Sometimes you win some and sometimes you lose some, but the No. 17 Arizona gymnastics team is still looking to take their first win of the season and hope to do so against No. 4 UCLA on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. in McKale Center.
“We are excited to start our Pac-12 slate,” Arizona head coach John Court said. “We have seen two quality teams already and UCLA will be the third. They have enough talent to win it all this year. Our training plan is done ahead of time and although we tweek it week to week, our performance goals remain the same for this time of season regardless of opponent.”
After falling behind Iowa State with a close score of 195.450 to 194.975, the GymCats have been in full swing and are preparing to host their first Pac-12 Conference meet. The Bruins on the other hand are coming to McKale Center undefeated with wins over Ohio State, Utah, Washington and Stanford.
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Competing for UCLA is sophomore Kyla Ross who is currently No. 3 for All-Around performance with a high of 39.550. Not far behind Ross is Arizona senior Madison Cindric who stands at No. 7 with a high of 39.250. Cindric placed third in the All-Around competition against Iowa State with a score of 39.025, therefore Cindric will need to have powerful performances in all events to out due Ross.
The balance beam will be one of the events that will be important for the Wildcats to score high on, so with dominant performances they will have a higher chance of coming out on top. The GymCats will need to watch out for UCLA’s Christine Peng-Peng Lee who is currently No. 14 on the beam earning a high of 9.925. The senior comes into the meet with back-to-back weeks as the Pac-12 Specialist of the week.
“Beam was our highest scoring event last weekend, they [GymCats] closed out the meet the way they needed to and we were proud of them,” Court said. “All 24 routines and events have to be balanced in order for us to have success and our depth has to improve over the next couple weeks.”
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Lee also will be a tough competitor for the ‘Cats on the uneven bars as she is tied for the No. 1 spot earning a 9.975. The uneven bars has been the GymCats highest scoring event and will be crucial to take the win against the Bruins.
“We [GymCats] need to continue to stay together and bring our energy. Hitting our first two sets on each event, controlling the landings, handstands and increasing our level of individual performance will be what we strive for,” Court said.
The GymCats hit the floor against the Bruins on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. and will be hosting their third annual “Mommy and Me” meet where they will recognize all mothers in the stands along with the athletes mothers.
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