and Mitch Gaylord...
- Mitch GaylordMitch GaylordMitchell Jay Gaylord , is an American gymnast and Olympic gold medalist.Gaylord was born in Van Nuys, California, son of Fred and Linda Gaylord. While attending UCLA, he won the All-Around in the 1983 and 1984 U.S...
- Peter VidmarPeter VidmarPeter Glen Vidmar is an American gymnast and Olympic medalist. He won gold medals in the men's all-around team competition and the pommel horse competition, as well as a silver medal in the men's all-around individual gymnastics competition at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He was...
External links
- UCLA Gymnastics official website