It's a privilege to don "UCLA Club Gymnastics" across your chest.
But it's an even greater honor to give back to those who need it the most.
UCLA Club Gymnastics competed in the Club Sports Executive Council's flag football tournament and canned goods drive at Drake Stadium Friday night – an annual event held by the council where canned goods are donated to UCLA's Community Program Office. During the competition, Gymnastics blew out Club Women's Water Polo during the consolation match but placed third overall, trailing behind Club Baseball and Club Rowing.
"Our preparations certainly did not prepare us as well as it could have, but I am proud of our efforts nonetheless," said senior Aaron Doyle. "The grit, the fight, the resilience – that's what we bring to any competition, whether it's gymnastics filled or not."
Against Women's Water Polo, Gymnastics kicked its focus into gear following a loss against Rowing. Gymnastics denied Women's Water Polo a single touchdown, dominating both the offensive and defensive ends of the gridiron. But despite its command, Gymnastics cheered and applauded the efforts displayed by its opponent.
Sophomore Jillian Ostaszewicz proved her multifaceted athletic abilities, leading the team in interceptions and rushing yards with four and 120, respectively. Despite her 63-inch stature, the Niagara Falls, Canada, local made her presence known among a field of athletes with a greater height advantage.
"I was getting ready to block anybody from catching the ball, and I happened to jump, and I caught the ball and intercepted it," Ostaszewicz said about her performance against Women's Water Polo. "I just ran really speedy, and I was juking out the other guys."
Following Ostaszewicz's game-winning touchdown, senior Alex Kotnik swarmed the "MVP" of the match with a celebratory chest bump. And in true gymnast fashion, Doyle did a celebratory standing back tuck to cap off the win.
The Bruins got the day started with a match against Rowing, despite originally being scheduled to face Club Badminton, who failed to show up. Rowing, who are much taller than gymnasts on average, used their height to their benefit, seamlessly catching passes from their quarterback and running the ball to the endzone on nearly every attempt.
Rowing recorded five touchdowns to defeat Gymnastics 35-0, despite a valiant effort from the losing squad. In the final drive of the game, Gymnastics made a risky move by attempting a fourth down conversion at the 5-yard line. Gymnastics' offense failed to clutch a last-minute upset as Rowing added their fifth touchdown of the game to clear Gymnastics' chance of taking the title
Despite the loss, many members of the club contributed to the effort: freshmen Malika Mcclain, Isabella Dexter, Quinn Campbell and Sarah Ngyuen; sophomore Juliana Gagliardi and Ostaszewicz; junior Mikey Torrez; and seniors Ryan Schoenburg, Doyle and Kotnik
Reminiscent of Badminton's failure to show, sophomore Catherine Saffi was slated to compete for Gymnastics but missed the match in favor of completing her Economics project alongside sophomore Alessandra Swiryn Di Cosmo. But despite her absence, Saffi's support was felt from afar
"Minutes before I was supposed to meet them to walk down, I wasn't able to play anymore, and they stepped in right away," Saffi said. "I was texting them, checking up on them, following the Instagram – I was anxiously waiting for what the final score was going to be."
Despite falling short of the title, Gymnastics is walking away with something far more meaningful than a victory. They gave back to the community that steadfastly supports them – a gesture that transcends the outcome of any competition and solidifies their character in ways a single loss never could.
Article by Aaron Doyle
