UCLA Coach Feels Good Despite Loss

This early in the season, UCLA women’s gymnastics Coach Valorie Kondos isn’t looking to victories for satisfaction. Instead, she wants to see her team compete against the nation’s best.

In the second meet of the season for both Georgia and UCLA, the No. 3 Bruins fell to the top-ranked Bulldogs, 195.800-193.500, before 2,144 Sunday night at Pauley Pavilion.

While Kondos came away with a loss, she also came away happy.

“I am shocked at how good we are,” said Kondos, whose team won the national championship in 1997. “We’re kind of scary good. Before this weekend, I felt we were one of the top 10 teams in the country. After this weekend, I think we’re the top team in the country if we hit.”

Kondos said rather than stressing a victory, she wanted to see how some of her gymnasts compete in certain events against the defending national champion.

For Georgia on Sunday, sisters Kristi and Karin Lichey finished one-two, respectively, in the all-around competition, and Georgia (2-0) made it eight consecutive head-to-head victories over the Bruins in what has become the biggest rivalry in collegiate women’s gymnastics.

Georgia and UCLA have won the last two national championships, and are the only two teams to be in every NCAA Super Six Team Finals since its inception in 1993.

The highlight for the Bruins was Mohini Bhardwaj’s personal-best 9.950 in the vault. Bhardwaj also shook off a fall in the uneven bars for a 9.725 on the balance beam, which caught Kondos’ eye.

“Often after a fall, especially early in the year, you see someone get nervous and then you see two or three falls,” Kondos said.

Kondos also has history making her happy. In 1997, the Bruins lost their home opener to Georgia before winning the title.

Kristi Lichey’s 39.250 was the top individual score, followed by her sister’s 39.000. Bhardwaj’s 38.800 was the top score for the Bruins.

Event winners were Georgia’s Jenni Beathard, 9.950 in the uneven bars, UCLA’s Heidi Moneymaker, 9.850 in the balance beam and Georgia’s Sam Muhleman, 9.925 in the floor exercise.

It was Georgia’s 36th consecutive victory.