Gymnast Lott Set to Tumble Into Action After Injury

It has been more than a year since Cal State Fullerton gymnast Alexis Lott competed in a meet.

A knee injury in preseason practice required surgery and kept her sidelined all last season. She’s back now, hoping to pick up where she left off when the Titans open their season Friday night at home against UCLA, the nation’s top-ranked team.

Lott, a junior, was one of the Big West’s top gymnasts two years ago, winning the uneven bars and finishing second in the all-around at the conference meet.

“I don’t know whether I’m nervous or just really anxious right now,� Lott said. “But I do know I’m excited about being able to compete again. I feel I’ve come a long way since the injury.�

Lott says she hasn’t regained the consistency she had before the injury, but she’s optimistic she can get to that point soon.

“It’s a big difference to go from doing nothing at all to getting in shape to do routines in a meet again,� she said. “I’ve been doing full landings for about the last month, so I’m pretty much doing everything I was before the injury.�

There has been no pain. “Knock on wood,� Lott said. “Sometimes it aches a little, and it’s never going to be like the other knee, but I feel fine.�

Instead of going home to St. Louis for the summer, she remained in Fullerton to focus on rehabilitating her knee. “It was a lot of hard work,� she said.

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Titan Coach Lynn Rogers wants to be certain Lott doesn’t go too fast in her comeback.

“I’m not willing to gamble as much as she is right now,� Rogers said. “I’m just concerned that if she comes out too fast, we could be sorry, so we’re still limiting some of the things she does.

“This is her first meet back after more than a year, and that’s a big thing. But she’ll compete in three of the four events against UCLA. She won’t be going full strength on her routines compared to what we will expect from her later on.�

Lott says she’s accepted that she has to keep expectations at a reasonable level so early in the season. “I’m pointing for the conference championships,� she said. “That’s when I want to be at my best.�

But Lott is eager to compete against what is regarded as one of UCLA’s strongest teams--even without Olympian Kerri Strug, who had planned to compete for the Bruins before her sudden fame in Atlanta changed all that.

“UCLA is dynamite, we know that,� Lott said.

But the Titans upset UCLA in the first meet of the season last year, 191.375 to 190.875. It was the first victory for Fullerton in the series since 1986. UCLA’s Stella Umeh fell on the balance beam, opening the door for Fullerton. A strong performance by freshman Katy Maty in floor exercise carried the Titans to victory.

“I suspect they’ll come in really strong this time after us beating them last year,� Rogers said. “This meet is always a great test for us. It’s an opportunity to measure ourselves against one of the best.�

The Bruins finished second in the NCAA championship meet last season.

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Rogers is optimistic the Titans will be improved this season with everyone back except all-around performer Cristi Clifford, the only senior on last year’s team.

The Titans finished third at the 1996 conference meet, but came back to take sixth at the NCAA West Regional. “Our objective this year, more than anything else, is to win the conference championship, and we know we’ll face tough competition from Utah State and Boise State again,� Rogers said. “But I feel very good about where we are right now. This is the healthiest team I’ve had at this point in several years.�

Maty was Fullerton’s No. 2 all-around performer last year as a freshman. “She’s stepped it up since last year, and we think that will make a difference,� Rogers said.

Rogers also expects senior Heather Fritzsche, who had a 9.74 season average on the uneven bars, to be improved.

Other gymnasts returning include sophomore Courtney Bogart and juniors Christy Lutz, Stacy Henry and Michele Lotta.

Rogers also expects three freshman--Gracie Millard, Elizabeth Schneider and Jennifer Kasler--to have an immediate impact.

“We think the freshmen are going to add some spark this season,� Rogers said. “Gymnastics is one sport in which freshmen definitely can make a difference, and we expect that to happen with us. We expect Schneider to definitely help us in the vault, where we weren’t as strong as we wanted to be last season. She brings a potential 10.0 vault to our program, and that means a lot.�

Rogers says the big difference between this season and last is depth.

“[Associate head coach] Julie Knight tells me she’s having a very difficult time picking our floor exercise group for the first meet,� Rogers said. “That’s definitely a good sign when you compare it to this time a year ago.�

Titan Notes

The Titan baseball team began preseason practice Monday. Fullerton opens the season Jan. 28 at Cal State Northridge, then meets Stanford in a three-game series at home Jan. 31-Feb. 2. . . . The men’s basketball team will be seeking its fifth consecutive victory in Titan Gym when the Titans open Big West play Saturday night against Pacific. Fullerton hasn’t won five in a row at home since the 1992-93 season. . . . Titan freshman guard Dane Plock is shooting 41.7% from three-point range on 15 of 36. Chris Dade leads the Titans in three-pointers on 21 of 54 (38.8%) shooting.