UCLA Ties NCAA Record

UCLA reclaimed its No. 1 national ranking in women’s gymnastics Monday after tying the NCAA record for the highest team score in a dual-meet victory.

The Bruins finished with 198.575 points to beat Washington’s 194.8 in the meet and tie the record set by Georgia in the 1998 NCAA Southeast Regional. UCLA has surpassed 198.000 in three meets this season.

“To score 198 is something, but to do it three times is wonderful,” UCLA Coach Valorie Kondos Field said. “The second thing is we did this coming after a tough meet up at Stanford. We were tired and a little banged up, but the girls gave us some great leadership.”

Jamie Dantzscher pushed the Bruins to the record-tying mark when she was awarded a perfect 10 score in floor exercise, capping a performance that included Malia Jones’ career-high 9.95 and Onnie Willis’ 9.975 in the event. Dantzscher won the NCAA all-around title last season.

“I didn’t realize it until the score came up and Jamie’s mom screamed and ran down from the stands,” Kondos Field said.

A favorite to win its fourth NCAA title in April, the Bruins opened the season atop the rankings and ended No. 2-ranked Utah’s 23-year home meet winning streak. But they haven’t been untouchable, having lost a dual meet at Oregon State and tied Stanford on Friday.

That wasn’t the case Sunday. Willis won the all-around title with a 39.800 score. Dantzscher had a 10 to win the vault and tied with Willis for first place on the uneven bars. Freshman Kate Richardson took the balance beam with a 9.975. Kondos Field said the performance meant more because John Wooden was in the crowd of 1,353.

“One of the girls pointed out that he was in the stands and everyone just got that much more excited,” she said. “We fed off of that energy.”

-- Eric Stephens