UCLA Gymnastics Falls in NCAA Semifinals After Rough Go on Vault
The Bruins needed perfection down the stretch to keep their season alive.
They got exactly that, and it still wasn't enough.
No. 4 UCLA gymnastics finished third in the NCAA Semifinal II with a 197.9125 on Thursday night, failing to advance to Saturday's championship in Fort Worth, Texas, as a result. The Bruins were in first at the end of each of the first two rotations, but No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 5 Utah jumped them in the second half of the high-stakes elimination meet.
Even after the Bruins' failure on vault in the third rotation, they had a chance to finish strong and steal one of those spots back. Sophomore Jordan Chiles even rounded out the night with a perfect 10 on uneven bars that temporarily moved her team back into second.
However, Utah got a perfect 10 of its own out of Maile O'Keefe on beam, and UCLA's title hopes had officially been dashed.
The Bruins were ultimately unable to surpass the Red Rocks' 198.2250 or the Sooners' 198.1625. If they had been part of Semifinal I earlier in the day, though, UCLA would have done more than enough to advance – No. 6 LSU made it with a 197.4750, while No. 2 Florida made it with a 197.4000.
Chiles took home the individual NCAA titles on floor and bars, despite the unlucky draw and crushing team loss. The Olympic silver medalist finished second in the all-around to O'Keefe.
UCLA started off hot with back-to-back 9.900s from sophomore Emily Lee and freshman Ciena Alipio on beam, but dropped back to fourth after a 9.7875 from sophomore Ana Padurariu. The Bruins remained in last following a 9.8250 from Chiles in the four spot.
Freshman Selena Harris stepped up with a 9.9375 that got UCLA back in contention, while sophomore Emma Malabuyo pushed the team all the way into first with a 9.9500. The Bruins had a 49.5125 through one rotation, pacing the four-team field.
UCLA's signature floor party came second, and a party it was.
Sophomore Brooklyn Moors' leadoff 9.8625 didn't even count, and Malabuyo's 9.8875 wound up as the Bruins' lowest floor score on the board. Harris and redshirt senior Margzetta Frazier posted back-to-back 9.9500s, while junior Chae Campbell earned a 9.9375.
Chiles, per usual, secured the high score at 9.9875, as her routine earned a perfect 10 from three of the four judges. UCLA's 49.7125 score on floor was its best all season, and it kept the blue and gold in first place at 99.2250 – extending its lead from 0.0125 to 0.1875.
The Bruins held onto first throughout most of the third rotation, but mostly because they got their scores the fastest. Even though Lee's 9.7000 didn't count, Frazier and Moors didn't do much better at 9.7875.
Campbell steadied the ship with a 9.9000, and after Harris picked up a 9.8000, Chiles added another 9.9000.
Vault had been UCLA's lowest-scoring event for much of the season, but the 49.1750 they earned Thursday was tied for their worst showing in their last eight meets. Oklahoma and Utah took advantage on floor and bars, respectively, bumping the Bruins all the way into third in the process.
With one rotation to go, UCLA was 0.1375 out of second place, staring elimination straight in the face.
Campbell's 9.900 on bars seemed to start the Bruins in the right direction, but senior Kalyany Steele's hand slipped and she got stuck with a 9.5875. That put even more pressure on UCLA's last four gymnasts, while Padurariu's 9.8000 only added to the stakes of the final three rotations.
Harris got a 9.9125, Frazier nailed a 9.900 and Chiles locked up her perfect 10, but it just wasn't enough.
As it turned out, a 49.450 on vault – a mark the Bruins reached in three of their previous four meets – would have gotten them to Saturday.
UCLA made it past regionals for the first time since 2019 in Janelle McDonald's first year as head coach. McDonald was unable to lead the Bruins back to the promised land in her debut campaign, though, and the program will have to wait at least another 12 months before it adds its eighth NCAA championship.
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