UCLA Senior Samantha Peszek Wins NCAA Balance Beam Title
April 19, 2015 | Gymnastics
On balance beam, Peszek tried her hand at a standing full to back pike to back handspring in warmups but in competition “settled” on just the standing full, which she hit to perfection. She also added a front aerial-back handspring and stuck her back handspring/layout/full twist dismount to score 9.950 and jump past Stanford's Ivana Hong, who had just taken the lead with 9.9375.
Peszek began her day on the floor exercise as the second of 15 competitors. She hit a powerful double layout to start her routine and a double pike to close and scored 9.8875, eventually finishing in a tie for ninth place.
The Pac-12 Conference proved to be the Conference of Champions during the event finals, winning three of the four titles. Along with Peszek's beam win, Stanford freshman Elizabeth Price won vault with a score of 9.9333, and Utah's Georgia Dabritz won uneven bars with a score of 9.9625. Florida's Kytra Hunter won the floor title with a 9.9625. Additionally, the Pac-12 went 1-2-3 on beam, with Peszek in first, Hong in second and Oregon State's Madeline Gardiner in third (9.925). Peszek ends her career with three NCAA titles and 17 All-America honors.
“I don't think I could have planned this any better if I tried,” Peszek said about finishing her gymnastics career with the balance beam title. “Coming into the meet, it was all about the team for me. The fact that I was able to do well individually and am able to leave gymnastics and leave the sport that I have done for 21 years in peace, knowing that I have done everything that I can possibly do … I think I checked all of the boxes and I feel good and excited to start the rest of my life.”