Welcome to UCLA’s annual Pride Meet (which, hopefully, is evident from the broadcast…)! After a comparatively slow start, the Bruins made the most of their home opener against Washington last week: Their 197.825 is the sixth highest score of the season, which puts them on even par with both California and Utah and provides some much-needed momentum heading into this meet.
They’ll need every advantage they can get because the undefeated Wildcats are coming in hot! Sure, win/loss records don’t affect rankings, but they certainly affect energy and confidence. Arizona has been a steady fixture in the top 20 this season, and has already taken down conference rival Stanford with a 197.000 performance. UCLA has the higher ceiling, but it can’t afford to absorb a sub-49 rotation and still expect to win this match-up.As a bonafide ’90s kid, I cannot say enough good things about this leo:
https://x.com/uclagymnastics/status/1754222608231678062?s=20
Well, color me shocked! They actually showed Pride flags and said the words “Pride Meet” on the broadcast.
Speaking of, is Jim Watson OK? Hopefully, it’s just weird lighting or some filter, because he looks very, very flushed…
Rotation 1: UCLA VT, Arizona UB
Lee (UCLA): Y full, slightly crunched on the table, but solid form in the air and a minor hop back. 9.800
Mueller (UA): Kch stepout toe hand, Ray with big height but some feet. Handstands were all a hair shy. DLO didn’t get as much rise, so chest down and a step forward. 9.750
Anastasi (UCLA): Big Y full, a little loose in the air and a large hop back. 9.750
Hargrove (UA): Clear hip to hand to arm bend. Good Tkatchev to bail, big swim on the squat-on. Good final handstand and a stuck FTDT. 9.775
Rosen (UCLA): Lovely Y 1.5! Great form in both the pre-flight and in the air, just a small hop forward. 9.865
Martin (UA): Kch, toe hand, beautiful Maloney! Fell out of the half pirouette. Strong DLO with a little hop back. 9.775 feels a little low compared to the first two routines.
Campbell (UCLA): I mean, good lord… Textbook Y full, flared out and comfortably stuck. That was gorgeous. 9.875 really feels low.
McCabe (UA): Blind change to a gorgeous piked Jaeger. Lost trunk tension on her bail to handstand. Shy final handstand, and form on the DLO with a step forward. 9.775… OK, really need to see some more separation in these bars scores.
Harris (UCLA): Nicely done Y 1.5. Slight twist onto the table and minor knee form, small scoot forward. 9.875… Ditto vault scores.
Derr (UA): Toe hand to Ray, slightly off-kilter in the air. Nice form on the Pak. Excellent FTDT with toes pointed throughout and a small step back. 9.875
Reed (UCLA): Very twisted and crunch on the table, but excellent distance and a negligible scoot forward. 9.950 is too high given that block and the scoot.
Fears (UA): Kch, big Tkatchev. Clear hip hand with a bit of sway. Bail to hand, fine. DLO good in the air with a shuffle on the landing. 9.900
Exh. Irvine (UCLA): Guess we don’t get to see hers.
AFTER ONE ROTATION: UCLA 49.375, Arizona 49.100
Solid rotations from both squads! No major errors on either side, just small details to clean up. I feel like the event totals are correct even if the individual scores were a little all over the place.
Rotation 2: UCLA UB, Arizona VTR
Greever (UA): Oh, they’re actually starting… Lucky I was watching! Clean Y full with a tiny laning adjustment. 9.800
Campbell (UCLA): Toe hand, Maloney with a bit of leg sep. Blind change stalled a bit, and her usual big cowboyed double front stuck. Esparza (UCLA): 9.850
Strom (UA): Strong Y full, fairly piked down with a large hop back. 9.800
Esparza (UCLA): No problems on her Maloney and Pak. Very patient VL. Pretty DLO minus some leg sep, landed very low and crunched. Stuckish? 9.825
Martin (UA): Lovely Y full! Big block with an ever so slight pike down, negligible hop back. 9.850
Rosen (UCLA): Maloney to Pak, very clean. Half pirouette, nice and deliberate. Some arm bend throughout. Messy DLO, but a fabulous stick. 9.925
Hargrove (UA): Y 1.5 clean in the air despite an off-center block. Landed off center and a little under, necessitating a step. 9.775
Malabuyo (UCLA): Yikes, overarches and comes right off on the first kch. Maloney and Pak with leg sep. Last handstand is borderline. FTDT with chest down and a step forward. 9.075
Castles (UA): Big, stretched out Y full with a sizable hop back. 9.800
Frazier (UCLA): Slightly shy first handstand. Small leg step on the Maloney, but a gorgeous Pak. Last handstand a touch short, too. Clean DLO with a college stick. 9.875 is high with the handstands and landing.
Fears (UA): Another big Y full, just a bit off center with a hop to the side. 9.725
Harris (UCLA): Perfect first handstand. Ray, great. Another impeccable handstand. And another! Gorgeous DLO, stuck. No question, best routine of the day so far. 9.950
AFTER ROTATION TWO: UCLA 98.800, Arizona 98.125
Another solid rotation for the Wildcats. Gave away a good bit on the landings, but the fundamentals are there.
Save Malabuyo’s fall, no major issues for the Bruins. I’d like to see a bit more polish, but that was arguably the most complete bars rotation we’ve seen them put up this season.
Rotation 3: UCLA BB, Arizona FX
Lee (UCLA): Front aerial to split jump, very calm. Bhs loso, very comfortable though bent elbows. Switch leap to split jump were steady (head on camera, so no clue about the angle). Bhs side gainer full, again with elbow bend but nicely stuck. Great job! 9.925, wow.
Deets (UA): Tight back 1.5 to front lay, good. Her artsy choreo fits in really well at Pauley. Tour jete half to Popa, good height and positions on both. RO bhs double tuck with a little bounce out finessed into a dramatic lunge. 9.850
Rosen (UCLA): Switch leap to split jump to double stag with a leg-up check; I think the split was shy, but angle is still meh. Confident bhs loso with soft legs. Full turn with a slight shoulder adjustment. RO back 1.5 with a little step back. 9.750
Fears (UA): RO bhs double tuck with a semi-stumble back but in bounds. Couldn’t tell you what the leaps were because the were zoomed right in on her face. Rudi with a big bounce back. RO back 1.5 to front full, very well done. 9.850 is very generous, especially compared to Deets’ routine.
Andres (UCLA): Love her mount and log roll. Beat jump to switch half, pretty. Seriously, stop zooming in on their faces! Gainer loso, excellent. Front toss to Korbut, fantastic. Full turn sliiightly overrotated, but she covered well. RO back double full with a moderate step back. Where has this beam routine the last four years?! 9.775 is fine in a bubble, but low next to Rosen’s.
Strom (UA): Punch Rudi to loso with a front foot adjustment, good height on both. Hitch kick to switch leap to switch half; again, couldn’t really see the positions because of the camera angle. I’m digging her ’80s mashup. Back 1.5 to front full not quite as tidy as Fears’ but still very good. 9.900
Harris (UCLA): Bhs loso bhs… Was that supposed to be a second bhs?! Looked a little improvised going into it, but rock solid. Switch leap to split jump to full turn, no problems. Piked front toss, gorgeous. RO back 1.5 right on the edge of being a college stick. Excellent routine overall. 9.975
Mueller (UA): RO bhs BIG double pike, kicked her back leg out on the lunge. Switch half to Popa, great. Back 1.5 to front lay with a small stutter on the landing. Love her energy and dance! Double tuck with chest forward, but well-controlled. 9.875
Malabuyo (UCLA): Straddle mount. Wolf turn, fine. Bhs loso with a slight little adjustment. Front aerial to a HIGH beat jump, good. Bhs gainer full, stuck. 9.925
Herry (UA): RO bhs double tuck with a small bounce back. Tour jete to something I didn’t see… RO back 1.5 to front lay, lovely. RO bhs double pike, beautifully done and a perfectly controlled lunge. 9.900
Alipio (UCLA): Front aerial to loso, fantastic! Little balance check on her choreo, I think? Split leap to switch leap. Full turn with a balance check. Tucked gainer back tuck with chest forward, but fights for the stick. Great routine, but 9.925 is high.
Hargrove (UA): RO bhs to a big FTDT, a little crooked and landed with one foot off the stinger. RO whip half to front full with a big lunge. Switch ring to tour jete, slightly crooked. Gotta love her headstand choreo. RO bhs double tuck, big air and a solid landing.
AFTER ROTATION THREE: UCLA 148.325, Arizona 147.575
Very strong routines for both teams! This was my first time getting to watch an entire Arizona FX rotation this season, and that was an absolute treat. Again, the pieces are there, just have to hone in the details.
UCLA looked really, really good. Impressed by the variety in the skills and their ability to work through any glitches without setting off a cascade.
Rotation 4: UCLA FX, Arizona BB
I’m sorry, are they really playing Blurred Lines at Pauley? Woof…
Herry (UA): Quick full turn, slightly over rotating. Bhs loso with some form on each and a small hip check. Side somi, good. Straddle jump to straddle half with a check. Bhs back 1.5 with a tiny hop forward. 9.775
Malabuyo (UCLA): RO bhs double tuck, excellent control. RO back 1.5 to front lay, again very nicely done. switch ring to tour jete. Straight jump full to split. RO bhs double pike, pretty crunched down but controls the landing. 9.925
Mueller (UA): Side aerial to loso with some feet and a little check. Full turn, good. Switch leap with a check to straddle jump, should still get the connection. Beat jump, good. RO back 1.5, stuck. 9.850
Andres (UCLA): RO back 1.5 to front tuck, tons of height. RO double tuck with some feet, but a great landing. Switch side to Popa, I think? Landing positions were a little indistinct. Switch leap, very nice. Solid day for her. 9.925
Castles (UA): Lovely tick-tock. Bhs loso with a big wobble and step. Switch leap to split leap, good. Front aerial to Sissone, pretty nervy but she covers it well. Double wolf turn, very steady. RO back 1.5 with a wonky take-off. Lands well off center and has to swim, but holds onto the stick. 9.750 is high.
Rosen (UCLA): Beautiful opening DLO (saw some leg sep on the replay), with a big lunge out taken riiiight to the edge. Much better control on her double pike. Pulla walked so Rosen could… Do whatever it is she’s doing choreo-wise, lol. Switch leap to switch half, good. Back 1.5 to front lay to front tuck. Lay was a little flat, but she made it work. 9.950
Deets (UA): Bhs loso with a moderate hip check. Full turn kicked out, nice. Hitch kick to switch side, good. Nicely turned out cat leap to front toss with a small correction. Switch leap to side gainer full that I think was stuck, but camera had her feet out of shot. 9.850 is also high.
Moors (UCLA): Fhs front double full to front tuck with a stumble OOB. RO to a floaty loso. Switch leap to tour jete to wolf, nice positions and extension on all three. Beautiful Rudi to finish. 9.725
Martin (UA): Bhs loso with another moderate hip check. Clean front aerial. Full turn, no problem. RO back 1.5 with a medium side step. 9.700
Harris (UCLA): Fabulous DLO. Huge air on her Popa series. RO bhs double tuck, a hair short and had to hop forward. RO back 1.5 to front full to double stag, pure power. 9.975… No.
Fears (UA): bhs loso with feet and a leg up check. Full turn, good. Love the double stag! RO back 1.5, gorgeous and stuck. 9.725
Reed (UCLA): BIG DLO, bounced out but kept it in. Lost her trunk on the wolf full juuust a bit, but reined it in. It’s so much fun to see her performing this choreo! Fhs front lay to Rudi, very nice control. 9.975 is also too high. I’m sorry, you *can’t* give routines with clear issues on the landings a 10. You just can’t.
FINAL: UCLA 198.075, Arizona 196.525
VT: Reed, 9.950
UB: Harris, 9.950
BB: Harris, 9.975
FX: Harris and Reed, 9.975
AA: Harris, 39.775
READ THIS NEXT: Judge’s Inquiry: Breaking Down January’s Perfect 10s
Live blog by Claire Billman
