Things will be different for the Bruins in 2025, as change was the theme of the offseason for UCLA following a conference switch and some significant roster gains and losses. Helping the Bruins fight for their first Big Ten title will be Jordan Chiles, who has recommitted after taking time away to win gold at the Olympics, which will help lessen the blow of losing Selena Harris—the Bruins’ best gymnast during Chiles’ hiatus.
2024 Rewind
No. 17 overall | No. 2 at Pac-12s | No. 8 in regular season | Regional semifinals
Without a doubt the Bruins were upset with a 17th-place finish and early regionals exit last season after spending much of 2024 ranked in the top 10. The only significant team accomplishment one of the sport’s most storied programs has earned this decade is a share of a regular season conference championship, so the pressure will be on UCLA right away to compete for the top spot in the Big Ten—something the talent on this roster is more than capable of.
Losses & Gains
| Returning | In |
| Fifth-Years Chae Campbell Frida Esparza Seniors Mia Erdoes Emily Lee Emma Malabuyo Brooklyn Moors Juniors Ciena Alipio Madisyn Anyimi Jordan Chiles Clara Wren Sophomores Paige Anastasi Katelyn Rosen Redshirt Freshmen Sydney Barros | Freshmen Sasha Fujisaka Bronwyn Hoffmann Riley Jenkins Macy McGowan Mika Webster-Longin Transferred Carissa Clay (Kentucky) |
| Out | |
| Graduated Emma Andres (BB) Margzetta Frazier (UB, FX) Chloe Lashbrooke (FX) Katie McNamara Nya Reed (VT, FX) Sara Ulias (UB, FX) Transferred Selena Harris (AA) Alex Irvine Ana Padurariu (UB, BB) Left Team Camryn Richardson | |
| Injury Update | |
| Former five-star recruit Sydney Barros redshirted her freshman season after sustaining an injury just before the 2023 World Championships. This season, she is expected to compete for lineup spots, particularly on the leg events. | |
Apparatus Deep Dive
Vault
2024 Event Ranking: No. 8 | NQS: 49.400 | Average: 49.325
| Event Overview: After a year of inconsistency and a lack of difficulty, Chiles’ return will be greatly appreciated along with the debut of Macy McGowan and her stellar Yurchenko one and a half. Campbell and Rosen return to give UCLA a solid core, but bringing in consistent event totals of 49.500 or better may be a challenge with fewer 10.0 SV depth compared to the rest of the nationals contenders. | ||
| Locks: Chae Campbell, Jordan Chiles, Macy McGowan, Katelyn Rosen | ||
| Contenders: Madisyn Anyimi, Riley Jenkins, Emily Lee, Brooklyn Moors, Mika Webster-Longin | ||
| Wildcards: Paige Anastasi, Sydney Barros, Sasha Fujisaka, Bronwyn Hoffman, Emma Malabuyo |
Bars
2024 Event Ranking: No. 8 | NQS: 49.450 | Average: 49.313
| Event Overview: Bars was never going to be UCLA’s best event in 2024, but it managed to put together some solid totals throughout the season while dealing with the inconsistency that plagued every event. That makes Chiles’ return even more critical. Apart from the Olympian, Fujisaka has the floaty releases and natural swing to break into this lineup early into her career. Positively, the Bruins should have more options here than last season. | ||
| Locks: Chae Campbell, Jordan Chiles, Frida Esparza, Katelyn Rosen | ||
| Contenders: Sasha Fujisaka, Emily Lee, Emma Malabuyo, Macy McGowan | ||
| Wildcards: Madisyn Anyimi, Sydney Barros, Bronwyn Hoffman, Mika Webster-Longin |
Beam
2024 Event Ranking: No.9 | NQS: 49.340 | Average: 49.208
| Event Overview: With a pair of sub-48.500 performances and just once ending as the Bruins’ top event score of the meet, beam was easily UCLA’s weakest event last season. It was the one event McGowan didn’t win at level 10 nationals, but her routine is still college-ready and should factor into the lineup with a few key vacancies to fill. One of which will, obviously, be filled by Chiles. | ||
| Locks: Jordan Chiles, Emily Lee, Emma Malabuyo, Katelyn Rosen | ||
| Contenders: Ciena Alipio, Chae Campbell, Macy McGowan, Mika Webster-Longin | ||
| Wildcards: Carissa Clay, Frida Esparza, Sasha Fujisaka, Riley Jenkins, Bronwyn Hoffman, Brooklyn Moors |
Floor
2024 Event Ranking: No.6 | NQS: 49.615 | Average: 49.504
| Event Overview: As it has been for many seasons, floor was UCLA’s strongest event in 2024 and projects to retain that status in the coming season. All eyes will be on Chiles—as she’s known for her prowess on the event both collegiately and internationally—but don’t overlook McGowan, as her powerful full-in and bouncy presence fits perfectly into the Bruins’ aesthetic. | ||
| Locks: Chae Campbell, Jordan Chiles, Brooklyn Moors, Katelyn Rosen | ||
| Contenders: Emily Lee, Emma Malabuyo, Macy McGowan | ||
| Wildcards: Sydney Barros, Sasha Fujisaka, Bronwyn Hoffman, Riley Jenkins, Mika Webster-Longin |
Records Watch
Team: 198.875 | AA: 39.975 | VT: 49.725/10.000 | UB: 49.825/10.000 | BB: 49.750/10.000 | FX: 49.875/10.000
In addition to being on Gym Slam watch, Chiles will bear the burden of record-breaker for UCLA this season, with the capability to match several marks. Although she’s only notched 10.0s on bars and floor so far in her career, perfection is certainly within her reach on vault and beam—making her a threat to match Mohini Bhardwaj’s all-around record or even record a perfect 40 if everything lines up perfectly.
The Big Picture
Led by Chiles and fifth-year Chae Campbell, UCLA projects to spend another season ranked around the top 10 and put itself in the nationals conversation. With a core of gymnasts returning on each event, the ceiling for the Bruins comes down to the impact of its eighth-ranked freshman class and how much useable depth its able to provide.
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Article by Brandis Heffner
