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Jordan Chiles wins 2 national titles, but UCLA gymnastics ousted in NCAA semifinals

April 14, 2023

UCLA’s Jordan Chiles competes on the uneven bars during the semifinals of the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships on Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

UCLA’s Jordan Chiles competes on the floor exercise during the semifinals of the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships on Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

UCLA’s Emma Malabuyo competes on the balance beam during the semifinals of the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships on Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

UCLA’s Chae Campbell celebrates after competing on the uneven bars during the semifinals of the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships on Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

UCLA’s Jordan Chiles competes in the vault during the semifinals of the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships on Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

UCLA’s Margzetta Frazier competes on the uneven bars during the semifinals of the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships on Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

UCLA’s Chae Campbell competes in the vault during the semifinals of the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships on Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

UCLA’s Jordan Chiles, right, celebrates with Coach Janelle McDonald, left, after earning a perfect 10 on the uneven bars during the NCAA gymnastics semifinals on Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas. Chiles finished first on the bars and the floor exercise and second in the all-around, but the Bruins were eliminated from the team competition. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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The UCLA gymnastics team made its first appearance in the NCAA championships since 2019 on Thursday night and received a dominant outing from Olympian Jordan Chiles, but the Bruins did not advance to the finals, finishing behind Pac-12 rival Utah and defending national champion Oklahoma in its four-team semifinal.

The rivalry between UCLA and Utah has only grown this season, with the Red Rocks getting the better of the Bruins no matter the venue. No. 5 Utah topped No. 4 UCLA four times this season, adding the latest chapter at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

UCLA bounced back from a low-scoring vault rotation to move into second place going into the final rotation. Chiles scored a perfect 10.0 on uneven bars to boost the Bruins to a team score of 197.9125, but Utah was still in the midst of its balance beam performances and proved again why it is the best team in the nation in that event. The Red Rocks’ Maile O’Keefe scored a perfect 10, which dropped UCLA into third place.

Utah and No. 1 Oklahoma advanced to the four-team finals with scores of 198.225 and 198.1625, respectively. Utah, in the finals for the third straight year, and Oklahoma, making its 10th consecutive trip to the finals, were the only programs in either semifinal to score 198 or better. UCLA finished ahead of Kentucky, which scored 197.125.

Chiles won individual national titles on the uneven bars with her perfect score and the floor exercise (9.9875), then came in second in the all-around to O’Keefe, who became the first Red Rock to win the all-around title since 1999. Selena Harris and Margzetta Frazier tied for second place on the floor at 9.95 and Chiles and Chae Campbell tied for third on the vault at 9.9.

“I’m very proud of the girls … the love, the trust that we have in each other,” Chiles said on the ESPN broadcast. “Just seeing the emotional-ness coming out of them at the end of this like, yes it’s hard. It’s really really hard knowing you were that close. But it’s only going to make them stronger.”

The Bruins seized first place after the balance beam, their first rotation of the evening. Emily Lee and Ciena Alipio both hit 9.9 as the first two competitors in the event and Emma Malabuyo ended the group with a 9.950 – her second-highest beam score of the season.

The highest-ever postseason floor exercise score kept UCLA in first place after two events. Harris scored a career-high 9.95 and Frazier tied her career-best with another 9.95. Emma Malabuyo posted a 9.8875 even though her music cut out midway through the routine.

UCLA dropped to third after scoring 49.1750 on vault, which was its lowest score in the event since the Pac-12 Championships in mid-March. Chiles’ 9.9 in the anchor position wasn’t enough to lift the Bruins.

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Utah’s other star, Olympic silver medalist Grace McCallum, competed for the first time since Feb. 11 due to a knee injury and scored a 9.95 on the uneven bars in an emotional return. She helped put Utah in the final with a good showing on the beam following O’Keefe’s 10.

No. 3 Florida, which received a lift from the return of defending NCAA all-around champion Trinity Thomas, and No. 6 LSU advanced from the early session and will join Oklahoma and Utah in the finals, which are Saturday at 1 p.m. PT. LSU posted the top score (197.4750) of the first session and Florida outpaced Cal and Denver.

McDonald brought the Bruins back to national prominence in her first season as head coach. In addition to getting them back to the NCAA Championships, she guided the team to three meet scores above 198 and all-time best team scores in multiple events throughout the season.

“This team believed they could build something special this season and were intentional every step of the way to make it happen,” McDonald said prior to the meet. “The thing I am most proud of is how they have shown up each weekend to compete for each other with joy and gratitude for the opportunities in front of them.”

JORDAN CHILES WITH A PERFECT 10 ON BARS #ThatsaW I @uclagymnastics pic.twitter.com/siyllcYgkE

— ESPN (@espn) April 14, 2023

Jordan Chiles’ floor routine at Nationals hits different

ESPN2#Pac12Gym | @uclagymnastics pic.twitter.com/tF1a9N9YhE

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) April 14, 2023

The way @EmmaMalabuyo kept going despite the technical difficulties (music cutting off) a true pro @uclagymnastics pic.twitter.com/d0Vi2Obxnq

— Arielle (Ari) Chambers (@ariivory) April 14, 2023

The beam of our dreams! @EmmaMalabuyo ties the top score on BB with a 9.950!@uclagymnastics | @TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/mWL5WCtiWY

— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) April 14, 2023

Orange County Register

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Jordan Chiles wins 2 national titles, but UCLA gymnastics ousted in NCAA semifinals

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