Directly outside Yates Gym, the Bruins’ practice facility, John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success is printed on the wall.
A visual framework of behaviors for athletes, businesspeople and individuals alike, the pyramid has guided UCLA teams for over 50 years.
As UCLA gymnastics sits on the cusp of its 2024 season, coach Janelle McDonald has encouraged the team to look to one tenet in particular to further their goals.
“One we actually talk about a lot is competitive greatness,” McDonald said. “It’s at the top of the pyramid, and I believe it’s there for a reason. … It’s ‘be at your best when your best is needed’ and enjoyment of a difficult challenge.”
McDonald and the Bruins are coming off a season in which they returned to the NCAA championships after a three-year absence, earned 10 regular-season All-American awards and finished at No. 5 in the country – a marked improvement compared to their No. 12 finish the year prior.
But in her second season as head coach, McDonald said she’s looking forward to even more improvements, driven by a renewed emphasis on team culture.
“As a whole, culture is way more dialed in,” McDonald said. “Last year at this time, that was something we were really working on but didn’t quite have, and now I feel like our culture is in such a good place that we’re really able to hold each other accountable.”
The Bruins’ culture has a heavy veteran influence this year with a roster containing 12 upperclassmen, including four graduate students with a combined 21 years of NCAA gymnastics experience and four NCAA championships appearances.
One member of that group is graduate student Margzetta Frazier – a four-time All-American and the 2021 Pac-12 bars champion. The sixth-year Bruin decided to return to Westwood following her redshirt senior campaign after realizing she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend one final year with the team, she said.
Frazier added that the team’s culture this season has seen a newfound commitment to pushing past its comfort zone.
“We improved with our open-mindedness,” Frazier said. “We did play it a little safe last year, which is fine and expected, but this year, I feel like it’s completely different.”
But despite her wealth of gymnastics and leadership experience, Frazier said it’s UCLA’s freshmen who are driving this shift.
The Bruins have welcomed three first-years to Westwood this season: elite gymnast Katelyn Rosen and state vault champions Alex Irvine and Paige Anastasi.
“We are stepping into our fearlessness, especially with the freshmen,” Frazier said. “I love when the freshmen come onto the team because they have that energy.”
Rosen – a former US National Team member and five-time US Championships qualifier – is undergoing the transition from individual-focused elite gymnastics to team-based NCAA gymnastics.
Rosen, who committed to compete for the Bruins in 2018, said this transition has been made easier because of the culture that has been cultivated by Frazier, McDonald and the entire team.
“This team means so much to me, and I’m having a blast,” Rosen said. “If I’m struggling, if I’m tired, I’m doing it for my team. I’m not just doing it for me. And having the support system of your sisters around you, it’s just an unbelievable feeling.”
Bruin fans will be able to get their first look at this iteration of UCLA gymnastics on Friday at 7 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion during the Meet The Bruins exhibition.
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