Many of Nation’s Top Gymnasts Competing in UCLA Invitational

The UCLA men’s gymnastics team, ranked third nationally, and No. 5 Illinois and No. 8 Arizona State are among six teams competing in the annual UCLA/Times Men’s Gymnastics Invitational at 4 p.m. Sunday at Pauley Pavilion.

The meet also features New Mexico, Minnesota and Stanford and seven of the country’s top 20 performers in the all-around. Arizona State is defending NCAA champion, and UCLA is defending Pac-10 champion.

Bruin sophomore Curtis Holdsworth, defending NCAA champion in the pommel horse, is the nation’s top-rated all-arounder, and his teammates include No. 4 David St. Pierre, No. 10 Luc Teurlings and No. 14 David Moriel. Minnesota’s Collin Godkin is No. 11 and David Romero of Illinois No. 17.

In individual events, top-ranked gymnasts are Paul Linne of Arizona State on the high bar, Minnesota’s Godkin on the parallel bars and Tuerlings in the vault. Jerry Burrell and Moses Dungca of the Sun Devils share top ranking in floor exercise. For ticket information, call UCLA-101.

UCLA’s fourth-ranked women gymnasts, winners of five consecutive meets, will play host to Florida at 7:30 tonight at John Wooden Center.

Last week Bruin freshman Jill Andrews won the all-around with a 37.55 as UCLA toppled then-No. 4 Cal State Fullerton, 184.95 to 183.30.

Pepperdine, UCLA and USC, the only men’s volleyball teams to win NCAA championships in the 1980s, will compete with eighth-ranked Stanford in the UCLA/Reebok Collegiate Volleyball Classic on Friday and Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.

In Friday openers, defending NCAA champion Pepperdine will meet No. 4 USC at 6 p.m., and No. 2 UCLA faces Stanford at 8 p.m. On Saturday, the consolation match starts at 5:30 and the championship match at 7:30.

Preseason All-Americans, selected by Volleyball Monthly, who will play in the tournament include first-team members Adam Johnson and Tom Duke of USC and Pepperdine’s Troy Tanner and Matt Rigg as well as second-team selections Ozzie Volstad of UCLA, Scott Fortune of Stanford and Pepperdine’s Rob Scott.

For ticket information, call UCLA-101.

The Loyola Marymount baseball team, which was 50-15 last year and went to the College World Series, will play a double-header with second-ranked UCLA this weekend.

The Lions will play host to the Bruins at 2:30 p.m. Friday at George C. Page Stadium, and the teams will meet again at 1 p.m. Saturday at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Loyola Coach Dave Snow, NCAA co-coach of the year last season, has 14 players from a team that tied Pepperdine for the West Coast Athletic Conference title, captured the NCAA West Regional championship and won a game in the world series.

Topping the veterans is junior third baseman Chris Donnels, a unanimous choice for WCAC player of the year last season. He hit .350 and set school records for home runs in a season with 29 and for career homers with 29. His 91 runs batted also were a school mark.

Other experienced players include junior shortstop Carl Fraticelli, who hit .333 last season; sophomore second baseman Bobby DeJardin (.289), senior first baseman-designated hitter Todd Elliott (.313, 56 RBIs) and senior catcher Jim McAnany (.291, 8 homers).

Pitchers returning are senior right-hander Jeff Goettsch, who was 9-5 with a 3.93 earned-run average, lefty Eric Reinholtz (5-1) and right-handers Kalani Bush, a sophomore, and Andrew Peruzzi, a junior.

Pauley Pavilion will be the site tonight of a Pac-10 Conference double-header in women’s basketball.

USC, 13-6 overall and 7-2 and in second place in the Pac-10 as the week began, will meet Stanford (11-8 and 5-4) at 6. UCLA (12-7, 5-4) will face Cal (11-7, 3-6) at 8.

Last week the Bruins split conference road games, losing to first-place Washington, 77-64, but defeating last-place Washington State, 67-63. Against the Cougars, Bruin senior guard Kristi Moore tied a school record for assists in a game with 15.

Starting freshman forward Sandra VanEmbricqs, sidelined since December with a knee strain, returned to action last week but averaged only about 12 minutes a game. Junior forward Dora Dome continues to lead the Bruins, averaging 16.9 points and 5.6 rebounds.

The UCLA men’s tennis team, 6-0 in dual matches, will play host to upset-minded UC Irvine, a recent winner over defending NCAA champion Stanford, at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on campus.

UCLA Coach Glenn Bassett said that the Anteaters are “a talented team that is capable of beating any opponent. It should be a good test before the beginning of Pac-10 Conference play.”

Last week the Bruins defeated Pepperdine, 8-1, and Georgia Tech, 9-0. In top singles matches, UCLA’s Dan Nahirny defeated Pepperdine’s Andrew Snaidjer, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, and Kenny Thorne of Georgia Tech, 6-4, 6-3.

UCLA, which has won the last two Pac-10 Southern Division championships, will open conference play when it entertains Arizona at 1 p.m. Feb. 13 and Arizona State at 1 p.m. Feb. 14.

Bassett said his Bruins are “playing well, but the season is young and the tough matches are ahead. USC is still the team to beat in the Pac-10 race.”

The No. 9 UCLA women’s tennis team (4-0) will play host to the University of San Diego at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Sunset Canyon courts on campus.

This weekend Bruin senior Jane Thomas and sophomore teammate Jennifer Fuchs will compete in the Rolex National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in Richmond, Va.

Last week the Bruins topped UC Irvine, 9-0, and Pepperdine, 6-3.

The No. 8 Pepperdine baseball team, which opened its season this week with an 11-9 victory over UC Santa Barbara, will be at Cal State Northridge at 2:30 p.m. Friday and play its home opener against Cal Poly Pomona at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Waves also will play host to UCLA at 1 p.m. Sunday, to Cal State Fullerton at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and to Cal State Los Angeles at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.