Kristina Comforte returns for the 2008 Bruins. |
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UCLA Gymnastics Team Ranked No. 4 In Pre-Season Coaches Poll
Dec. 18, 2007
Defending Pac-10 champion UCLA was voted No. 4 in the 2008 pre-season gymnastics coaches poll. The Bruins finished fourth overall at last year's NCAA Championships.
Head coach Valorie Kondos Field returns four All-Americans, including 2005 NCAA all-around champion and 2007 Pac-10 and West Region Gymnast of the Year Tasha Schwikert, as well as four-time All-American and Pac-10 balance beam co-champion Anna Li. UCLA also returns the services of two former National Team members who sat out most or all of last season with injuries - redshirt freshman Brittani McCullough and junior All-American Kristina Comforte - and welcome a talented six-member freshman class.
UCLA will face nine of the Top 25 teams in the polls this season, including No. 1 Georgia in Athens on Mar. 15, No. 3 Utah at home on Feb. 24, No. 5 Stanford in the home opener on Jan. 27 and again in Chicago on Feb. 8 and No. 6 Alabama at home in the Bruins' home finale on Mar. 9. The Bruins open the season against No. 11 Oregon State and No. 18 Arizona State on Jan. 4 at the Lady Luck Invitational in Las Vegas. UCLA's first home event will take place on Jan. 13 in the annual Meet the Bruins exhibition, held at the John Wooden Center.
2008 Women's Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1. Georgia - 866 points (28 first-place votes)
2. Florida - 788 (1)
3. Utah - 779 (3)
4. UCLA - 743
5. Stanford - 727 (2)
6. Alabama - 685
7. Nebraska - 641
8. Oklahoma - 620
9. Michigan - 593 (1)
10. LSU - 591
11. Oregon State - 503
12. Arizona - 402
13. Penn State - 385
14. Arkansas - 365
15. Denver - 365
16. Missouri - 310
17. Iowa State - 285
18. Arizona State - 256
19. Auburn - 237
20. Ohio State - 202
21. Michigan State - 197
22. West Virginia - 130
23. Illinois- Champaign - 124
24. Kentucky - 104
25. North Carolina State - 72
