NCAA Gymnastics

skatfan

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8,372
I guess it makes the most sense to try to make her mark elsewhere. Ms. Val's shadow will be hard to escape.

She's more than ready to take on her own team, and I think there will be a few years of adjustment for UCLA after Miss Val's departure. She was a one-of-a-kind head coach, so it'll be interesting to see how adjustments are made.
 

HeatherC

Searching for Sanity
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11,845
^^^THAT is awesome! I'm so happy that she accomplished her goal and I'm with her hubby...I got teary watching her walking at her wedding too! :wuzrobbed :cheer:
 

barbk

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8,219
Shocking story in the LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/california/...recruits-children-coaches-admissions-20190721

"One of the nine women, however, stood apart. Maria Caire’s team biography had no record of a competitive career.

UCLA listed Caire as a past member of Pasadena-based Club Champion Gymnastics, but top gymnasts who trained at the club during the same period told The Times they had never seen her practice. There is no record of her participating in a meet for the club.


Caire, however, had something other aspiring collegiate gymnasts didn’t. Her uncle was a close friend of UCLA’s legendary coach, Valorie Kondos Field. In a book published last year, Kondos Field described the student’s uncle as “one of my dearest friends.” Property records show they owned a condominium together in the late 1990s."

...then it goes on to give many other examples at UCLA.

I am massively disappointed. I thought UCLA was better than this. I was wrong.
 

bardtoob

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14,559
I am massively disappointed. I thought UCLA was better than this. I was wrong.

I am relieved this is not more serious gymnastics news.

At least this is not a bribe.

Also, I am certain this person earned her degree by going to class, studying, and doing the academic work. I don't think that is true for those rich kids involved in bribery.

However, pulling strings is everywhere. It doesn't make it right, but it is true. It is interesting to note that the kids of faculty and staff often get stuff like tuition free enrollment and rubber stamp admissions.

I also think most would automatically believe the child of a coach would know the sport their parent coaches.

There is more disturbing things than this.
 
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Rob

Beach Bum
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It’s true that strings are pulled, but I am surprised UCLA would waste a roster spot.
 

Aceon6

Wrangling the duvet into the cover
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It’s true that strings are pulled, but I am surprised UCLA would waste a roster spot.
Somebody’s got to spot practice, set up bars, and monitor the gear. As long as it’s not a scholarship slot...
 

annie720

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1,303
Somebody’s got to spot practice, set up bars, and monitor the gear. As long as it’s not a scholarship slot...

And as long as the person is academically qualified and not just using the Caire/family friend connection as their only means to gain admittance to the school...
 

barbk

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And as long as the person is academically qualified and not just using the Caire/family friend connection as their only means to gain admittance to the school...

I tutored enough UCLA recruited athletes in football and basketball to know that "academically qualified" had a whole different meaning when it came to recruited athletes in high visibility sports. Sports with lower visibility back then -- like swimming, crew, volleyball and gymnastics -- tended to have very good students. These days, gymnastics is a very high visibility sport, and I have no idea what the academic chops of recruited athletes are like at UCLA in gymnastics. I do know that UCLA turns away tens of thousands of academically qualified applicants every year. As a (at least nominally) publicly supported university, "side door" admissions like hers are inappropriate, even if they aren't illegal. There are plenty of qualified UCLA students who would be thrilled to have a team association like a manager role for a sport like this.
 

bardtoob

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But, as a UCLA grad, I'm disappointed. It is a public university that gets more than 120K applicants/year and turns many away. Admission is not supposed to work like this there.

Well, it is questionable that athletics is considered AT ALL, especially when athletes are competing within their own separate candidate pool ... But then their is:bribe: from getting alumnus out to Pasadena a few times a year, if not campus.
 
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Rob

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15,218
With the injury taking her out of Worlds contention, and her Olympic chances dwindling, I wonder if Alyona decided to go for the SEC experience instead of the B1G.
 

Lucy25

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With the injury taking her out of Worlds contention, and her Olympic chances dwindling, I wonder if Alyona decided to go for the SEC experience instead of the B1G.
If she is going to be able to get into LSU’s rotation, this is absolutely the best choice. SEC has the best competition, and the meets at LSU are wildly popular. Plus (selfishly for me), the SEC Network broadcasts the meets every Friday, so I will be watch. Big10 Network hardly shows any meets.
 

Rob

Beach Bum
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15,218
Some other sites are saying Alyona (and Polina) were pro Rhonda Faehn so Alyona started thinking about other options when Rhonda was fired so quickly.
Jay Clark was quoted as saying they can rehab her ankle more efficiently in college than in a club environment and he sees her doing bars/beam in 2020 and doesn’t rule out floor/vault fairly soon.
 

Aceon6

Wrangling the duvet into the cover
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Ohashi’s SI Body Issue photos are gorgeous. Good for her for agreeing to do it. Based on recent interviews, it seems it was yet another step in leaving the dysmorphia behind.
 

Rob

Beach Bum
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15,218
Ohashi’s SI Body Issue photos are gorgeous. Good for her for agreeing to do it. Based on recent interviews, it seems it was yet another step in leaving the dysmorphia behind.
They are beautiful. I’m so glad she’s getting so much positive attention.
 

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