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  MAIYA HOLLIDAY Junior Malia Jones and the UCLA gymnastics team will host three other squads at Sunday's Bruin Invitational.

By Adam Karon

Daily Bruin Contributor

The UCLA gymnastics team will rack up some frequent flier miles this weekend when it heads north to Washington on Friday before returning home for the Bruin Invitational on Sunday.

It has been over a month since the Bruins competed at two meets in one weekend, having swept Fullerton and Arizona back in January.

“We are going to be competing our entire lineup again,” head coach Valorie Kondos Field said.

Friday’s contest will be the time to empty the bench. The Bruins face Washington and Seattle-Pacific, which together have fewer victories this year than UCLA.

Three Bruins get the opportunity to return to their home state.

Juniors Onnie Willis (Tacoma) and Doni Thompson (Olympia) will compete in front of their home crowds for the second year in a row. The 2001 Pac-10 finals were also held in Seattle. Sophomore Carly Raab, who hails from Seattle, will be unable to compete while she recovers from a torn ACL.

“It’s always exciting to go home,” Thompson said.

The second meet in Pauley Pavilion should be extremely competitive.

UCLA plays host to No. 3 Michigan, No. 9 Minnesota and Cal State Fullerton in the Bruin Invitational. The Bruins are looking to win the tournament for the 11th consecutive time.

Bruin Olympians Jamie Dantzscher, Kristen Maloney and Alyssa Beckerman will get to catch up with former Olympic teammate Elise Ray of Michigan. The last time the group competed with one another was at the national championships a year ago, when Ray helped Michigan to a third place finish.

“You’re going to see big-time gymnastics on Sunday,” Kondos Field said. “We have a great rivalry with Michigan.”

As if the drama wasn’t enough, Sunday’s contest will be the last home meet for Bruin seniors Valerie Velasco and Lindsay Dong. Each has competed on two national championship teams and they will both be recognized in a pre-meet ceremony.

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