UCLA gymnastics a national title contender? Jordan Chiles sees it that way
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- UCLA gymnastics is working on perfecting its routines and landings in order to compete among the elite teams in the nation.
- UCLA star and two-time Olympic medalist Jordan Chiles believes the Bruins have the potential to win a national title.
Two meets into the season, ninth-ranked UCLA gymnastics has set an unforgiving standard for execution. They know their routines must be virtually perfect in order to avoid reductions from the judges.
“That’s really where our mindset is at,” UCLA coach Janelle McDonald said. “We want to continue to learn and grow from the things that we’ve already experienced and really put in the work to be the best team that we’re capable of being.”
As they prepare to face Nebraska in their home opener at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, McDonald said the Bruins are focusing on the small details within their routines and landings. Facing some of the nation’s top teams during a quad meet in Utah last week — where UCLA finished third behind defending national champion Oklahoma and No. 2 Louisiana State — set the tone for what is expected to be a challenging season for the Bruins.
UCLA lost to defending national champion Oklahoma during the Collegiate Quad meet Saturday, finishing third. Jordan Chiles won the floor title.
“None of us are locked in how we want to be,” McDonald said. “It’s a really good test early in the season to have great competition across the board at a meet but also to be able to kind of see where you’re at and where we need to continue to build, too.”
If the Bruins can reach and sustain their potential, senior star Jordan Chiles is confident UCLA could challenge for a national title.
“The talent that I see during practices is just remarkable,” Chiles said. “Every girl has their own way of showcasing that and it’s cool to know that our personalities and our talents get to collide together because it’s magical in the gym.
“We’re going to keep pushing and keep pushing.”
Building for the future
With such a young team, McDonald wants her freshmen to get as much experience as possible.
“First few meets of the year, we really wanted to have a lot of takeaways to build from and to learn from,” she said. “I saw some really great adjustments from week one to week two in how we handle our nerves, how we handle the warmups, how we show up for each other.”
She attributes that development to a personalized coaching approach that emphasizes strong communication with each gymnast.
Chiles remains focused on the team
Chiles secured her second straight Big Ten Gymnast of the Week after posting a 39.575 all-around score in Utah. While she is the top-ranked gymnast in the nation, her focus remains on helping the team win.
“She loves that she gets to do the sport she loves with the people that have her back every step of the way,” McDonald said.
During the offseason, Chiles appeared on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” and finished third. Despite her very busy schedule then, she still practiced with the team every day.
The UCLA women’s gymnastics team sent four freshmen to the floor during their successful meet last weekend against Washington, California and Oregon State.
After finishing second in the nation last season, Chiles is extra motivated.
“There’s fuel in my body that I just want the world to understand that the Bruins didn’t come to play this year,” Chiles said. “It’s just a matter of time when that spark is going to finally ignite and people are gonna be very shocked.
“We are just showing you bits and pieces with every meet that you see, but when it’s time to really shine and go out there and do what we need to do, we’re gonna do it.”
