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Oregon State came into Pauley Pavilion at a bad time. 

After losing Friday to Cal State Fullerton, 194.275 to 193.6, and posting the team’s lowest scoring total of the season in the process, the third-ranked UCLA gymnastics team had something to prove Sunday.

And they did so in decisive fashion, defeating the Beavers 198.875 to 197.175, tying the NCAA all-time high score in the process.

“I knew we were going to do really well today, but I didn’t expect it to go that well,” Kristen Maloney said. “We were all pumped up and wanted to do a lot better than we did in Fullerton.”

The Bruins would set the tone early on, overcoming an early fall to hit five straight vault routines of 9.875 or better for a team total of 49.625. For the fourth time this year, Jeanette Antolin provided the exclamation point, closing out the rotation with a perfect 10. 

“I’m just in awe, because it’s a total turnaround from Friday night,” Antolin said. “Our team knew that we didn’t do the best job on Friday, and everyone just gave it all they had, and it showed.”

During the second rotation, UCLA would put on a clinic for the 1,013 fans who braved the rain to attend Sunday’s meet, leaving the Beavers behind in the process.            Lori Winn led off with a 9.95. Not to be outdone, Maloney hit another seemingly flawless routine, earning a score of 9.975.

UCLA received scores of 9.925 from Kate Richardson and 9.975 from Antolin, setting the table for senior Jamie Dantzscher, who was competing for just the second time all year. It didn’t take long for Dantzscher to return to last year’s All-American form, electrifying the crowd with a perfect 10 to close out a strong rotation.

“I don’t really focus on the score,” Dantzscher said. “I think it’s more exciting for the crowd to get a 10. Every 10 helps the team, so that’s the way I look at it. I’m just excited when I go out there and hit my routine.”

“To have her back is huge, and to have her back and be able to be mentally tough and be able to go out and hit is great,” UCLA coach Valerie Kondos Field said.

UCLA continued its solid performance on beam, again recording scores of 9.85 or better. Richardson and Yvonne Tousek led the charge for UCLA, with each recording 9.95s.

Maloney was competing on floor in Pauley Pavilion for the first time since her freshman year, garnering a warm ovation from the crowd and a 9.95 from the judges. The score rounded out her career-high 39.750 in the all-around competition.

“I was really nervous coming in to today,” Maloney said. “But it turned out well. I felt really strong.”

Tousek’s 9.975 preceded Dantzscher’s 9.50, setting up the coup de grace. Richardson and Antolin received back-to-back perfect 10s, firing up the home crowd and leaving a slew of broken records in their wake.

“We had a team gathering before going out on floor and said, ‘We’re going to get the highest floor score we’ve ever gotten,’ and everyone went out there and did their job,” Antolin said.

That is exactly what they did, recording a team total of 49.875, breaking the old record of 49.850, which was also set on floor.

Though the team total of 198.875 ties the highest team score ever recorded in collegiate gymnastics, it didn’t really matter to the gymnasts.

“I had no idea,” Antolin said. “We are just focused on what we’re doing. The score is not as important as how well everyone performed and brought out everything that they had.”