No. 5 UCLA gymnastics kicked off its postseason Thursday in Salt Lake City, Utah and will battle nine opponents in its region in hopes of punching its ticket to the NCAA national championships on April 17. After a play-in meet Wednesday, the regional was broken into two four-team semifinals Thursday, with the top two squads from each session advancing to the regional final Saturday. The top two teams Saturday will advance to the NCAA championships, where a similar format will be employed to determine the national champion.
Aaron Doyle
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Third place in national semifinal
After going undefeated in its inaugural Big Ten campaign, UCLA gymnastics capped off its fairytale conference season with a season-high 198.450 – the highest team score in Big Ten Championship history. But in order to win a national title, it’s likely going to take more than just one 198.000 or higher team score to seal the deal.
Utah has consistently hindered UCLA’s winning ways, but coach Janelle McDonald’s squad has its foot glued to the gas pedal. The Bruins – unlike last year– should make it out of the regional competition with flying colors as it sits behind just No. 4 Utah among the nine squads in the regional.
The real issue will arise in the national semifinal when UCLA could meet the reigning national champions, No. 1 LSU. Potentially tasked with outperforming the Tigers and the Red Rocks to advance to the Final Four, the Bruins will need to have their best day of the season to hang with the big dogs.
Sure, UCLA has found consistency this year. But Utah shut down the squad less than three weeks ago and LSU has notched six scores of at least 198.000 this year, including its past four meets.
And if deja vu proves to be true, UCLA will head back to Westwood before a ring is wrapped around its finger.
Samantha Garcia
Daily Bruin staff
Prediction: Fourth place in national semifinal
Everything seems to be lining up for the Bruins as they head into NCAA regionals.
Perfect scores on floor have become routine for junior Jordan Chiles. Graduate student Brooklyn Moors and junior Ciena Alipio earned their first perfect scores of the season on floor and beam, respectively, March 22 at the Big Ten Championships. And sophomore Katelyn Rosen is finally back in UCLA’s lineups after spending the majority of the season overcoming confidence issues.
The Bruins went undefeated in Big Ten regular season play and brought home the tournament title in their inaugural season in the conference, winning the latter with a season-high 198.450 total. Given the squad’s momentum heading into the postseason, a ticket to Fort Worth, Texas, is practically UCLA’s to lose.
However, advancing to the national championship will be much more difficult for the Bruins. In addition to the reigning national champions, No. 1 LSU, UCLA will likely have to overcome No. 8 Michigan State and No. 4 Utah – two programs that have challenged the squad this season – in the national semifinal.
Utah handed UCLA its first dual meet loss of the season March 15, defeating the Bruins by over half a point. Although Michigan State was unable to take down UCLA this season, there is no doubt that the Spartans are hungry for redemption.
The Bruins often struggle to execute on all four events. And at this level of competition, facing this trio of opponents, UCLA’s tendency to fall short on at least one event will likely be its kryptonite.
Ella Dunderdale
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: Fourth place in national final
The Bruins look hungrier than ever for redemption.
UCLA has only reached the NCAA semifinals twice since taking the national title in 2018, and after missing the mark by a tenth of a point last year – the equivalent of a single unpointed toe – this year’s squad can go the distance.
The path to Fort Worth, Texas, should be simple. The squad is well-equipped to topple Minnesota and Stanford at NCAA regionals, two programs it has already defeated this season.
Things get trickier in Texas, where the Bruins could face the Red Rocks head-to-head to reach the Final Four. In a sweet repetition of history, I predict UCLA will win their third matchup and Utah will pack its bags for Salt Lake City.
UCLA has the talent to win it all, but a potential trio of SEC powerhouses in the national final may be a roadblock. The 198.450 mark the Bruins posted in the Big Ten Championships has only been surpassed by other squads thrice this season. However, with the Bruins boasting a team that has difficulty firing on all cylinders, that performance may be an outlier in a season featuring consistent 197 finishes.
It will take a repeat of Big Tens – or a collapse of the competition – for UCLA to end on top.
Finn Karish
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: Third place in national final
History often repeats itself.
A UCLA squad bearing a nation-leading six All-American performers stands poised to deliver a postseason to match. The six honorees match a school record from 2018 and 2019, years when the Bruins took home a national championship and a Final Four appearance, respectively.
Beyond superstition and on statistics alone, the path to Fort Worth, Texas, seems inevitable for both UCLA and Utah. Their most threatening competitors, Minnesota and Stanford, have scored below UCLA’s 197.680 NQS in all but one meet.
But whether UCLA bests Utah in the second round of regionals or not, it will either be sufficiently motivated to avoid a third consecutive defeat against Utah in the national semifinal or have the momentum to take the Red Rocks down again and reach the Final Four, likely alongside LSU.
Once in the final, the firepower of the SEC may prove too strong. The Bruins had an impressive showing at the Big Ten Championship, but that single score represents the biggest outlier in comparison to NQSs among all likely competitors. Even if it is repeated, it may not be enough, with LSU, Oklahoma, and Florida all holding season-highs of 198.475 or higher.
Hannah Westerhold
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: Fourth place in national final
After a Big Ten season sweep, Fort Worth, Texas, could be within reach for the Bruins.
Yet, former Pac-12 rival Utah stands as a formidable obstacle in the way of UCLA’s path to the championships.
History is not on the Bruins’ side in this matchup, with the Red Rocks winning every dual meet for the last five years. UCLA went into their last Salt Lake City matchup with a vengeance but fell short of a victory by 0.675 – a landslide win.
But, a familiar foe could actually be the Bruins’ golden ticket to the championships.
Underestimating Utah would be naive. But, UCLA’s squad of Olympians is built for the pressure.
And, when a trophy was in question, the Bruins pulled through. UCLA is fresh off a season-high 198.450 to win the Big Ten Championship, just one week after their defeat in Utah.
The Bruins are more than capable of turning the tables on the Red Rocks and fighting their way to the national championships. But it will not be smooth sailing from there.
The top three nationally ranked teams – LSU, Oklahoma and Florida – have UCLA’s season-high beat. On March 14, No. 3 Florida landed a nation-high 198.625 in their last home meet of the season – almost .200 higher than UCLA’s season high.
If UCLA can make it to the finals, LSU’s consistency may be the roadblock that ends its postseason sweep. While the Bruins have just one 198.000 team score under their belts this season, the Tigers have six. As the weakest squad by ranking, the Bruins will likely fall to the trio currently sitting atop the national rankings – but not without putting up a fight.
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