The UCLA gymnastics team took care of one meet in Salt Lake City on Thursday, capturing the NCAA Regional semifinal and advancing to Saturday’s final.
The fifth-seeded Bruins recorded a 197.750 for their third-highest score of the season to easily outpoint No. 12 seed Minnesota (197.200), Southern Utah (196.475) and Boise State (195.175).
Opening on floor exercise and ending on balance beam, UCLA scored a 49.500 on both disciplines. And the Bruins’ 49.450 on vault, which has been their shakiest routine, was their highest score of the season.
“I’m just really proud of the team and how they showed up,” UCLA coach Janelle McDonald told the media. “Today, we really wanted to be super-efficient with what we did, just locked in and dialed in and really be able to get through four events consistently, and they did exactly that. I couldn’t be more proud of them. I feel they’ve learned a lot this season, and they’ve really been in it together from start to finish, and that’s showing up in these really big moments for us.”
UCLA junior Jordan Chiles posted the top all-around total with a 39.600, thanks to three scores of 9.950 or higher – a 9.975 on floor exercise, a season-high-tying 9.950 on vault and a season-best 9.950 on balance beam.
Graduate student Brooklyn Moors also had a strong meet for the Bruins, with a career-high 9.925 on vault and earning a 10 from one of the four judges on floor for a 9.950 score.
UCLA and Minnesota will return to the Jon M. Huntsman Center for Saturday’s regional final, awaiting the top two teams from Thursday evening’s semifinal featuring No. 4 seed Utah, No. 13 seed Stanford, Denver and BYU.
The top two finishers Saturday will advance to the eight-team NCAA Championships, with the semifinals scheduled for April 17 and the final on April 19 in Fort Worth, Texas.
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