UCLA will get one more shot at a national title this weekend, with Jordan Chiles and the Bruins set to compete Thursday in an NCAA gymnastics semifinal in Fort Worth. The seven-time champions, who have not won an NCAA gymnastics crown in eight years, will face Oklahoma, Arkansas and Minnesota with a place in Saturday’s championship meet on the line.
The top two teams from each semifinal advance, and UCLA enters after winning its first NCAA Regional title since 2019. The Bruins posted a 197.725 total and finished one-tenth ahead of Minnesota and.225 ahead of Utah, a result that underscored how tight the margin is at this stage. UCLA also proved it can answer pressure, starting regionals with a 49.625 on floor and leaning on a lineup that held together when every score mattered.
Chiles remains the centerpiece. The two-time Olympic medalist already has three individual NCAA titles, and she is one perfect 10 on beam away from a senior-season grand slam. Her perfect 10 on floor in the regional was her eighth perfect mark this season, another sign that UCLA’s path runs through her as much as through the team score. Last season, the Bruins finished second in the national final, while Chiles and Brooklyn Moors captured the NCAA uneven bars and floor exercise titles.
UCLA coach Janelle McDonald said the Bruins must stay locked in on what they can control, because gymnastics leaves no room for defense. She pointed to the regional as a test for freshmen thrown into pressure and said they handled it with confidence, something she believes will help in Fort Worth. McDonald also praised Chiles for her energy, passion and leadership, saying she leads by example and with her heart.
That depth has been part of the Bruins’ identity all year, according to Ciena Alipio, who said teammates stepped in whenever others were sick or dealing with minor injuries. It is a useful edge, but not a comfortable one: UCLA now has to turn that balance into four clean rotations against a field that includes Oklahoma on Thursday and Louisiana State University, Stanford, Florida and Georgia in the other semifinal. The Bruins are close enough to another championship to feel it, and still far enough that nothing less than a sharp meet will get them there.