BACK ON TOP GYMNAST RICHARDSON BEATS INJURY.

Byline: JILL PAINTER University Beat

Back surgery and a back brace weren't enough to keep Kate Richardson immobile.

The UCLA gymnast couldn't stomach doctors' orders to remain inactive for six weeks after they fused two of her vertebrae with bone they took from her hip after the vertebrae had pulled apart.

With the Commonwealth Games in the not-so-distant future, Richardson agreed to wear the back brace for the entire period, but she wasn't about to stay still.

``It was horrible,'' Richardson said. ``I wasn't allowed to move. I'm used to bending and being active. I kept pushing it. I kept trying to bend as much as I could.''

And her determination paid off: Richardson was participating in full practices 3 1/2 months after her surgery in January, then won the all-around title in the Commonwealth Games in July.

``I basically competed after six months, which is not normal,'' Richardson said. ``The doctors were great. The surgeon was awesome. After they said the surgery went well, I told them it was my goal to compete after six months. They said they'd do everything they could to help me.''

The freshman from Canada has done plenty to help herself. Last month, 14 months after surgery, she won the all-around title at the Pacific-10 Conference championships. Next, she and top-ranked UCLA will try to win their fifth consecutive NCAA South Central Region Championships, which begin Saturday at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

Not only did Richardson make a quick comeback, apparently she's better than ever. She scored a perfect 10 on the floor exercise in last month's conference championships.

And she led UCLA, which was without last year's NCAA all-around champion, Jamie Dantzscher, who was sick and didn't compete. Not that the Bruins missed a beat in her absence. UCLA is loaded with talented gymnasts, including Onnie Willis, the Pac-10 gymnast of the year.

``I don't think (Richardson) minds the attention, but she certainly doesn't buy into her own hype at all,'' UCLA coach Valorie Kondos said. ``It's not difficult for her because she's surrounded by great athletes. At any one time, someone may fall and others have to pick up the slack. She's just one. It's not all up to her.''

The one thing that was up to her was her recovery. She has physical reminders of the surgery, including a clamp in her back. She can feel it if she or a massage therapist pushes their fingers into her skin, which is why she won't get massages any more.

That just leaves her more time in the gym, where she loves to be.

``She's not just a phenomenal athlete,'' Kondos said. ``She really has a quality about her where she takes it to an art form. It's nice to see someone so unassuming win earn honors like she has.''

But the most coveted award for Richardson is not the NCAA all-around title. It's the team championship.

``I hope, I know, we can do well,'' Richardson said. ``I know we can do a good job. We've proven we can do a good job.''

Richardson is capable in all the disciplines, although she's particularly proficient in the floor exercise and balance beam. The latter, an event she has dominated this year, is her favorite.

``When she's on, nobody can touch her,'' Kondos said. ``She's so light.''

If there has been one benefit to the injury, it's a renewed love for the sport to which she has been devoted most of her life.

``For the first time in my life, I wasn't able to do anything,'' Richardson said. ``I was really lucky before that with injuries. It was the first time I was ever completely out of the gym. That was really hard.

``It helped for me to really appreciate the sport more. Once I got back, I loved the gym more. It gave me a lot more desire.''

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UCLA freshman gymnast Kate Richardson returned from a back injury sooner than expected.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer