UCLA
Arkansas
No. 4 UCLA Wins Season Opener vs. Arkansas
January 07, 2017 | Gymnastics
Los Angeles - Pauley Pavilion was pure gold today, as Olympic gold medalist Madison Kocian won the all-around and three events in her collegiate debut to lead No. 4 UCLA to a season-opening victory over Arkansas, 195.7-195.35. Fellow Olympic gold medalist Kyla Ross tied for first on bars and was third on vault in her first meet as a Bruin.
With Olympic all-around champion Simone Biles in the crowd cheering on the Bruins, who also have 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordyn Wieber on the coaching staff, UCLA clinched the victory on the last routine of the night. Senior Hallie Mossett scored 9.8 on her Beyonce medley floor exercise routine to solidify the win.
Video: Madison Kocian Post-Meet Interview | Video: Kyla Ross Post-Meet Interview | Video: Simone Biles Interview
Kocian proved that she wasn't just an uneven bars specialist with her strong all-around performance. She scored 9.875 on bars and floor, 9.85 on beam and 9.825 on vault. Ross also had a strong showing, scoring a pair of 9.875s on sticking her vault for a 9.875 and her uneven bars dismount to score with a 9.875. The duo made history by becoming the first Olympic gold medalists to compete in NCAA Gymnastics.
Sophomore Madison Preston was outstanding on her two events, tying for first on vault with a 9.9 on a stuck Yurchenko full and on floor with a 9.875. Mikaela Gerber picked up her first career victory on balance beam with a stunning leadoff routine that scored 9.85. Christine Peng-Peng Lee also secured an individual victory with a 9.875 on bars that tied her for first place. Lee performed three daring release moves – a toe-on Tkatchev, a full-twisting Pak salto and a Shaposh half.
Watch some of the highlights from UCLA's season-opening win over Arkansas. #GoBruins #BruinBold pic.twitter.com/Fo8xTnPSzQ
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) January 8, 2017
Using 13 competitors throughout the day, including four freshmen on vault, the Bruins scored 49.25 on vault and bars in the first two rotations but lost some steam on beam and floor, scoring 48.725 and 48.475, respectively. UCLA showed tremendous difficulty and the heart of a champion on balance beam, however, with both Lee and Katelyn Ohashi saving a fall on two of the most difficult tumbling series being done in collegiate gymnastics. Lee was off-balance on the landing of her backhandspring/two-foot layout but did a quasi-attitude turn to stay on the apparatus. Ohashi attempted a backhandspring/backhandspring/layout full for the first time in a collegiate meet and managed to stay on the balance beam despite landing on just one foot.
Save of the year! @PengPengCLee pic.twitter.com/s5CWwicDUE
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) January 8, 2017
Save of the day, part 2 @katelyn_ohashi pic.twitter.com/V4pxCkgIg5
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) January 8, 2017
The Bruins ignited the Pauley Pavilion crowd on floor exercise in the last rotation even with two falls. With the meet on the line, Mossett delivered on the final routine. She had the crowd buzzing at the top of the routine with her opening pose and stuck whip to double tuck tumbling pass and then whipped the crowd into a frenzy when she danced to "Singles Ladies". She safely landed her double pike last pass to secure the victory with her 9.8.
All hail Queen Hallie! 9.8 wins it for UCLA! pic.twitter.com/KevwcXlprX
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) January 8, 2017
"Our athletes put on a show," said UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos Field. "This is the biggest crowd for a first meet in UCLA's history (6,513), and I believe every one of them will come back because our girls just stayed in the game and put on a show."
UCLA (1-0) returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 15 at top-ranked and defending NCAA champion Oklahoma.
Players Mentioned
