Thursday, April 17
6:00 PM PT
UCLA
vs
NCAA Semifinals
The Bruins celebrate after advancing to the NCAA Championship final
Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
UCLA Places Second in NCAA Semifinals, Advances to Championship Round
April 17, 2025 | Gymnastics
Fort Worth, Texas - No. 5 seed UCLA qualified to Saturday's NCAA Championship Final after securing a second-place finish in Thursday night's semifinal. The Bruins scored 197.7375 to finish just .025 behind first-place Utah, who totaled 197.7625. Defending champion and top-seeded LSU finished third with 197.5250, and Michigan State was fourth with 197.3625.
The Bruins led after scoring 49.5250 on floor in the first rotation, fell to third after a 49.2375 on vault in rotation two, then used a 49.4250 on uneven bars in rotation three to climb back into first. UCLA's 49.5500 on balance beam in the final rotation secured a second-place finish for the Bruins after Utah moved into first with a 49.6500 on uneven bars.
Two Bruins won individual national titles in addition. Junior Jordan Chiles won her second NCAA uneven bars title with a score of 9.9750, reclaiming the crown she won in 2023. Graduate student Brooklyn Moors won her first-ever NCAA title, capturing the title on floor exercise with a score of 9.9625.
"I could not be more proud of this team," said The R.C. Rothman UCLA Head Gymnastics Coach Janelle McDonald. "They set out from day one to make something special happen, and to be headed to Four on the Floor is everything we could ask for and hope for. But job's not done! We've got one more meet and we're going to come out swinging on Saturday."
UCLA began the meet on floor exercise, the event on which they are ranked No. 1 in the nation. Sophomore Katelyn Rosen kicked things off with a strong leadoff routine that scored 9.8625. Freshman Macy McGowan returned from resting at Regionals to post a 9.8500. Malabuyo delivered in the three spot with a 9.8875 to put UCLA in a good position with their big three on the back end to come. Competing her sophomore year routine, her fourth floor routine she has competed this season, Chae Campbell earned 9.9125. Moors followed with her national championship routine that merited a pair of perfect 10s, and Chiles finished the rotation with a 9.9000, giving UCLA a 49.5250 first rotation score and the lead.
In rotation two, Emily Lee started vault with a stuck Yurchenko full that scored 9.8500. Riley Jenkins hit her Yurchenko 1.5 with a step forward and scored 9.8000. Moors nearly stuck but took a small step after the landing and scored 9.8000. Campbell came in after a long wait after Mika Webster-Longin was injured on her vault landing, and nevertheless stuck a huge Yurchenko full that scored 9.9000. Chiles closed out the rotation with a 9.8875 to move UCLA's vault score up to 49.2375. However, both Michigan State and Utah surged ahead of UCLA after the Spartans scored 49.4500 on uneven bars and the Utes scored 49.5625 on floor exercise.
The Bruins utilized two huge scores at the end of their uneven bars rotation to reclaim a slim lead in rotation three. Campbell and McGowan each scored 9.8250 to start the rotation. Rosen, filling in for Webster-Longin, was clutch, sticking her dismount and scoring 9.8750. After Malabuyo's 9.8125, Frida Esparza nailed her difficult routine for a 9.925, and Chiles finished it off with her championship routine that scored 9.9750 and solidified a strong uneven bars score of 49.4250.
UCLA closed it out on beam armed with a .0375 lead over second-place LSU and a .0750 lead over third-place Utah. After a low mark by Lee that saw three different start values ranging from 9.700 and 10.00 from the six judges, the Bruins had little margin for error. But Rosen came through once again with a big score of 9.8875. Chiles added a 9.8250, but Campbell came through with a 9.9125. Ciena Alipio, in her only routine of the night, scored 9.950, setting the stage for Malabuyo on the Bruins' last routine of the night. Needing a hit routine to advance, Malabuyo was nearly flawless, receiving three perfect 10s and a final score of 9.9750 to clinch UCLA's Top 2 finish.
The Bruins will compete for the NCAA title on Saturday, April 19 against No. 2 seed Oklahoma, No. 4 seed Utah and No. 7 seed Missouri. The meet will air live on ABC at 3pm CT/1pm PT.
Team Standings - Session 1
1. Oklahoma - 197.5500
2. Missouri - 197.3000
3. Florida - 197.2000
4. Alabama - 196.8250
Team Standings - Session 2
1. Utah - 197.7625
2. UCLA - 197.7375
3. LSU - 197.5250
4. Michigan State - 197.3625
Individual Event Winners
All-Around - Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma (39.7125)
Vault - Kailin Chio, LSU (9.9750)
Uneven Bars - Jordan Chiles, UCLA (9.9750)
Balance Beam - Helen Hu, Missoui (9.9875)
Floor Exercise - Brooklyn Moors, UCLA (9.9625)
The Bruins led after scoring 49.5250 on floor in the first rotation, fell to third after a 49.2375 on vault in rotation two, then used a 49.4250 on uneven bars in rotation three to climb back into first. UCLA's 49.5500 on balance beam in the final rotation secured a second-place finish for the Bruins after Utah moved into first with a 49.6500 on uneven bars.
Two Bruins won individual national titles in addition. Junior Jordan Chiles won her second NCAA uneven bars title with a score of 9.9750, reclaiming the crown she won in 2023. Graduate student Brooklyn Moors won her first-ever NCAA title, capturing the title on floor exercise with a score of 9.9625.
"I could not be more proud of this team," said The R.C. Rothman UCLA Head Gymnastics Coach Janelle McDonald. "They set out from day one to make something special happen, and to be headed to Four on the Floor is everything we could ask for and hope for. But job's not done! We've got one more meet and we're going to come out swinging on Saturday."
UCLA began the meet on floor exercise, the event on which they are ranked No. 1 in the nation. Sophomore Katelyn Rosen kicked things off with a strong leadoff routine that scored 9.8625. Freshman Macy McGowan returned from resting at Regionals to post a 9.8500. Malabuyo delivered in the three spot with a 9.8875 to put UCLA in a good position with their big three on the back end to come. Competing her sophomore year routine, her fourth floor routine she has competed this season, Chae Campbell earned 9.9125. Moors followed with her national championship routine that merited a pair of perfect 10s, and Chiles finished the rotation with a 9.9000, giving UCLA a 49.5250 first rotation score and the lead.
In rotation two, Emily Lee started vault with a stuck Yurchenko full that scored 9.8500. Riley Jenkins hit her Yurchenko 1.5 with a step forward and scored 9.8000. Moors nearly stuck but took a small step after the landing and scored 9.8000. Campbell came in after a long wait after Mika Webster-Longin was injured on her vault landing, and nevertheless stuck a huge Yurchenko full that scored 9.9000. Chiles closed out the rotation with a 9.8875 to move UCLA's vault score up to 49.2375. However, both Michigan State and Utah surged ahead of UCLA after the Spartans scored 49.4500 on uneven bars and the Utes scored 49.5625 on floor exercise.
The Bruins utilized two huge scores at the end of their uneven bars rotation to reclaim a slim lead in rotation three. Campbell and McGowan each scored 9.8250 to start the rotation. Rosen, filling in for Webster-Longin, was clutch, sticking her dismount and scoring 9.8750. After Malabuyo's 9.8125, Frida Esparza nailed her difficult routine for a 9.925, and Chiles finished it off with her championship routine that scored 9.9750 and solidified a strong uneven bars score of 49.4250.
9.9750 for @ChilesJordan! She's coming back for that ??!
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) April 18, 2025
??: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/9SBZswbPXY
UCLA closed it out on beam armed with a .0375 lead over second-place LSU and a .0750 lead over third-place Utah. After a low mark by Lee that saw three different start values ranging from 9.700 and 10.00 from the six judges, the Bruins had little margin for error. But Rosen came through once again with a big score of 9.8875. Chiles added a 9.8250, but Campbell came through with a 9.9125. Ciena Alipio, in her only routine of the night, scored 9.950, setting the stage for Malabuyo on the Bruins' last routine of the night. Needing a hit routine to advance, Malabuyo was nearly flawless, receiving three perfect 10s and a final score of 9.9750 to clinch UCLA's Top 2 finish.
THE BRUINS ARE IN!@EmmaMalabuyo clinches the Bruins' trip to the Championship with a 9.9750!
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) April 18, 2025
??: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/SjohpvntaL
The Bruins will compete for the NCAA title on Saturday, April 19 against No. 2 seed Oklahoma, No. 4 seed Utah and No. 7 seed Missouri. The meet will air live on ABC at 3pm CT/1pm PT.
Team Standings - Session 1
1. Oklahoma - 197.5500
2. Missouri - 197.3000
3. Florida - 197.2000
4. Alabama - 196.8250
Team Standings - Session 2
1. Utah - 197.7625
2. UCLA - 197.7375
3. LSU - 197.5250
4. Michigan State - 197.3625
Individual Event Winners
All-Around - Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma (39.7125)
Vault - Kailin Chio, LSU (9.9750)
Uneven Bars - Jordan Chiles, UCLA (9.9750)
Balance Beam - Helen Hu, Missoui (9.9875)
Floor Exercise - Brooklyn Moors, UCLA (9.9625)
Players Mentioned
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