UCLA
Illinois
UCLA Wins Home Opener over Illinois, 197.200-194.750
January 25, 2025 | Gymnastics
"I'm really proud of how the team did today," said The R.C. Rothman UCLA Head Gymnastics Coach Janelle McDonald. "I feel we cleaned up some things that we needed to from last weekend. It was really cool to see the work they put in this week in the gym really come to fruition on the floor, a little bit better landings on vault and bars, in particular."
The Bruins opened the meet with a season-best score of 49.325 on vault. Three vaulters earned season-high marks. Lee opened the meet with a career-high-tying 9.900. Campbell and Chiles went back-to-back with a pair of 9.925s. Illinois finished the first rotation with a 48.950, with Chloe Cho earning a team high of 9.850 on uneven bars.
So nice they did it TWICE ?
— Big Ten Gymnastics (@B1GGymnastics) January 25, 2025
Jordan Chiles and Chae Campbell each score a 9.925 on vault ?? #B1GWGym x @uclagymnastics pic.twitter.com/LwL42OHLIB
The momentum continued into rotation two with UCLA widening its lead after a 49.225 finish on uneven bars. Frida Esparza led the Bruins, matching her season-high with a confident 9.925. Freshman Macy McGowan matched her career-high of 9.875. Illinois (3-2, 1-1) fell short of UCLA's vault score, posting a 49.025, and the Bruins found themselves leading at the halfway point, 98.550-97.975.
STUCK IT. 9.925 for Frida Esparza!
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) January 25, 2025
??: @BigTenPlus pic.twitter.com/5iv7peyMco
After a shaky start at the beginning of the third rotation, Campbell shifted the pendulum back in UCLA's favor with a clutch routine that scored 9.850. Following Campbell's score, Moors matched her career-high mark of 9.875. Senior Emma Malabuyo rounded out the third rotation with a team-high score of 9.900. Illinois scored 48.550 on floor, six-tenths less than the Bruins' 49.150 on beam. UCLA closed out the third rotation leading 147.700-146.525.
"I'm really excited about how beam went today," McDonald said. "I know it wasn't our season high or anything, but to have a mistake in the lineup like that and have everybody rally and still hit their routines with aggressiveness and confidence … those are the moments that are going to build us into the strongest team we're capable of being."
The Bruins protected Pauley in the final rotation with their dynamic floor routines, five of which earned scores of 9.850 or higher. Malabuyo matched her season-high of 9.925, McGowan scored 9.875 with her Cowboy-Carter-inspired routine, Moors hit for a 9.900, Campbell earned a 9.850, and Chiles closed out the meet with an electric meet-winning 9.950.
THAT GIRL ??
— Big Ten Gymnastics (@B1GGymnastics) January 26, 2025
Jordan Chiles tops the scoresheet once again with a 9??.9??5?? on floor ??#B1GWGym x @uclagymnastics pic.twitter.com/RcFgruz1B4
UCLA won three of the four event titles, with Campbell and Chiles capturing first on vault with 9.925s, Esparza winning bars with a 9.925, and Chiles winning floor with her 9.950. Cho prevented a UCLA sweep by winning beam with a 9.925. Campbell's all-around win was her first of the year.
The Bruins will remain home next week and will host Michigan State on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 2:30PM PT. Tickets are on sale now at www.uclabruins.com/tickets. The meet will be broadcast on FOX, the first-ever gymnastics meet on the network.
Team Standings
1. UCLA 197.200
2. Illinois 194.750
Individual Event Winners
All-Around: Chae Campbell, UCLA, (39.400)
Vault: Chae Campbell, Jordan Chiles, UCLA (9.925)
Uneven Bars: Frida Esparza, UCLA (9.925)
Balance Beam: Chloe Cho, Illinois (9.925)
Floor Exercise: Jordan Chiles, UCLA (9.950)
Players Mentioned
