The Bruin's last visit to T-town was in 1996 when they placed second in Nationals to the hosting Bama team. There are parallels this year between the way Alabama and UCLA have been building to this final meet of the regular season. They started their season off slowly, resting the injured, and building depth. The Bruin's patience appears to be paying off. They competed twice in one weekend scoring 197.05 and then 198.35, setting a school record and becoming the only 198+ team in the country so far. They will be well rested for Saturday as they did not compete last weekend. Several of the Bruins are former Olympians, bringing not only skill but also a wealth of experience in competition. Sophomore Jamie Dantzscher has 7 consecutive 10's on floor exercise to her credit this season. But she alone is not the strength of this team. They have a lot of depth, with several athletes ready to step up, compete and be counted.

In the All-around, the Bruins have three strong competitors. Besides Dantzscher's phenomenal success on floor this year, she has also scored 10's on vault and bars. She has a season high of 39.9 in the All-Around. Her consistency is apparent in her first place ranking on bars and second place on vault. She is executing cleanly and confidently on beam, which was her nemesis in the past. Bama fans may have to wait until Nationals to see her perfect 10 floor routine, as Coach Valorie Kondos Field has indicated plans to rest Dantzscher on this event on Saturday. Expect to see sophomore Yvonne Tousek to go All-around. She currently ranks 4th on bars. Her routine is fluid with beautiful extension and toe point, similar to that of our own Canadian Natalie Barrington. Her grace follows onto the balance beam. She has thrown her signature move the "tousek" in competition this season a few times. Hopefully we will get a chance to see it this weekend. Watch for a back handspring looking move going crossways on the beam instead of along the length of it. Junior Onnie Willis may be rested on some events this weekend. She is explosive on vault, ranking 7th in the nation. Her consistency is a huge asset to this team. She has hit 24 bar routines in a row with no misses. In her college career she has hit all but one floor routine. And it is on floor that her performance is perhaps most memorable. She makes the most of every beat of the music.

It is UCLA's floor routines in general that get the most attention, and deservedly so. Kondos Field's background in choreography is obvious. Each gymnast's routine is unique to her physical abilities as well as her personality and Kondos Field is able to bring out the best of each of her athletes on this event. She can highlight the power and poise of Dantzscher, the rhythm and energy of Wilis, and the elegance and lyrical qualities of Tousek. Sophomore Alyssa Beckerman and Junior Malia Jones were added to the floor line up just over one-month ago. Both came out strong and have continued to be high scoring, reliable performers for their team.

Beckerman is the anchor for this team on balance beam. Her calm and fluid disposition on the beam emits such confidence, that an observer may be quite shocked if she actually did fall off. They are ranked 2nd in the nation on this event. They have a lot of choices when it comes to picking the line-up as there are many potential high scorers on this team, but they have struggled to hit all six routines throughout the season. Junior Kristin Parker is trying to get back into her rhythm on this event after injuries earlier this season. She has, in the past, been a strong and very consistent performer on beam. Jones and freshman Michelle Conway can also be expected to post high scores on this event when they hit.

The Bruins rank 4th on the vault. Parker is integral to UCLA's success on this event. The return of Sophomore Jeanette Antolin has boosted the team's scoring potential. Most of their gymnasts in the line-up will be vaulting from a base score of 10.0. This could be their most improved event during the 2002 season, as they struggled with landings early on.

Their most consistent event this season has been the uneven bars where they rank 1st in the nation. Bama is close on their heels in 2nd. Dantzscher has scored 9.975 or better in 8 out of 9 meets this season. Willis has hit 24 bar routines in a row. Junior Doni Thompson a key member on this event has hit 38 of 40 routines in her college career, and is 10 for 10 this season. And Tousek is just so very refined.

This meet will be a gauge for both teams as to the level of competition they could expect to see at Nationals. UCLA will also have the chance to scout out the venue. For fans, it will provide some of the best gymnastics under one roof... at least until April.