Feb. 5, 2013

Pac-12 Interview with Gymnast of the Week Vanessa Zamarripa

UCLA senior Vanessa Zamarripa earned her third Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week award this season, while Bruin freshman Danusia Francis received her first-ever Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Week honor.

Zamarripa had another dominating performance in the Bruins' 196.925-196.200 win at 11th-ranked Stanford, scoring her seventh career perfect 10 on vault and winning the all-around with a season-high-tying 39.675. She also won the floor exercise with a 9.925 and placed second on uneven bars (9.85) and balance beam (9.9). Zamarripa's perfect 10 was the first 10 in the nation this season on vault and only the second 10 on any apparatus thus far. With her two event victories this weekend, Zamarripa has now placed first on nine of 14 routines this season, and she also has won the all-around in each of the three meets in which she has competed all four events. She currently ranks first in the nation on balance beam and floor exercise, second in the all-around, seventh on vault and 13th on uneven bars.

Francis won the balance beam for the third consecutive meet, scoring 9.925 at Stanford to tie her career-best. She ranks sixth in the nation on beam with an average of 9.881 that ranks second on the squad behind national-leader Zamarripa. Francis has Top 3 finishes on beam in all four meets and has hit all eight of her routines on the year.

This is Zamarripa's third Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week award in five weeks and her conference-record eighth in her career. It is also UCLA's 44th all-time. Francis' Freshman of the Week Award is the third by a Bruin this year.

Utah's Tory Wilson earned Special Performance of the Week honors.

UCLA competes at home on Sunday against Washington, UC Davis and Sacramento State at 2 pm.

Also Nominated:
Gymnast of the Week: Briana Gades, ASU; Serena Leong, CAL; Makayla Stambaugh, OSU; Ivana Hong, STAN; Lauren Rogers, WASH
Special Performance of the Week: Dallas Crawford, CAL; Kelsi Blalock, OSU; Pauline Hanset, STAN; Danusia Francis, UCLA; Sheridan Metcalf, WASH
Freshman/Newcomer of the Week: Lexi Mills, ARIZ; Serena Leong, CAL; Hailey Gaspar, OSU; Melissa Chuang, STAN; Breanna Hughes, UTAH; Allison Northey, WASH

2013 Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week
Jan. 8: Vanessa Zamarripa, UCLA; Jan. 15: Vanessa Zamarripa, UCLA; Jan. 22: Georgia Dabritz, Utah; Jan. 29: Ashley Morgan, Stanford; Feb. 5: Vanessa Zamarripa, UCLA

2013 Pac-12 Special Performance of the Week
Jan. 8: Nicole Dayton, Stanford; Jan. 15: Olivia Courtney, UCLA; Jan. 22: Tory Wilson, Utah; Jan. 29: Natasha Sundby, Arizona State; Feb. 5: Tory Wilson, Utah

2013 Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Week
Jan. 8: Sophina DeJesus, UCLA; Jan. 15: Hailey Gaspar, Oregon State; Jan. 22: Shelby Edwards, Arizona; Jan. 29: Sophina DeJesus, UCLA; Feb. 5: Danusia Francis, UCLA