Arizona gymnast Danielle Hicks is usually a quiet girl. But she left her mark on Washington (3-7, 1-5 Pacific 10 Conference) by capturing the second all-around title of her career Friday, helping the No. 10 Arizona gymnastics team (2-7, 2-1) defeat the Huskies 195.325-193.000 in front of 1,004 people in McKale Center.
Hicks, a sophomore from Canada, finished with a season high of 39.175.
“”I was happy with everything I did,”” she said. “”I am really starting to clean things up as we get further and further in the season.””
Hicks put up 9.825 in the balance beam and uneven bars, while also showing a 9.725 in the vault and a 9.800 in the floor exercise.
“”She definitely rises to the occasion,”” Arizona head coach Bill Ryden said.
Hicks said her favorite performances always come on the balance beam.
“”It’s just you and the beam up there,”” Hicks said. “”You are just so focused.””
The rest of the team struggled with their performances, but in the end it didn’t matter.
“”Sometimes it’s hard to keep the intensity,”” Ryden said. “”We seem to be having a number of injury issues that we have to deal with. You have to try to get up every weekend, and sometimes it’s easier than others.””
Ryden said he was pleased with the final score in the 195s, but knows his team has some things to work on before the Pac-10 Championships roll around in April.
“”We still have a long ways (to go, and) a lot of things to do,”” he said. “”We need to regroup and alter some routines and just be sharp again.””
Junior Aubrey Taylor, last week’s Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week, competed with a hyperextended knee but still managed to finish in second place with a 39.075.
“”She was not 100 percent,”” Ryden said. “”But she was not about to come out either.””
Going into the final rotation, the floor exercise, the Gymcats held a 146.375-144.075 lead. Sophomore Karin Wurm had a fall during her routine, and it was up to Taylor to close out the meet.
Taylor delivered with a 9.750.
Ryden said he credits Taylor and Hicks for helping ensure the victory.
“”The team is not the same without those two doing what they need to do,”” he said.
The coach also said he feels that his entire team is in great shape and will be able to continuously get better as the season wears on.
“”We are the sport of strength-to-weight ratio,”” he said. “”We spend hours and hours and hours on our physical conditioning. I feel like our team is really fit, and that helps us survive the brutality of the sport.””
