Emma Malabuyo Joins UCLA Staff as Graduate Student Assistant Coach
September 02, 2025 | Gymnastics
Malabuyo finished her collegiate career in 2025 as a four-time All-American and three-time conference team champion. In 2025, she finished as the NCAA balance beam runner-up and was a nominee for the AAI Award. At the conference level, she earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and was UCLA's honoree for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Malabuyo earned first-team Academic All-America honors during her senior season and was a finalist and the sport winner for the 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar award.
In 2024, she represented the Philippines at the Olympic Games, earning her spot following a third-place all-around finish at the Asian Championships. She made history for the Philippines in 2024 when she became the first Filipina woman ever to win a gold medal at the Asian Championships with her floor exercise title. She had previously recorded the highest-ever placement by a Filipina gymnast at the 2023 Asian Championships when she won silver on floor exercise.
"We're thrilled to announce Emma as our new Graduate Student Assistant Coach," said The R.C. Rothman UCLA Head Gymnastics Coach Janelle McDonald. "Over the past four years, Emma has exemplified dedication, resilience and leadership as a student-athlete. Her passion for the team, unwavering drive and deep Bruin pride have left a lasting impact on our program. I'm genuinely excited for her to bring that same energy and insight to this year's team in a new and elevated role."
Malabuyo will extend her academic ventures, pursuing a postgraduate certificate in marketing, while continuing to train and compete for the Philippines at this year's World Championships and Southeast Asian Games.
"This is a full circle moment, from competing as a Bruin to now serving as a graduate student assistant coach," Malabuyo said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of this exceptional program and help cultivate the next generation of Bruins to reach their full potential while contributing to the legacy of UCLA Gymnastics. I'm so excited for this new chapter!"
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