UCLA
Oregon State
UCLA Scores Season-High 198.075 in Win over OSU
February 25, 2018 | Gymnastics
LOS ANGELES - Showtime hit Pauley Pavilion on Sunday, as No. 3-ranked UCLA put on a clinic on balance beam and floor exercise en route to a season-high total of 198.075 in a dual meet win over No. 8 Oregon State, who scored 196.525. The Bruins tied their school record on balance beam with a 49.725 and posted the third-highest floor exercise total in school history with a 49.775.
UCLA (10-2, 4-1 in the Pac-12) flirted with perfection all meet, with four scores of 9.975 by Kyla Ross on bars, Katelyn Ohashi and Christine Peng-Peng Lee on beam and Nia Dennis on floor. The very last competitor, however could not be denied. Ohashi tumbled, danced and moonwalked her way to a perfect score on floor exercise, her second 10 of the season. The score pushed UCLA past the 198 barrier for the first time this season.
TEN! TEN! TEN!@katelyn_ohashi and her Michael Jackson-inspired routine wows the judges yet again. pic.twitter.com/8Ne3FxdOun
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 26, 2018
The 198 did not come easy, however, as UCLA started the meet with a below average 49.125 on vault. Ross and Napualani Hall had the Bruins' top marks with 9.875s, which tied them for first place, but Oregon State (4-3, 3-3) held the lead after one rotation by scoring 49.150 on uneven bars.
The Bruins rallied in rotation two, scoring 49.45 on uneven bars. Dennis led off with a 9.9, her third-straight 9.9 or higher score on that event. Competing for the first time ever on uneven bars, redshirt freshman Anna Glenn turned in a 9.875, which was matched by Lee before Ross hit the first of four UCLA 9.975s. Oregon State, meanwhile scored 49.0 on vault, falling behind the Bruins by 0.425.
A 9??.9??7??5?? on bars for ?? Kyla Ross! pic.twitter.com/ZfS7zblRh4
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 25, 2018
Balance beam got off to a shaky start when leadoff performer Brielle Nguyen suffered a rare fall, but her teammates nullified that score with killer routines. Madison Kocian followed he with a 9.875, then it was 9.95s and 9.975s across the board the rest of the way, with Grace Glenn tying her career-high with a 9.95, Ohashi hitting a season-high 9.975, Ross scoring 9.95 and Lee going 9.975 for a 49.725. The score tied the school record that was set on Feb. 16, 2003 at Arizona State.
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— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 26, 2018
A 9??.9??7??5?? on beam for Katelyn Ohashi! pic.twitter.com/1ca4dJl1Gq
"It was exciting to see them rally after Brielle fell on balance beam, and it was exciting to see her rally and not give anything away once she did fall," said UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos Field. "She kept performing, she was beautiful, she was dialed-in, and that was super important for her team to be able to follow her."
Floor exercise was more of the same, as Kocian debuted her new floor exercise routine for a 9.9. Gracie Kramer nailed a career-high 9.95, and Ross matched her career-high with a 9.9. Dennis, who had been struggling with her Arabian double front first pass, changed it this week in training to a piked full-in, and the change paid off with a career-high 9.975. Felicia Hano followed with a 9.95, setting up Ohashi for her perfect score and for a national season-high team score of 49.775.
Welcome back to the floor, Madison Kocian!
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 26, 2018
The judges say: 9??.9??! pic.twitter.com/4T2PT4wEzX
First-time doing the piked full-in, and she nails it! @DennisNia with a career-high 9.975! #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/8u38CvEMp4
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) February 26, 2018
"They were on a mission, and you could see it as they were preparing, not just on the floor; you could see it as they were walking, getting their mind in the game," said Kondos Field. "That's what we're going to need to be able to win out the rest of the season."
The Bruins will next travel to Nebraska to compete in the Masters Classic on Sunday, Mar. 4 against the Huskers, Iowa State and Kent State.
Players Mentioned
