Friday, April 19, 2002
Dantzschler, UCLA on course for gymnastics three-peat
By JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — UCLA Olympian Jamie Dantzschler captured the NCAA all around title Thursday night, but Alabama edged the Bruins in the preliminary round, setting up a showdown for the women's gymnastics championship.
The Bruins, chasing their third straight title and fourth in six years, fell to the top-seeded Crimson Tide 197.30 to 197.10 in Thursday's evening session. The Crimson Tide have won the previous two championships held at Coleman Coliseum and they get a chance for a third Friday night.
Dantzschler's 39.675 outpaced second-place Andree' Pickens of the Crimson Tide (39.625) and Utah's Theresa Kulikowski (39.60) in the all around.
Stanford also advanced from the evening session with a score of 196.05.
In the afternoon, nine-time champion Utah (196.775) held off Georgia (196.650) for the top score. Nebraska (196.575) also advanced.
The Tide lost all around competitor Raegan Tomasek for the night to an ankle injury about an hour before the competition started. She was listed as day-to-day for the rest of championships.
Alabama clinched the high score with a strong finish on the balance beam, getting 9.95s from Kristin Sterner and Pickens to end it.
Pickens' finale drew a standing ovation. The nine-time All-American missed last year's championships after rupturing an Achilles' tendon a few days before the meet.
Kulikowski's bid for a fourth NCAA individual title and a second all around crown fell short.
She returned to the all around competition on Feb. 15 for the first time in more than two years, having won that crown as a freshman in 1999. She missed the 2000 season because of a torn knee ligament and competed in only two events in last year's championships.
“The key was just patience and being smart,” said Kulikowski, who also has two NCAA runner-up finishes. “Right now, I'm very glad about the approach we took. Things have been turning out very well.”
Last year's all around co-champion, Michigan's Elise Ray, had the second best score of the first session (39.525) and teammate Calli Rylas was third at 39.475.
With four All-Americans limited by injury, Georgia had barely qualified for the championships, finishing 0.125 ahead of Denver in the regional. Coach Suzanne Yoculan had effectively challenged her team before the championships, calling them vulnerable and saying she wouldn't be surprised if they got beaten.
“We actually like it when Suzanne doesn't expect we're going to win, because it takes the pressure off us,” said Talya Vexler, who tied for third in the floor exercise. “We feel like she doesn't give us enough credit sometimes.”
Yoculan wasn't counting her team out for Friday.
“If the door's open, Georgia's going to kick it in your face and take advantage of it,” she said.
Utah, with just eight gymnasts competing, struggled to a 48.95 on the uneven bars, but bounced back strongly after a bye in the next rotation. They closed with a 49.45 on the balance beam, the session's high score in any event.
The stakes escalate on Friday night.
“Tomorrow night's the pinnacle,” Nebraska coach Dan Kendig said. “There's no more qualifying. You've just got to do your best, and really the pressure's off.”
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