| Gymnastics |
|---|
| UCLA — 197.550 |
| Minnesota — 197.275 |
With Maturi Pavilion on its feet, senior Jordan Chiles brought back her Prince-inspired floor routine and delivered another flawless performance, earning a perfect 10.000 for the fourth consecutive meet and lifting No.5 UCLA (8-2, 4-0 Big Ten) to a 197.550–197.275 win over No.17 Minnesota (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten). The victory kept the Bruins undefeated in Big Ten competition.
Chiles’ return to the routine, which she last performed in December, carried special meaning as Prince’s legacy looms large in Minnesota, and the senior’s precision and performance quality captivated the home crowd just as much as the judges.
The meet unfolded as a back-and-forth battle. Minnesota struck first, earning a 49.425 on vault to take an early lead. UCLA was behind after the opening rotation but they stayed close behind with strong efforts from freshman Ashlee Sullivan and Chiles.
The momentum began to swing in the second rotation. UCLA’s vault lineup delivered steady landings across the board, highlighted by freshman Tiana Sumanasekera’s who stuck Yurchenko full for a career-high 9.900, and high marks from sophomore Riley Jenkins and junior Katelyn Rosen, allowing the Bruins to get ahead by a tenth.
UCLA kept their lead on the floor as Rosen set the tone with a 9.900, Sullivan followed with a 9.950 and then Chiles brought the crowd to life with her perfect 10 which was her third straight ten on floor and it pushed her career total to 15, helping UCLA post a 49.425 on the event.
Despite the Bruins being in the lead, Minnesota refused to give up and kept close behind entering the final rotation, meaning beam would determine the winner.
Rosen and junior Sydney Barros opened with matching 9.900s. Sumanasekera and Chiles followed with solid 9.850s and senior Ciena Alipio sealed the meet with a 9.925, tying for the event and giving the Bruins a victory for the meet. Chiles claimed the all-around title with a 39.625, while Sumanasekera placed third with a 39.375.
With this victory, UCLA is 4-0 in Big Ten. Next up, the Bruins will return home to host No.8 Michigan on Valentine’s Day, hoping to keep their unbeaten conference run still intact.
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Featured image via UCLA Athletics.
