No. 40 Nebraska heads west to face No. 9 UCLA inside Pauley Pavilion.
Nebraska is coming off its season opener at home, where it posted a 194.600 team total. While beam proved to be a challenge, the Huskers looked solid across the remaining events in their first competition of the year. All-arounders Whitney Jencks and Isabel Sikon stood out in the opener and are names to watch again, as both made an impact on multiple events.
UCLA enters the meet riding momentum from two strong performances, most recently eclipsing 197. The Bruins have been consistent across all four events, yet to record an event total below 49.000 or be forced to count a major mistake. The lineup is anchored by Olympian Jordan Chiles and supported by all-arounders Katelyn Rosen and Tiana Sumanasekera. Mika Webster-Longin has been reliable on bars and beam, while Ciena Alipio continues to shine on beam. With a roster loaded with depth and star power, UCLA is poised for another strong showing at home.
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Rotation 1: UCLA VT, Nebraska UB
Sumanasekera (UCLA): Y-Full, beautiful position in air with a hop back. 9.8
Anyimi (UCLA): Y-Full, flares out arms and lands with a low chest and a hop. 9.75
Rosen (UCLA): Y-1.5, piked throughout and ends with small hops forward. 9.8
Jenkins (UCLA): Y-1.5, high but takes a large step forward. 9.725
Sullivan (UCLA): Y-1.5, great form throughout, tiny hop forward. 9.9
Chiles (UCLA): Y-double STUCK! Amazing form and height! 10.0!!
Burns (Neb.): Starts with great HS, blind to piked jaeger, shoot over, little short in final HS to double layout with some leg separation, but gets a stick! 9.75
Griffin (Neb.): Maloney to pak, short HS to Van Leeuwen, form issues on dismount and a step. 9.6
Sikon (Neb.): HS, blind to jaeger shoot over, blind full to double back with hop back on landing. 9.8
Kraus (Neb.): HS to ray, little short on bail, nice full in dismount, hops back. 9.775
Peterson (Neb.): Maloney to bail HS, good last HS, full in dismount with a stick! 9.875
Jencks (Neb.): Ray to bail is nice, good final HS to a stuck double! Great job focusing through the loud crowd! 9.85
Ex. Eichman (UCLA): Y-Full, stuck! 9.8
Ex. Frost (Neb.): Short HS to ray and falls. Gets back and does her double layout, very floaty and takes a step back. 8.150
AFTER ONE: UCLA 49.25, Nebraska 49.050
That was a great first rotation for both teams! UCLA will want to nail more of those landings with the season, but Jordan Chiles capping the Bruin’s off with a perfect score helps solidify their lead so far. The Huskers will also want to work on bar landings as well as making sure their handstands are within 10 degrees. With no falls or major mistakes, these teams are in great spots going into rotation 2!
Rotation 2: Nebraska VT, UCLA UB
Rosen (UCLA): HS to Maloney to pak, pirouette fights to stay on top, to a double layout with leg separation, but she sticks it! 9.85
Sumanasekera (UCLA): Maloney to nice pak, pirouette, nice HS on top to full out and slides back on dismount. 9.825
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Maloney to quick pak, beautiful handstands thoughout, clear hip to immediate full out, hop back. 9.85
Matthews (UCLA): HS to floaty pak, Van leeuwen to HS, really nice double layout with a small hop forward. 9.825
Sullivan (UCLA): HS to huge Tkatchev, pak, HS to stuck double layout! 9.9
Chiles (UCLA): Starts with piked Tkatchev, to pak, HS to HIGH and floaty double layout, tiny hop forward. 9.9
Griffin (Neb.): Y-full, slightly off to the side and hops back. 9.675
Pech (Neb.): Y-full, not super high and takes a small hop back. 9.75
Jencks (Neb.): Y-full, not a lot of height and takes tiny hop back. 9.675
Baechle (Neb.): Y- tucked 1.5, moves one foot to the side on landing. 9.8
Shaver (Neb.): Y-full, nice form and hops back. 9.75
Sikon (Neb.): Y-full, form in the air a hop on landing. 9.7
Ex. Barros (UCLA): HS to pak, van leeuwen to HS, double layout with feet glued together, hop back. 9.8
Ex. Anyimi (UCLA): Blind to piked jaegar, too far and falls. ends with full out and a step. 8.5
Ex. Barth (Neb.): Y-full, pretty pikey and a hop. 9.625
AFTER TWO: UCLA 98.575, Nebraska 97.725
Another good rotation in the books! Nebraska was led by Reese Baechle with a 9.8 on vault. With no stuck landings, the Huskers had a 48.675 event total, making the gap between them and the Bruin’s a little larger half way through. UCLA was led by Ashlee Sullivan and Jordan Chiles with 9.9’s. Not many stuck landing from UCLA either, but great execution in the bar routines!
Rotation 3: UCLA BB, Nebraska FX
Rosen (UCLA): Really icing her out here. Finally mounts, switch leap to split jump, beat jump to Onodi tiny wobble but covers well, BHS LOSO no problems there, full turn, RO 1.5 dismount with an arm circle stick! 9.9
Matthews (UCLA): Switch leap to split jump is solid. Side aeriel to BHS good. full wolf turn, check. RO double, big hop back and low chest. 9.775
Sumanasekera (UCLA): Pretty mount, shows her flexibility. Full turn is good. BHS LOSO is solid. Front aerial to beat jump. Split jump to split ring, slightly below 180. BHS to 1.5 dismount with a stick! 9.9
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Press HS mount, showing her artistry here! Full turn. BHS BHS LOSO is great. Beat to switch half, check. RO to 1.5, really pretty and gets the stick! 9.875
Chiles (UCLA): My computer crashed so I missed the beginning 🙁 BHS LOSO great. Switch side, great extension. Full turn. Side aerial. Looks so confident on beam! RO to a stuck double twist! 9.975
Alipio (UCLA): Full turn, BHS BHS LOSO, quick finish and great control. Side aerial is good. Leap, switch leap, beat jump. Ends with a tucked gainer full and a stick! 9.975
Gard (Neb.): Starts with a double tuck, glues foot down. Second pass is a punch layout to front full, some leg form but nice control. Ends with a double pike, slightly under rotated and steps forward. 9.7
Kraus (Neb.): Huge double back and big hop to lunge. Split full to straddle full. Back 1.5 to front layout, good control. Ends with under-rotated double pike, but stays on feet. 9.65
Baechle (Neb.): Starts with front double twist and dances out. Switch side to straddle full leap. RO 1.5 to front full, leg form in front full. Fun dance! 9.65
Sikon (Neb.): First pass is a high double tuck, slides her feet. RO 1.5 to front full, good form in twists. Split full to straddle jump is pretty! 9.725
Jencks (Neb.): Punch front double, good control on landing. Wolf full is good. Ends with front layout to low Rudi, under rotates and steps forward. 9.7
Homecillo (Neb.): Fun music! Huge double pike with great control on landing. Back 1.5 to front layout, great form. Ends with a stuck double tuck! Great way to end their rotation!
Ex. Eichman (UCLA): BHS LOSO is good. cat leap to side sumi and falls off. Beat to switch half. Full turn. Front full with a hop forward. 9.075
Ex. Clay (UCLA): Switch lead to switch split, beautiful. BHS LOSO is solid, little bit of leg form. beat jump to front aerial with little check. Full turn. BHS to 1.5, nice control in twist and great landing! 9.825
Ex. Burns (Neb.): Double pike, low chest but good control. Low double tuck, but takes big lunge out. Ends with a RO 1.5 to front layout. Low of front layout and lands awkwardly. 9.525
AFTER THREE: UCLA 148.200, Nebraska 146.350
The Bruins went lights out on beam with a team score of 49.625! They had amazing landings and seemed super confident throughout routines. I am so impressed that most of the Nebraska gymnasts had three-pass routines, but the Husker’s had some timing issues on their tumbling passes and struggled to find landing, extending UCLA’s lead. One more rotation to go!
Rotation 4: Nebraska BB, UCLA FX
Rosen (UCLA): Double tuck with great control. Double pike is under rotated and lands very low. Switch ring to jump combo. RO 1.5 to front layout, better control on that landing. 9.625
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Front double, wonky landing. RO 1.5 to floaty front layout. Switch half to wolf full. I love her music! Ends with front Rudi, good control on landing, lifts heel a little. 9.7
Alipio (UCLA): Double pike, good control on lunge. Switch ring to jump combo, great extension. So much emotion in her dance! RO 1.5 to front layout, slight leg separation but great control. 9.875
Sumanasekera (UCLA): Double layout, great air awareness as she doesn’t put her heel down to stay in bounds. Such a fun routine, teammates doing dance with her. Ends with RO 1.5 front layout, dances out of it. Great routine! 9.875
Sullivan (UCLA): Britney Spears routine! HUGE double layout with perfect control on landing. Split full to straddle full. Front tuck to double back, nice control on that! 9.875
Chiles (UCLA): Starts with double layout, under rotates and steps forward. Switch full to split full. Such a fun dance and LOVE her music from her time on Dancing with the Stars! Ends with double tuck, keeps front foot down this time. 9.8
Jencks (Neb.): BHS LOSO is great. Full turn. Little check in dance. Front toss with a check. Switch leap to straddle quarter. RO to 1.5, hop forward. 9.725
Homecillo (Neb.): BHS BHS LOSO is solid. Full turn. Beat to straddle 3/4. RO 1.5 with a medium hop forward. 9.825
Gard (Neb.): BHS LOSO, little leg form. Full turn, check. Beat to side aerial. Switch, switch. Front piked gainer with a stick! 9.75
Kraus (Neb.): My computer crashed again. Full turn. BHS LOSO with good leg form. Switch half to split jump is good. Cartwheel in dance. Front gainer tucked full with a stick! 9.825
Burns (Neb.): BHS LOSO LOSO, steps back and falls off. Full turn. Beat to straddle half. RO 1.5 with a step forward. 9.075
Sikon (Neb.): Love her mount! Cartwheel to get up, check. BHS LOSO, check. cat leap to switch half. Full turn. Ends with BHS 1.5 and a stick!
Ex. Barros (UCLA): Double layout, lands out of bounds. Front tuck to double back with too much momentum and hops out of bounds again. Switch half to wolf full. 9.45
Ex. Griffin (Neb.): Switch leap to split jump. Full turn, dances out. RO 1.5, almost sticks but steps back. 9.75
Ex. Barth (Neb.): BHS LOSO is good. Falls on her jumps. Side aerial to tucked 1.5, steps. 8.975
FINAL: UCLA 197.325, Nebraska 195.250
This was not the floor rotation we are used to seeing from UCLA. Although they have engaging dance and music, they couldn’t find their landings on their passes and did not have a score of 9.9+. Nebraska also seemed nervous on beam with multiples checks and few stuck landings. Despite the last rotation being out of character, both teams completed this meet not having to count any falls and having solid team scores!
VT: Jordan Chiles (UCLA) 10.0
UB: Ashlee Sullivan (UCLA), Jordan Chiles (UCLA) 9.900
BB: Jordan Chiles (UCLA), Ciena Alipio (UCLA) 9.975
FX: Tiana Sumanasekera (UCLA), Ashlee Sullivan (UCLA), Ciena Alipio (UCLA) 9.875
AA: Jordan Chiles (UCLA) 39.675
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Live blog by Jenna Garcia
