UCLA, UCSB, UCD at Cal 2/17/02

by Greg

UCLA, UCSB and UCD at Cal

The University of California Invitational brought together teams from all four UC schools.  As noted previously, several gymnasts rested for UCLA and others had their chance to shine.  The meet also marked the debut of Antolin for UCLA, who was very excited about her vault (as were her teammates). 

Cal happily was able to compete at least five gymnasts per event, however, several gymnast remain injured.  It was also clear that several gymnasts that did compete are nursing injuries as they watered down their tougher skills, especially on floor.  For Cal, My-Lan Dodd won the AA.  She is a beautiful gymnast to watch, with great toe point, overall lines, and great arm movements.

Please note that I do not take notes nor do I tape the meets.  Thus, the notes below are highlighted skills from my rapidly fading and unreliable memory.  My apologies in advance for any errors.  Also, the gymnast listings are not necessarily in competition order. 

The report focuses mainly on UCLA and Cal, as I did not have the time to see much of UCD or UCSB.  I did catch some nice tumbling from UCD on FX (Nice double pike from Bare; clean runs from Chan – double tuck, front full punch front) and some good handspring tucks/pikes.  I caught a little of the UCSB BB, and saw a nice punch front mount, plus a ff-lo series in the same routine.  Another gymnast did a ff-whip. 

Vault

Cal

Johnson:  Tsuk tuck full (low, direction step)  9.45

Buack:  Tuck Yurchenko  9.25

Dodd:  LO Yurchenko (very nice technique)  9.625

McKnight:  LO Tsuk full (good vault, only a slight pike in the post flight)  9.825

Arnold:  Pike front ½ (fall to all fours)  9.325

UCLA

Williams:  LO Tsuk; (bit piked, in parts of pf)  9.525

Conway:  LO Yurchenko (not much height nor distance, large step forward) 9.55

Jones:  LO Yurchenko (good height and position)  9.675

Tousek:  LO Yurchenko (step)  9.675

Desai:  Handspring 3/2 twist (fall; was attempting a 2/1 twist)  8.875

Antolin:  LO Yurchenko full; (step to the side, directional problem)  9.7

UB

Cal

Buack:  front full pirouette (very sharp and crisp near vertical), Pike Jaeger;  double tuck  9.8

McKnight:  Giant full to straddle back; double layout with full twister (great dismount)  9.8

Dodd:  Giant ½ to elgrip, elgrip giant, hop half, to Gienger; double layout (beautiful toe point)  9.85

I can’t recall Maeda’s, Capsuto’s and Garcia’s routines.  I do recall one of them (Capsuto?) doing a healy, front giant, healy to straddle back hs. 

UCLA

Velasco:  Uprise, Gienger (leg separation), overshoot (leg separation); double front ½ dismount.  9.825

Conway:  Giant ½, Giant to Kim pir, front giant ½ to overshoot hs; double tuck dismount  9.675

Jones:  Blind change,  Jaeger; double layout   9.875

Tousek:  Kim, Pike Jaeger; Pak salto; double layout (big step)  9.9 

Dantzscher:   Shaposhnikova to Pak; kip cast hs, toe on shoot to high;  toe on toe off, Gienger, kip cast hs ½; full-in.  9.975

Thompson:  Gienger; Tkachev, full turn on forward swing, straddle back handstand; full in.  9.975

BB

Cal

Capsuto:  ff-lo   9.625

Maeda:  ff-lo  9.25

Garcia:  ff-lo  9.675

Buack:  standing Arabian; ff-ff-whip (fall); swing through front full  9.25

Dodd:  front mount; ff-lo; front; gainer full   9.8

Arnold:  back tuck-back tuck series  9.525

UCLA

Thompson:  ff, ff, lo (fall); front hs; swing through front full   9.2

Dantzscher:  ff, ff, lo (fall); punch front, wolf, Chen; ff-gainer 1 ½ off end; 9.2

Jones:  ff, ff, lo (fall); gainer lo full;  9.375

Conway:  Homma flairs to mount; illusion (nice); ff-lo; switch split+split full; front full.  9.9

Williams:   straddle ¾; ff-lo; switch split, straddle, straddle; gainer back 9.8

Beckerman:  full turn with leg at 90, wolf; front aerial, ff (smoothly connected); ring leap, ring leap; cartwheel gainer lo full off side (step).  9.9

FX

Cal

Johnson:  front full+front lo; barani+back lo; front lo  9.8

Capsuto:  front to double full  9.8

Buack:  double tuck (extra step); whip ½ front lo; front lo  9.775

McKnight:  front full+punch front; double pike; 3rd pass ?  9.8

Arnold:  front to back lo; front full+punch front;  3rd pass ? 9.675

Dodd:  double pike; back lo 5/2 ; whip ½ front LO (beautiful routine to spanish music, large lunges after 2nd and 3rd passes)  9.8

UCLA

Williams: double pike; front full; front lo+front lo;  9.825

Erickson:  double pike (stumble step); back 3/2+front (low); can’t remember last pass (back 2/1?);   9.35

Jones:  rudi; back full;  (can’t recall last pass)  9.9

Beckerman:  whip-back 2/1 twist; rudi; whip half+front lo  9.95

Dantzscher:  double layout; back 3/2+barani+back full+back lo so; double tuck