UCLA Women's Gymnastics

UCLA Women's Gymnastics Weekly Press Release • January 11, 2012 UCLA Sports Information • PO Box 24044 • Los Angeles, CA 90024-0044 SID Contact: Liza David • Phone: 310/206-8140 • Fax: 310/825-8664 • Email: [email protected] Website: www.uclabruins.com No. 1 UCLA Travels North to Face California on Sunday Bruins coming off season-opening win over Utah.

UCLA at Cal Sunday — Preseason No. 1 UCLA (1-0) travels to Northern California to take on Pac-12 2012 UCLA Schedule foe California (1-0) on Sunday, Jan. 15 at Haas Pavilion. The meet is scheduled to begin at 2 pm. Date Opponent Time Admission is free. Live scoring will be available at calbears.com. 1/8 UTAH W 196.075-196.05 In The Rankings — UCLA opens the season ranked No. 1 in the preseason coaches poll for the sec- 1/15 at California 2 pm ond consecutive year. The Bruins, who fi nished a close second at the 2011 NCAA Championships, 1/22 SAN JOSE STATE 2 pm received 932 points and eight of 40 fi rst-place votes, edging out defending champion Alabama, 1/27 at Washington 7 pm who had 17 fi rst-place votes and 926 points total. The Bruins will face nine of the Top 25 teams in 2/5 STANFORD 12:30 pm the polls this season, including fi ve in the Top 10. In addition to being voted No. 1 in the preseason 2/10 at IGI/Chicago Style Classic 7:30 pm CT national poll, UCLA is also picked No. 1 in the Pac-12 preseason coaches' poll, receiving six of eight vs. Boise St., Illinois, Missouri fi rst-place votes. Cal was picked to fi nish seventh, tied with Arizona State. 2/17 at Oregon State 7 pm About The Bruins — UCLA returns eight All-Americans from last year's NCAA runner-up squad, including 2/26 ARIZONA STATE 2 pm reigning NCAA beam champion Samantha Peszek and 2010 NCAA vault champion Vanessa Zamar- 3/2 at Georgia 7:30 pm ET ripa, who redshirted a year ago with a torn Achilles tendon. Other All-Americans back for UCLA are 3/11 OKLAHOMA 2 pm 10-time All-American Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, two-time honoree Aisha Gerber, 2011 Pac-10 Freshman 3/24 at Pac-12 Championships TBD of the Year Olivia Courtney, Monique De La Torre, Tauny Frattone and Sydney Sawa. The Bruins also 4/7 at NCAA Regionals TBD bring in an outstanding freshman class, led by 2010 U.S. fl oor exercise champion and World Cham- NCAA Championships - Duluth, GA pionships silver medalist Mattie Larson, as well as U.S. national team member Cassie Whitcomb. 4/20 NCAA Semifi nals TBD The Bruins are coached by UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame member Valorie Kondos Field. She is assisted 4/21 NCAA Super Six TBD by Associate Head Coach and 1992 Olympian Chris Waller. New to the staff in 2012 are familiar 4/22 NCAA Event Finals TBD faces to Bruin fans - assistant coach Randy Lane, who helped guide UCLA to two NCAA titles and Home meets are in BOLD CAPS and held at the John was the 2000 NACGC/W National Assistant Coach of the Year, and volunteer coach Amy Smith, who Wooden Center. All times are local to site. was the co-captain for UCLA's 1997 NCAA championship team. UCLA Season-High Marks About The Golden Bears — Cal returns all but one gymnast from last year's squad that fi nished sixth at the Pac-10 Championships. The Golden Bears, who are now under the guidance of fi rst-year Gymnast V UB BB FX AA Baer 9.825 – 9.375* – – head coach Danna Durante, won their season opener on the road last Friday, 190.375-189.725 Courtney 9.9 9.875 9.4 9.7 38.875 over Sacramento State. De La Torre – 9.85 – 9.65* – Frattone 9.95 – 9.775* 9.875 – UCLA holds a 57-1 regular season record against Cal, with the Golden Bears' lone win coming in 1985. Gerber – 9.9 9.8 9.75 – Bruins Win Opener Against Utah — UCLA took a big lead after the fi rst event with a postseason- Hopfner-Hibbs – 9.775* 9.325 9.675 – Larson 9.875 9.825 9.8 9.55 39.05 worthy vault rotation, nearly gave it all away on balance beam, but then hung on in the last rotation McDonald 9.8* – – – – to squeak out a season-opening 196.075-196.025 victory over No. 5 Utah on Jan. 8 at a sold-out Peszek 9.925 9.825 9.825 9.875 39.45 John Wooden Center. The Bruins started big with a whopping 49.55 on vault in the fi rst rotation, with Whitcomb – 9.725* – – – Wong – – 9.55 – – UCLA's last four gymnasts each scoring 9.9 or higher (9.9 from Olivia Courtney and Vanessa Zamar- Zamarripa 9.9 9.825 – – – ripa, 9.925 from Samantha Peszek and 9.95 from Tauny Frattone). After scoring 49.275 on bars to * - denotes exhibition take a 1.075 lead at the halfway point, the Bruins faltered on beam in rotation three, scoring just 48.375. UCLA held on in the fi nal rotation, scoring just enough on fl oor exercise (48.875) to squeak UCLA Career-High Marks out the victory by fi ve-one-hundredths of a point. Frattone and Peszek's 9.875 routines led the way. Gymnast V UB BB FX AA Peszek Wins All-Around in First Attempt — Competing all four events for the fi rst time since the Baer 9.85 – 9.775 9.85 – Courtney 9.95 9.9 9.9 9.9 39.5 2008 Olympic Trials, sophomore Samantha Peszek won the all-around vs. Utah with a score of De La Torre 9.85 9.925 9.775 9.75 38.5 39.45. Peszek, who was limited to three events in 2011 after suffering a foot injury in the early part Frattone 9.95 9.825 9.85 9.9 39.325 of the season, competed on fl oor exercise for the fi rst time since 2009 and scored 9.875 to tie for Gerber 9.9 9.925 9.925 9.925 39.55 Hopfner-Hibbs 9.95 9.925 10.0 9.95 39.6 second place. She had three second-place event fi nishes (vault - career-high 9.925, beam - 9.825 Larson 9.875 9.825 9.8 9.55 39.05 and fl oor - 9.875) in addition to her all-around win. McDonald 9.8* – – – – Peszek 9.925 9.925 9.9 9.875 39.45 Senior Strength — UCLA's senior class of Kaelie Baer, Tauny Frattone, Aisha Gerber and Elyse Pritchett 9.8 – – 9.8 – Hopfner-Hibbs provided strong performances and leadership in the season opener. All four seniors Sawa 9.9 9.9 9.825 9.925 39.275 saw action, with Baer competing on vault; Frattone on vault (9.95, fi rst place) and fl oor (9.875, sec- Whitcomb – 9.725* – – – Wong 9.85 9.9 9.825 9.9 – ond place); Gerber on bars (9.9, fi rst place), beam (9.8, third place) and fl oor; and Hopfner-Hibbs Zamarripa 10.0 9.975 9.95 9.95 39.7 on beam and fl oor. This was Baer's fi rst time in the competitive lineup since her freshman season * - denotes exhibition in 2009; she sat out 2010 and most of 2011 with injuries. Vaulting To Top — The Bruins were in postseason form on vault in the season opener, scoring 49.55 on their fi rst event of the year. The 49.55 ranks as the seventh-best team vault score in school his- tory and the highest ever by a Bruin team on vault in a season opener. Kaelie Baer kicked things off

with a leadoff score of 9.825. Mattie Larson followed with a 9.875, and then it was all 9.9+ from

¡ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ there, with Olivia Courtney going 9.9, Tauny Frattone tying her career-best for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. At the 2011 British Championships, with a 9.95, Samantha Peszek setting a new career-high with 9.925, and Francis won the gold medal on the beam for the second straight year and Vanessa Zamarripa closing with a 9.9. captured the silver medal in the all-around. Also in 2011, she fi nished 16th Frattone, who averages 9.855 in her career on vault, has posted 26 con- in the all-around at the European Championships. In 2010, she won both secutive vault scores of 9.8 or higher and has scored 9.9 or better in seven the beam and fl oor titles at the British Championships and was third in the of her last 10 attempts. She has 10 vault victories in her last 12 meets all-around. dating back to last year. DeJesus was a 2009 U.S. National Team member and three-time U.S. Zamarripa's 9.9 vs. Utah improved her 9.9+ scoring streak on vault to 10 Championship qualifi er. Her top fi nish at USAs came in 2009, when she consecutive meets. She has scored 9.9 or better in 21 of 26 vaults in her placed ninth in the all-around and on bars and fourth on beam. In 2008, career and has never scored lower than 9.8. Her career vault average is 9.919. she was 14th in the all-around and ninth on beam. DeJesus, who trains at SCEGA, was the Level 10 State champion in the all-around and bars in 2007. Zamarripa Returns To Competition — After sitting out the 2011 season with a torn Achilles tendon, redshirt junior Vanessa Zamarripa returned Lee is a Canadian national team member from Oakville, ON who formerly to competition for the fi rst time since the 2010 Visa Championships. The trained at Sport Seneca and is now at Oakville Gymnastics. Lee had a 2010 NCAA vault champion and Pac-10 Gymnast of the Year competed on breakthrough year in 2007, placing fi fth in the all-around, fourth on fl oor and two events for the Bruins against Utah, scoring 9.9 on vault and 9.825 on eighth on beam at the 2007 Pan American Games. In 2008, she claimed the uneven bars. Since Jan. 24, 2010, Zamarripa has hit 45 consecutive routines beam and fl oor titles at the Canadian national championships. After sitting in team competition. out two years due to injury, Lee returned to action in December of 2010 and won the all-around at Elite Canada. In 2011, she helped lead Canada to Larson Shines In Bruin Debut — Sunday's meet marked the collegiate debut an 11th-place fi nish at the World Championships and a silver medal at the of former U.S. National Team star Mattie Larson. The Bruin freshman placed Pan American Games. She also placed 19th in the all-around at the World fourth in the all-around with a score of 39.05 and had strong performances Championships and fourth at the Pan Am Games. on vault (9.875), bars (9.825) and beam (9.8). Heart of a Champion Meet — UCLA's second annual Heart of a Champion Bruins Sweep Pac-12 Weekly Awards — UCLA swept the fi rst ever Pac-12 meet will take place on Sunday, Jan. 22 when the Bruins host San Jose Gymnastics weekly awards, with sophomore Samantha Peszek and senior State at 2 pm. The Heart of a Champion meet helps raise funds for Camp Tauny Frattone being awarded the Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week and Pac- del Corazon, a non-profi t organization that provides a summer camp to 12 Special Performance of the Week honors, respectively, for the week of youngsters with heart disease. Jan. 2-8. Peszek won the all-around with a score of 39.45 to lead UCLA to a season-opening win over Utah. Frattone won the vault with a career-high Season and Single-Meet Tickets On Sale Now — Tickets for the 2012 tying 9.95 to lead UCLA to a team total of 49.55 on the event. The award season are on sale now. For just $30, fans can purchase a UCLA season was the third of Frattone's career and the fi rst for Peszek. ticket which includes seats in the center-most section at all fi ve home meets. Single-meet general admission tickets are also available for sale for $7 Sawa Out With Shoulder Injury — Sophomore All-American Sydney Sawa un- adults/$5 youth (16 and under). All home meets in 2012 will take place at derwent shoulder surgery on Jan. 3 but could return by the end of the season. the John Wooden Center. Tickets can be purchased online at www.tickets. UCLA Signs Two Standouts For 2013 — UCLA gymnastics head coach Valo- ucla.edu or by phone at 310-UCLA-WIN. rie Kondos Field announced the signings of British national team member UCLA to Host 2013 NCAA Championships — UCLA will host the 2013 NCAA Danusia Francis and former U.S. National Team member Sophina DeJesus Championships in Pauley Pavilion on Apr. 19-21, 2013. Pauley Pavilion to national letters-of-intent. They will be joined in the freshman class of 2013 will have a new look by 2013, as it is currently under renovation. It will be by Canadian national team member Peng Peng Lee, who signed last fall but reopened for intercollegiate athletic competition in Fall 2012. This will be deferred enrollment until after the 2012 Olympics. UCLA's fourth time hosting the NCAA gymnastics championships. The Bruins Francis competed at the 2011 World Championships for Great Britain, helping won the national title the last time they hosted in 2004, scoring an NCAA her team achieve a best-ever fi fth-place fi nish and a full team qualifi cation record 198.125. UCLA also previously hosted in 1998 and 1984.

2012 UCLA Gymnastics Roster Name Ht. Yr. Hometown (Club) Notes Kaelie Baer (KAY-lee BEAR) 5-6 Sr. Columbus, IN (DeVeaus) Scored 9.825 on vault 1/8 in ﬁ rst vault since 2009 Sadiqua Bynum (suh-DEE-ka) 5-4 Fr. Berkeley, CA (Head Over Heels Athletic Arts) Fifth in AA at 2011 Level 10 State Championships Olivia Courtney 5-2 So. Fairfax, VA (Orlando Metro) 2011 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year; Pac-10 V, UB champion Ellette Craddock (ah-LET) 5-5 Fr. San Francisco, CA (San Mateo Gymnastics Center) 2010 Level 10 State AA, UB, BB champion Monique De La Torre 5-3 Jr. Glendale, AZ (Carter's Gymnastics Academy) Tied for 3rd on UB at 2011 NCAA Championships Tauny Frattone (fra-TONE) 5-4 Sr. Lake Forest, CA (Olympic Gymnastics) Has won vault in 10 of her last 12 meets Aisha Gerber (AY-sha) 5-4 Sr. Cambridge, ON (Oakville Gymnastics) 2011 NCAA runner-up on BB, Pac-10 UB co-champion Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs (HOFF-ner) 5-0 Sr. Toronto, ON (Sports Seneca) 10-time All-American, 2011 Pac-10 FX champion Kassidy Kozai (COZE-eye) 4-11 So. Encino, CA (All Olympia Gymnastics Center) 2-time Junior Olympic National Team member Mattie Larson 5-2 Fr. Los Angeles, CA (All Olympia Gymnastics Center) 2010 World Championships silver medalist, U.S. FX champion Ti Liu (TEE lee-YOO) 5-3 Fr. Montreal, QC (Gymnix) Two-time junior Canadian BB champion Dana McDonald 5-3 Fr. Piedmont, CA (Darrell Boykins Gymnastics) 2007 Junior Olympic National Team member Samantha Peszek (PESH-eck) 5-1 So. Indianapolis, IN (Sharp's Gymnastics/De Veau's) 2011 NCAA BB champion, 2008 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Alyssa Pritchett 5-1 RJr. Orange, CA (Wildﬁ re Gymnastics) Sat out 2011 after undergoing foot surgery Sydney Sawa (SAW-wah) 5-2 So. Calgary, AB (Calgary Gymnastics Centre) 2009 Canadian AA/UB champion & 2-time Worlds competitor Cassie Whitcomb 5-3 Fr. Lexington, KY (Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy) U.S. National Team member from 2006-10 Lichelle Wong 5-4 Jr. Ossendrecht, Holland (TSH Heerenveen) 2-time Dutch AA champion & Worlds competitor Vanessa Zamarripa (zam-uh-REEP-uh) 5-1 RJr. O'Fallon, IL (Midwest Twisters) 2010 NCAA V champion, U.S. National Team member

Head Coach: Valorie Kondos Field, 22nd year Associate Head Coach: Chris Waller, 10th year Assistant Coach: Randy Lane, 8th year Volunteer Assistant Coach: Amy Smith

Team Managers: Brianna McCullough, Cory Tomlinson, Gina Provenzano

Kaelie Baer Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.825 9.375 Average 9.825 Season High 9.825 Career High 9.850 9.525 9.800 9.850 Olivia Courtney Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.900 9.875 9.400 9.700 38.875 Average 9.900 9.875 9.400 9.700 38.875 Season High 9.900 9.875 9.400 9.700 38.875 Career High 9.950 9.900 9.900 9.900 39.500 Monique De La Torre Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.850 9.650 Average 9.850 Season High 9.850 Career High 9.850 9.925 9.775 9.750 38.500 Tauny Frattone Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.950 9.775 9.875 Average 9.950 9.875 Season High 9.950 9.875 Career High 9.950 9.825 9.850 9.900 39.325 Aisha Gerber Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.900 9.800 9.750 Average 9.900 9.800 9.750 Season High 9.900 9.800 9.750 Career High 9.900 9.925 9.925 9.925 39.550 Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.775 9.325 9.675 Average 9.325 9.675 Season High 9.325 9.675 Career High 9.950 9.925 10.000 9.950 39.600 Mattie Larson Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.875 9.825 9.800 9.550 39.050 Average 9.875 9.825 9.800 9.550 39.050 Season High 9.875 9.825 9.800 9.550 39.050 Career High 9.875 9.825 9.800 9.550 39.050 Dana McDonald Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.800 Average Season High Career High 9.800

Scores in italic set or tied a personal record. Scores in bold set or tied a team record. Scores with a strike-through were exhibition. Gymnastics ScoreKeeper™ by Beaver Creek Software (541) 752-7263 www.beaverlog.com Licensed to: UCLA Statistics by Gymnast UCLA: 2011 - 2012 Season Page: 2

Samantha Peszek Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.925 9.825 9.825 9.875 39.450 Average 9.925 9.825 9.825 9.875 39.450 Season High 9.925 9.825 9.825 9.875 39.450 Career High 9.925 9.925 9.900 9.875 39.450 Cassie Whitcomb Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.725 Average Season High Career High 9.725 Lichelle Wong Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.550 Average 9.550 Season High 9.550 Career High 9.850 9.900 9.825 9.900 Vanessa Zamarripa Date Team Vault Bars Beam Floor AllArr H 1/08/2012 UCLA vs. Utah 9.900 9.825 Average 9.900 9.825 Season High 9.900 9.825 Career High 10.000 9.975 9.975 9.950 39.700