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NCAA TEAM CHAMPIONS
The 1997 Bruins (clockwise, l-r) - Susie Erickson, Carmen Tausend, Lena Degteva, Heidi Moneymaker,
Deborah Mink, Amy Smith, Lisa Hiley, Kiralee Hayashi, Leah Homma, Luisa Portocarrero, Stella
Umeh, Andrea Fong.
The 2000 Bruins (clockwise, l-r) - Carly Raab, Stephanie Johnson, Doni Thompson, Valerie Velasco,
Onnie Willis, Malia Jones, Alison Stoner, Lindsey Dong, Mohini Bhardwaj, Lena Degteva, Kristin
Parker, Amy Young, Heidi Moneymaker.
After being voted the pre-season No. 1, UCLA watched as Georgia
assumed the role of favorites during the regular season. But when
it counted the most, the Bruins proved they were worthy of their
early ranking by winning their first-ever NCAA Championship.
It was a dream season for the 2000 UCLA Gymnastics Team. The
Bruins started the season strong with school-record performances
in the beginning of the year, and ended the season unstoppable
as Pac-10, Regional and NCAA Champions.
1997
2000
UCLA’s national championship run began in earnest at the NCAA Regional meet. After
impressive performances on floor (49.55), vault (49.5) and bars (49.4), UCLA had
already reached 148+ with just beam to go and looked well on its way to another
regional championship in a runaway. It wasn’t quite a runaway, as three Bruin falls on
the beam made it interesting, but UCLA’s lead was so large that it didn’t matter. The
Bruins placed first with a score of 197.025, .85 better than second-place Oregon State.
Before UCLA even began its competition at the Super Six Team Finals, the door had
opened. As the Bruins were taking a first-rotation bye, Georgia was stumbling on beam,
counting two falls to essentially take the Gym Dogs out of the running. The pressure
then shifted to the Bruins, who would follow on the dreaded beam.
But the Bruins were undaunted by the pressure. Leadoff competitor Susie Erickson hit
a career-high 9.85 to start the ball rolling. A fall in the third position put a scare into the
Bruins, but they rallied to hit their routines - Leah Homma for a 9.8, Luisa Portocarrero
for a 9.825, and Stella Umeh with a spectacular 9.925 - to take themselves safely past
the most nerve-racking event in the competition with a score of 49.2.
At the team preliminaries of the NCAA Championship, the Bruins were able to get back
on their No. 1 nemesis right away, starting on the balance beam. UCLA conquered its
demons, with all six gymnasts hitting their routines to give UCLA a 49.05 first-rotation
score. From there, the Bruins cruised and ended up hitting 24 for 24 routines to take
first place and easily qualify for the Super Six Team Finals.
UCLA entered its third event, vault, in third place behind Michigan and Arizona State. The
Bruins improved their position with strong vaulting and moved into a tie with Michigan
with one rotation remaining - UCLA on bars and Michigan on floor.
UCLA received another unfavorable draw for the Super Six, starting on floor and ending on
a bye after beam. But this time, the Bruins drew upon their experience at their Regional
meet and performed like champions, taking the lead early and never relinquishing it.
With Michigan faltering on floor, the Bruins needed a 49.25 to surpass ASU for the
championship. Deborah Mink started with a 9.825. Kiralee Hayashi followed with a
9.85. Lena Degteva nailed a 9.875, and Umeh followed with a 9.925. Freshman Heidi
Moneymaker needed just a 9.775 to clinch the championship and scored that and
more with a 9.925. Homma’s 9.95 to close the competition punctuated the evening
for the Bruins, who totaled a season-high 197.15, three-tenths better than ASU. The
championship was the first ever for UCLA and the first for any school outside of Utah,
Georgia or Alabama.
The Bruins set the tone right away, scoring a 49.375 on floor behind a leadoff score of
9.85 from Malia Jones and a pair of 9.9s from Mohini Bhardwaj and Heidi Moneymaker.
In first place after rotation one, the Bruins then moved to vault, where they scored four
9.9s (Kristin Parker, Lena Degteva, Bhardwaj and Moneymaker) to account for a 49.45
and a seven-tenths lead.
While the Bruins were on a bye in rotation three, Alabama closed to within four-tenths,
and Nebraska pulled to within .425. Each subsequent Bruin routine would be critical. On
bars, a 9.9 from Degteva and a 9.95 from Bhardwaj brought the Bruins a solid 49.35
score and kept their lead at seven-tenths ahead of Utah, but with the beam remaining.
As the leadoff performer, freshman Doni Thompson gave the Bruins just what they
needed - a career-high 9.8. Parker followed with a 9.775, Jones recorded a 9.75, and
Moneymaker provided a 9.85. After Degteva dismounted with a 9.825, UCLA knew it
had done all it could do to win the title. Bhardwaj capped the meet with a 9.875 and
gave UCLA a second consecutive 24 for 24 performance.
The Bruins spent the final rotation on a bye in the locker room and waited as the other
schools tried to overtake their 197.3 final score. The closest competitors needed more
than 49.725 (9.945 average) to tie. None of the teams came close, and UCLA won its
second national title.
UCLA continued its winning ways at the Individual Event Finals, as Bhardwaj won the
uneven bars title, and Degteva won the balance beam crown.
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