There’s an emphasis on visualization in UCLA gymnastics. Going into Friday night’s meet in Salt Lake City, gymnasts could see pointed toes, fluid choreography, all before performing. But above all, they were trying to self-manifest success.
Although the Bruins fell to third-ranked Utah, 197.225-197.100, they scored 49-plus points on all four events and were able to manifest their highest team score of the season on national television.
“Personally I (visualized) a lot. I feel like this week has been about just going out there and doing our gymnastics, no added pressure, just doing us,” Chae Campbell said. “As far as the team, we all know the importance of visualizing and our coach just been really honing in on that this week, and I feel like we’ve all really bought into that idea, and it paid off.”
No. 14 UCLA (4-1 overall, 3-1 Pac-12) found itself chasing Utah (7-1, 4-0) throughout the meet and was in a position to win in the final event. They scored 49.4+ on their final two events, earning 49.400 in floor exercise and a season-high 49.425 on the balance beam, but Utah’s Sydney Soloski secured a 9.25 in floor, the last routine of the evening, to lock up the Utes’ win.
Campbell, a freshman, had the top score of the night on the floor, however, notching a 9.950. The score helped her win the all-around title with a 39.425 that equaled her career-best mark.
Margzetta Frazier, another all-around competitor, won on the balance beam for the first time in her college career with a 9.925 mark and tied for second in vault with a new career-high (9.875). Frazier totaled a season-high 39.450.
The morning of the meet, Frazier received some extra motivation in the form of a call from Janet Jackson, one of her idols and the artist featured in the music for her floor routine.
“What I was telling Janet is that she is the reason why I love gymnastics, not because of gymnastics itself but because I make everything a performance,” Frazier said. “And I really try my best to make your performance to entertain, and that’s because of her.”
The Bruins got off to a solid start in the first rotation, scoring 49.100 on uneven bars, led by a season-high and meet-winning 9.900 from Nia Dennis and a career-high 9.875 from freshman Sara Ulias. Utah, meanwhile, totaled 49.300 on vault, paced by Alexia Burch’s 9.975.
UCLA hit five solid 9.8+ marks on the vault to score 49.175 in the second rotation. Frazier’s 9.875 was the Bruins’ top mark, and Campbell contributed a 9.850, while Pauline Tratz and Kendal Poston added 9.825s and Dennis a 9.800. The Utes upped their advantage to 98.525-98.275 after scoring 49.225 on the uneven bars.
The Bruins came roaring back on floor exercise in the third rotation, trimming the lead to just one-tenth of a point after a 49.400 team performance. Emma Andres kicked it off with her second straight 9.825. Sekai Wright followed with a career-high 9.875, and Tratz tied her season-best with a 9.900. After a 9.850 from Frazier, Campbell came through with her 9.950. After Utah scored 49.250 on beam, the stage was set for another tight battle in the final rotation, with the Utes on floor and the Bruins on beam.
The Bruins switched their lineup in the event after Dennis became a late scratch. Dennis, who won the uneven bars (9.900), stepped out of bounds during her floor routine. She did not compete on the beam, and UCLA indicated she was suffering dehydration.
Nicole Shapiro stepped in at the last minute and scored a 9.725 in her season debut.
“It was like, Nikki, you’re in. And from the warm-up, I didn’t feel her being aggressive on the beam. I felt, you know, that she was being cautious, didn’t want to make a mistake,” Coach Chris Waller said. “But when her name got called and it was time to go for real, it was a different Nikki. She stepped up, she stayed aggressive.”
Samantha Sakti tied for second on the beam (9.900) after struggling in the event the last two meets.
“We knew that we had to crush it on beam to win this thing,” Waller said. “And we lived in that moment, and for her to go up there and do one of her best routines at UCLA, it was a huge breakthrough for her, huge. That wasn’t luck.”
Poston led off with one of her strongest beam routines ever, scoring a season-high 9.875. Sakti, Frazier and Shapiro did their thing, and a pair of freshmen closed it out: Frida Esparza dropped a 9.875, and Campbell closed with a 9.850 to put the pressure on Utah’s Soloski to hit on the final routine.
UCLA has the chance to visualize another win on Feb. 27 when they host Oregon State at Pauley Pavilion.
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