CLEVELAND "”mdash; You could see the tension. Covered white with chalk, toes fiercely gripped the leather skin of the balance beam, refusing to let go. Read more...

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Junior Tauny Frattone competes on floor for UCLA. She performed the Bruins’ first routine of the meet.

The 12 best collegiate gymnastics teams in the nation are set to vie for a spot in the Super Six team finals and, ultimately, the NCAA Championships. Read more...

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Freshman Samantha Peszek and No. 2 seed UCLA strive to defend the Bruin title in the NCAA Championships to take place this weekend in Cleveland.

Every meet, when a UCLA gymnast toes the line before sprinting down the vault runway, P.J. Irvin is the first one to start clapping his hands in encouragement. Read more...

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Former UCLA offensive lineman P.J. Irvin (left) is in his third year as a volunteer assistant for the gymnastics team under coach Valorie Kondos Field (middle).

For most students, spring break presents a perfect opportunity to become a couch potato. But for the UCLA gymnastics team, a week without classes meant exactly the opposite: a chance to increase the intensity of training. Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs said she enjoyed being able to practice without having to worry about school.
"Especially since we have a lot of science majors on the squad "“ not that it really matters what your major is "“ the break was just so relieving for everyone," the junior gymnast said. Read more...

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Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs and the Bruins are headed to the NCAA Championships in Cleveland.

The UCLA gymnastics team that showed up for the NCAA Athens Regional was not ready to give up its national title without a fight. Read more...

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Freshman Olivia Courtney competes on vault earlier in the year. Courtney was the NCAA Athens Regional all-around champion, while the Bruins won the regional title and earned a trip to the NCAA Championships, which starts April 15 in Cleveland.

Spring break is over, and the new quarter has begun. While other students are out socializing before midterms take over, the UCLA gymnastics team is just focused on one thing "“ the NCAA title. Read more...

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Junior Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs performs on the beam in a tri-meet on March 6.

Correction: The original version of this caption contained an error. Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs is pictured performing on the beam.