UCLA Gymnast Norah Flatley Transfers to Arkansas For Super Senior Year
The Bruins are losing one of their most experienced gymnasts to a familiar outgoing pipeline.
UCLA gymnastics veteran Norah Flatley will be transferring to Arkansas ahead of next season, she announced Tuesday on Twitter. Flatley was on the Bruins' roster for the past four seasons, achieving several All-American, All-Pac-12 and academic honors before being named College Gym News Comeback Gymnast of the Year in 2022.
Flatley has one year of super senior eligibility remaining as a result of the additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA during the COVID-19 pandemic. She will pursue a master's degree at Arkansas after graduating with a bachelor's degree in political science at UCLA.
Flatley competed through injuries and mental health concerns for most of her senior year, which was also plagued by drama surrounding an ex-teammate and coach Chris Waller's relationship with his student-athletes. Flatley was one of several team-leaders who took to social media to call out Waller and UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmond for a lack of accountability and communication with the team after freshman Alexis Jeffrey reportedly used racist language and ultimately transferred to LSU.
Waller resigned on April 19, though, and his replacement, former Cal assistant Janelle McDonald, was hired on May 9.
Flatley's freshman season was coach Valorie Kondos Field's last one in Westwood after a 30-year run, and it was also the final year Olympic gold medalist Jordyn Wieber was an assistant on the Bruins' staff.
Wieber left in 2019 to become the next head coach at Arkansas, and that's exactly where Flatley is headed to finish her collegiate career. Over the years, Wieber has drawn several other UCLA products to Fayetteville, with Felicia Hano signing on as an assistant coach in fall 2020 and Kyla Ross jumping aboard as a volunteer assistant coach ahead of this past season.
Wieber and her fellow Bruins-turned-Razorbacks aren't just getting an old friend to join them down South – they have managed to reel in one of the most accomplished college gymnasts in the nation.
Flatley made the All-American Second Team on uneven bars and All-Pac-12 Second Team on bars and balance beam in 2019, then followed that up with All-American Second Team honors on beam in the 2020 season cut short by the pandemic. Unable to compete due to injuries early on in 2021, Flatley made her season debut at the Pac-12 championships and was among the leaders there and at NCAA Regionals in both of her disciplines.
Taking on a new role as an all-around competitor in 2022, Flatley made the most of the additional opportunities.
Flatley ranked second on UCLA in the all-around with a 39.444 season average and led the team with a 39.450 at Pac-12s. After making the All-Pac-12 First Team on bars, she was the all-around champion at the NCAA Raleigh Regionals with a 39.575 and eventually earned All-American First Team honors on beam and All-American Second Team honors in the all-around as an individual at the NCAA championships.
UCLA is still waiting on word from Margzetta Frazier regarding her plans for next season and whether or not she will be competing as a super senior in Westwood. Frazier, who was similarly outspoken during the height of the Waller situation earlier in the season, missed almost all of 2022 with a foot injury.
Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA Olympic sports stories: UCLA Olympic Sports on Sports Illustrated