UCLA Holds Off CS Fullerton to Win West Regionals

The UCLA women’s gymnastics team defeated Cal State Fullerton three times during the regular season.

So, it was hardly surprising when the No. 2-ranked Bruins--led by Kim Hamilton and Tanya Service--held off No. 6 Cal State Fullerton Saturday night to win the regional team title and advance to the national championships, April 14-15, at Athens Ga.

The Bruins outscored the Titans, 193.25-191.85. Defending regional champion Oregon State was third with 190.85 points, and Washington was fourth at 187.70. Fullerton, which had not advanced to the nationals in two years, also qualified for the meet at Athens.

“It was closer than I thought,” UCLA Coach Jerry Tomlinson said of Saturday’s competition. “We trained to do this well. In fact, I feel we should have done better. It was not one of our more polished meets, especially the bars.”

The Bruins, who will be making their fourth consecutive trip to the nationals, held a .55-point advantage over Fullerton after the first rotation. But UCLA fell behind the Titans after the second set of scores when the Titans scored well on the beam, and UCLA struggled on the uneven bars.

Fullerton totaled 96.35 points to UCLA’s 96.10.

“In my mind, certain things needed to happen (for us to contend),” Fullerton Coach Lynn Rogers said. “One of them was going five for six on the beam.”

Which Fullerton accomplished, placing three in the top five finishers in the event.

That pressured UCLA, because the Bruins next rotation was the beam, one of the more difficult events.

“It was extremely critical going into the beam,” Tomlinson said. “I was worried, only because we were going to the balance beam, and you have to stay on (the beam) in order to stay in the running.”

Service, who was second in the all-around competition, won the beam with a 9.90.

“We still have things to work on in the next two weeks,” Service said.

Hamilton was the all-around champion.