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Kate Richardson and the UCLA gymnastics team face off against rival Stanford on Sunday at Pauley

The third-ranked UCLA gymnastics team will take on Pac-10 foe No. 7 Stanford at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday. Stanford and UCLA are the only two teams to win the Pac-10 title in the last seven years, including last year’s UCLA victory at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA is coming off a dominant performance against Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State. The Bruins ended with a score of 197.55, more than a full point higher than either opponent. But coach Valorie Kondos Field feels the team still has room to grow.

“I am hoping that our team will take it up a notch,” Kondos Field said. “We need to expand on our performance quality, which will also expand and build our confidence.”

Due to various injuries, the Bruins may rely on some less experienced gymnasts. This year’s meet against the Cardinal may hold a bit more importance after last year’s dual meet at Palo Alto, in which UCLA’s comeback effort resulted in identical scores of 197.45 for the Cardinal and the top-ranked Bruins.

This Sunday will be a new chapter in the largely one-sided rivalry between the two schools. UCLA leads the all-time series with a 34-4-1 record.

“Right now we’re pretty healthy, but we’ve got a few nicks and bruises that may force us to change our lineup, and we may not be able to put up our best lineup,” Kondos Field said. “Between now and then I hope we get some of our athletes healthy enough that they can compete on Sunday.”

UCLA has competed all season long without senior Jamie Dantzscher, who is still nursing an ankle injury. She is expected to return by late February on at least three events.

Stanford’s season-high score of 197.4 came last week in a meet against Washington, which included a perfect 10 by three-time defending Pac-10 beam champion Lindsay Wing. While UCLA will be juggling its lineup a bit, Stanford is anchored by four strong all-arounders, including Wing and Natalie Foley. Foley ranks eighth nationally in the all-around with an average of 39.65.

On the flip side, UCLA has its anchors as well, including Kate Richardson and Jeanette Antolin, who are 1-2 in the nation in the all-around with 39.762 and a 39.725, respectively. Another bright spot has been the return of senior Kristen Maloney, who has continued to improve in her first season back after two years of rehab.

At the conclusion of Sunday’s meet, the Bruins will participate in an autograph session at Pauley Pavilion.