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No. 3 UCLA gymnastics team’s chemistry is a blast from the past

March 8, 2025

Four upperclassmen on the UCLA gymnastics team had gathered before the season started for an important dinner.

Graduate student Brooklyn Moors and seniors Mia Erdoes, Emily Lee and Emma Malabuyo had been through a lot in their years as Bruins, from competing through the COVID-19 pandemic to a coaching change and inconsistent lineups.

“And then we actually had dinner with some of the alumni,” Malabuyo told reporters Thursday. “And we were, like, ‘You guys have won national championships. What is some advice you can give to us? How can we create that connection with the whole entire team?’”

Alumni like Peng Peng Lee, Sharon Shapiro, Felicia Hano and Lesley Goldberg doled out tips for maximizing team chemistry. A big takeaway, Malabuyo said, was that every team is different and everyone within that team communicates differently.

The seniors and upperclassmen used this advice to formulate a system of encouragement that has led the Bruins (12-2 overall, 9-0 Big Ten) to become the third-ranked team in the country.

Multiple gymnasts have said this is the closest team they’ve been a part of at UCLA, solidifying the legacy of this year’s group who will be honored at Sunday night’s Senior Meet against No. 12 Stanford (10-2 overall, 4-1 ACC).

Graduate students Chae Campbell, Carissa Clay, Frida Esparza and Moors will be recognized in a post-meet celebration in addition to seniors Erdoes, Lee and Malabuyo and junior Clara Wren, who is graduating early.

“All season there’s been moments that it hits me a little bit,” head coach Janelle McDonald said. “They are just incredible, amazing human beings that I feel like I’ve grown in my role with them. I’ve just seen so much growth from them over the past three seasons. I definitely think when the season wraps up, it’s going to hit me pretty hard.”

The upperclassmen have built an environment that has allowed the underclassmen to grow. Injury prevention measures have also helped the Bruins maintain consistent lineups from week to week, which has helped team progress.

“Consistency is such a big part of riding the wave and making improvements every single week,” Malabuyo said. “Just knowing that the same people are in lineups, I know who to go to after (competing). I know who to talk to, and we kind of had a system and having that consistency gives me more confidence.”

Few freshmen have taken advantage of this season as much as Mika Webster-Longin, who is likely a future all-around competitor for UCLA.

She’s reached scores of 9.900 or above in three events and recorded a 9.800 exhibition score on balance beam and has appeared competitively in the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise twice this year.

“I always have a little moment after the meet where I’m like, ‘Oh, I was able to contribute to our score and contribute to our win,’” Webster-Longin said. “Knowing that I’m part of the team and able to show up in those lineups and do my best in those routines that I get to put forth for the team is definitely something I can be very proud of.”

UCLA has the third-highest National Qualifying Score and is the top-ranked Big Ten Conference team in the national rankings with regular-season meets against Stanford and No. 5 Utah left.

The NCAA Regionals are slated to begin on April 2 – and they’re on the Bruins’ minds – but McDonald said the primary focus is to be locked in every week. This weekend, that includes appreciating the Senior Meet.

“I was laughing with some of the girls this morning just saying like, ‘OK, we have to take the mentality of like, this is a celebration of our seniors,’” she said. “We still have lots of competitions left and lots of memories to make, so it doesn’t have to be sad right now.”

No. 12 STANFORD (10-2, 4-1) at No. 3 UCLA (12-2, 9-0)

When: 5:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Pauley Pavilion

TV: Big Ten Network

Orange County Register

News Details

No. 3 UCLA gymnastics team’s chemistry is a blast from the past

No. 12 STANFORD (10-2, 4-1) at No. 3 UCLA (12-2, 9-0)

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