A surprising turn of events left the UCLA gymnastics team facing an uncertain outcome.
Jordan Chiles, a two-time champion on the uneven bars, unfortunately fell during her routine early on.
While the Bruins managed to remove her score in the semifinal of the NCAA Championships, the slip-up created a tense environment. After the first rotation, they found themselves in fourth place at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Though they climbed to second place after the third rotation, UCLA ended the night with another disappointing result.
Caitlin Rosen stumbled on her vault landing, and Micah Webster-Longin took several steps back upon landing.
And so, the Bruins’ season concluded.
With a total of 197.275 points, the fourth-place Bruins fell just short, ending 0.1875 points behind Minnesota, which surged ahead in the final rotation.
Emma Slevin’s score of 9.85 on the uneven bars propelled the No. 13 Golden Gophers to their first-ever NCAA finals, marking them as the lowest seed to reach that stage since 2014.
Minnesota is set to join No. 1 Oklahoma State, No. 2 LSU, and No. 3 Florida State in the championship round on Saturday after the latter two teams advanced earlier.
“There’s still a bit of disbelief,” reflected Golden Gophers coach Jenny Hansen during an ESPN2 interview. “What a night.”
Amid tears and regrets, the Bruins faced the reality of their performance.
“I’m definitely a bit disappointed,” Chiles shared with the Daily Bruin. “Absolutely, but you know? My team fought for everything we did.”
Eager to compensate for her earlier mistake, Chiles nearly nailed her balance beam routine in the second rotation, scoring 9.95—the highest for the team up to that point.
The Bruins gained momentum with their floor exercise, where freshman Ashley Sullivan scored 9.9375, setting the stage for Chiles. Known for her brilliance, she almost achieved yet another perfect score, scoring 9.975 and securing the NCAA individual championship.
“We didn’t kick things off with our strongest rotation,” UCLA coach Janelle McDonald told the Daily Bruin, “but they turned it around in the next two events, really pushing through and staying in the moment.”
In an interview with ESPN2 prior to the final rotation, UCLA senior Sienna Alipio emphasized the need to channel their confidence and perform as if competing at Pauley Pavilion.
However, the subsequent performance didn’t reflect the Bruins’ earlier dominance in the Big Ten Conference.
Rosen’s slip (scoring 9.2125) was mitigated by a scoring rule allowing teams to drop their lowest score, yet it added pressure on her teammates.
When Webster-Longin landed off-balance with a score of 9.5875, the Bruins were on a path to defeat. Even contributions from Riley Jenkins (9.85), Sullivan (9.8), and Chiles (9.8875) weren’t enough to change the outcome.
It was a bittersweet farewell for team members Chiles and Alipio, leaving the gymnasts in tears. Nevertheless, Chiles remained positive, considering her last routine a fitting conclusion to her impressive tenure at UCLA.
“I’m truly glad I went out there and gave my all,” Chiles remarked, having received the AAI award for top senior gymnast. “This reflects everything I’ve achieved in my four years here, and I’m thrilled that this is the last performance people will remember.”
