Ucla Gymnastics Uses Key Big Ten Meet As Postseason Primer

With nan Big Ten regular-season title connected nan statement during nan Big Four Meet connected Friday, nan UCLA gymnastics squad is focused connected what it tin control.

“Our extremity is to spell retired location and conscionable do what we’ve been doing each play long,” UCLA coach Janelle McDonald said. “Hitting awesome gymnastics and continuing to conscionable build nan assurance connected nan title level earlier we caput into [the] postseason.”

Entering nan season, nan Bruins had a fewer elite veterans and an different young team. The dependable maturation of underclassmen person helped UCLA gain its No. 4 nationalist ranking and move a triumph distant from claiming its 2nd consecutive Big Ten regular-season title.

“Last year, erstwhile we came into nan Big Ten, we really wanted to make a connection and I deliberation we did conscionable that,” McDonald said. “Coming successful this twelvemonth pinch a younger team, quiet to conscionable proceed that has conscionable been really special.”

UCLA teammates cheer arsenic freshman Ashlee Sullivan finishes her regular connected nan level workout astatine Pauley Pavilion connected Jan. 17.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

In nan 9 weeks of competition, nan Bruins person adapted and showed up for each other, but navigating nan assemblage play requires a different level of activity management. As UCLA looks up to postseason competition, McDonald and nan coaching unit person been mindful of nan young team’s attack to staying locked successful while balancing fatigue.

“Not each time has to look for illustration full-out title mode routines,” she said. “It’s really astir refining nan specifications and doing things that thief america consciousness awesome for nan play and trusting that each play your gymnastics is wherever it needs to be.”

During nan past 2 weeks, nan coaching unit has worked to displacement nan team’s mentality to beryllium cognizant of nan remainder and betterment needed heading into nan postseason without letting up during meets.

UCLA is coming disconnected posting a season-high roadworthy people against Illinois. Jordan Chiles earned her convention single-season grounds eighth Big Ten Conference Gymnast of nan Week award. Ashlee Sullivan tied teammate Tiana Sumanasekera for nan astir Freshman of nan Week awards aft receiving her 3rd grant pursuing a caller career-high connected vault and tying her champion people connected nan floor.

On Friday, nan Bruins will look No. 18 Iowa, No. 19 Ohio State and No. 25 Maryland, their toughest title since their past quad meet, wherever they placed 3rd down Oklahoma and LSU. Regardless of nan opponent, nan strategy doesn’t alteration and nan aggregate opponents will springiness nan Bruins nan opportunity to immerse themselves successful a postseason environment.

UCLA will not take nan arena it starts with, location is nary clip for accumulation routines and location will beryllium nary unfastened training connected different events. There will beryllium a batch going on, pinch 4 teams connected nan floor. It’s easy to get distracted.

McDonald wants her squad to enactment focused connected what it tin power wrong nan Bruin bubble.

“All those things are very overmuch successful alignment pinch really a postseason title feels,” McDonald said. “Really conscionable reminding them that this is awesome believe for what’s coming ahead, it’s decidedly thing we’ve talked astir this week.”

UCLA gymnast Jordan Chiles performs her level workout regular astatine Pauley Pavilion connected Jan. 17.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Being successful for consecutive years successful a caller convention that consistently sees teams scoring higher than 197 intends a batch to UCLA. Especially pinch a young squad that hasn’t gone done nan assemblage play before. Watching them alteration their attack to nan regular grind and seeing nan young team, anchored by Olympic gold-medalist Jordan Chiles, has been a large portion of nan team’s success.

A regular-season title is conscionable a portion of nan process.

“We want to spell retired location and correspond nan 4 letters nan champion we tin each and each year,” McDonald said. “Really proud of nan consistency our squad has shown to do conscionable that.”

Malabuyo increasing arsenic a leader

As a personnel of nan coaching staff, Emma Malabuyo has gained a amended knowing of nan different broadside of nan athletics and is increasing into her caller activity role. She joined nan unit aft ending her collegiate profession successful 2025 arsenic a four-time All-American and three-time convention squad champion.

“It’s very adjuvant for our athletes to beryllium capable to talk done things pinch her because she is now capable to understand what they’re going through, but besides spot it from a coach’s perspective,” McDonald said of nan postgraduate student assistant. “Her [coaching] style is conscionable emblematic of who she is and that’s really conscionable supportive, caring and really quiet to beryllium great.”