UCLA Season Preview   by BruinsFan

Lost from last season is star all-arounder and NCAA floor exercise champion Mohini Bhardwaj.  Bhardwaj could always be counted on to bring in extremely high scores on each event (versus Georgia last season, she logged a 39.975 AA!).  Her four years of NCAA eligibility completed, Bhardwaj's departure from the team leaves a void on every event that is not easily filled.  Luckily, the Bruins have plenty of talent waiting in the wings that was overshadowed at times last season as a result of depth.  Also departed from the Bruin team is sophomore Jeanette Antolin, along with Stephanie Johnson and Angie D'Agostino.

The two seniors on the team are Lindsey Dong and Valerie Velasco. Dong's Phelps vault could come in handy on occasion as a leadoff competitor, while Velasco could be used primarily on beam and floor.  She has beam routine packed full of difficulty and has an incredibly choreographed floor routine, a UCLA trademark.

The junior class is led by the dynamic Onnie Willis.  Willis has no weak event, which is why she was able to win a share of UCLA's first-ever NCAA all-around title at last season's championships.  Watch for her powerful Hristakieva vault, an event she could anchor, as well as her amplitude and swing on bars.  She, too, has a jam-packed beam routine that includes a high front pike mount and a dismount of two flip-flops to double tuck.  Floor exercise is her best event, however, as she blends powerful tumbling with crowd-pleasing dance that she sells to the crowd (watch for her trademark smile). 

Kristin Parker is another junior who could emerge as a star in the upcoming season.  She has some of the most difficult routines in the NCAA on every event.  She routinely vaults a strong piked barani on vault, but is also capable of laying it out.  She has a high Tkatchev and piked Jaegar on bars to go along with a normally well-landed, knees-together double front dismount.  On floor she launches a tidy Arabian double front.  Remarkably, she is also capable of a double layout.  It will be interesting to see whether or not she throws both passes next season.  

Malia Jones has the potential to really shine this season.  Look for her to potentially go from a supporting player last season to perhaps a regular all-arounder this season.  Known for her impeccable form, Jones is a gymnastics purist's dream.  Some minor upgrades in difficulty could help solidify her lineup positions.  Jones' best event is the floor exercise, where she showcases her beautiful form in her tumbling and is a crowd favorite due to her choreography that overflows with style.   

Doni Thompson, a 1995 World Championships competitor, quit the sport prior to the 1996 Olympics, surprising many who thought she had a great chance to make the team.  She came back five years later as a freshman at UCLA and made huge improvements last season.  Watch for Thompson's big swing and amplitude on bars and her rock-steady beam routine.  Thompson has undoubtedly earned herself the lead-off position on the latter event, having been steady throughout last season.  Most impressive is the fact that she scored a career-high 9.9 in the lead-off position of the 2001 NCAA Championships to get the team off to a strong final rotation in an extremely tight meet. 

Carly Raab, a redshirt sophomore, could break into the bars lineup on occasion.  She is capable of a Jaegar with a half twist, a risky and eye-catching skill to watch for should she choose to compete it.

2000 Olympian Jamie Dantzscher, a sophomore, looks to conquer her nemesis, the balance beam, and become an all-arounder.  Regardless of whether or not she is able to accomplish this goal next season, she will surely put up big numbers on the other three events.  Dantzscher has a unique blend of power and artistry, as evidenced by her floor exercise routine, an event she'll likely anchor.  She also has tremendous swing on uneven bars, another event she should anchor.

Yvonne Tousek, a two-time Olympian for her native Canada, came on strong when it mattered most, at the end of last season.  She tallied the highest all-around score of any competitor at the entire 2001 NCAA Championships and did it in the Super Six final, setting a UCLA freshman all-around record in the process (39.65).  Tousek is known for her high-difficulty bars set, an event where she is NCAA champion, and her avante garde style, best displayed on floor exercise, an event she placed eighth in the world on in 1999.  Tousek is also capable of arguably the most difficult balance beam routine in the NCAA, highlighted by an outrageous combination of her signature sideways flip-flop (named after her in the international Code of Points) to a Schuschunova to back hip circle. 

Kristen Maloney has been plagued by injuries since 1998.  Most painful is the injury to her shin which refuses to heal.  Two surgeries followed last season's NCAA Championships, and it remains to be seen how much pounding she will be able to take in the upcoming season.  The event the Bruins could most use her on is balance beam, an event she has twice qualified to the event finals in at the World Championships.  In addition, Maloney became the first gymnast in UCLA history to score a 10 on beam at a dual meet at Oregon State last season. 

Alyssa Beckerman, alternate to the 2000 US Olympic team, sat out most of last season with an injured wrist.  This season Beckerman will look to make her collegiate mark.  Watch for her long, flowing lines on bars and beam, her specialties.  

2000 Canadian Olympian Michelle Conway and Level 10 standout Christie Tedmon enter the mix as incoming freshmen.  Conway is a solid all-arounder and will surely have a floor routine presented with
plenty of style and attitude, while Tedmon's best chance to contribute comes on balance beam. 

Also appearing on the roster are sophomores Christy Erickson and Jamie Williams, redshirt freshman Trishna Patel, a strong vaulter, and freshman Natasha Desai, whose best event is uneven bars.

If this team goes injury-free and puts everything together, the UCLA Bruins are sure to provide some exciting moments next season.

BruinsFan can be reached at BruinsFan@collegegymfans.com