Norah Flatley, Young Trio Lift UCLA Gymnastics to Victory Over Arizona

The Bruins had four of the top-five finishers in the all-around, three of which were freshman rising stars.

(Photo Courtesy of Jesus Ramirez/UCLA Athletics)

Bruin fans hadn't seen their team compete in person in nearly 700 days.

A lot has happened since then, especially in the past month – the blue and gold posted their worst score in seven years to open the season and failed to win either of their first two tri-meets. Add to that public drama and allegations against former student-athletes and current administrators that boiled over into public requests for coach Chris Waller to get fired, and things were far from normal in Westwood.

Sunday afternoon very much marked that return to normal.

No. 24 UCLA gymnastics (1-0) broke 49 on three out of four disciplines and beat Arizona (0-2) 196.400-195.125 at Pauley Pavilion, taking charge from the get go and giving its fans something to cheer. From opening on vault to closing things out on floor, the Bruins boasted the top performance in each event with multiple young stars stepping up to compete in the all-around.

Two weeks earlier, UCLA posted a 48.500 on vault, but against Arizona, they went for 49.250. Seniors Norah Flately and Kendal Poston led things off with 9.850 and 9.750, but Poston's score didn't even count thanks to the underclassmen's ensuing performances.

Freshman Emma Malabuyo put up a 9.825, freshman Brooklyn Moors went for 9.800, then freshman Jordan Chiles got a team-high 9.875 only to get immediately one-upped by sophomore Chae Campbell's 9.900.

Chiles didn't have to wait long for her next time to shine, as she led off on the uneven bars in the second leg of her debut all-around outing. The Olympian nailed a 9.900 routine, which no other Bruin came particularly close to, but they still posted a 49.050 as a team.

Freshman Ana Padurariu matched Chiles on the next discipline, leading off with a 9.900 on beam for the second week in a row. After Chiles posted a 9.750 and senior Samantha Sakti's stumble, Malabuyo stepped up for her go at the beam.

One judge gave the freshman a perfect 10, but since the other low-balled her at 9.850, she was awarded a 9.925. Flatley followed that up with a 9.900, and after Campbell anchored with a 9.775, UCLA matched its output on the vault with a 49.250 on beam.

The Bruins uncharacteristically had their worst performance of the day on the floor, posting a 48.850. Moors' 9.450 may not have counted, but it meant Malabuyo's 9.675 and Campbell's 9.700 did. Flatley ballooned the team score a bit with her 9.900, followed immediately by Chiles' 9.825.

The veteran Flatley, carrying the weight of the drama permeating through the program, won the all-around with a 39.450. Chiles came in second, Malabuyo finished third and Campbell placed fifth.

That trio of freshmen, led by Flatley with Margzetta Frazier still out, lifted UCLA to victory for the first time this season, with the fans showing up to watch it go down. Former national champion Katelyn Ohashi was part of that crowd as well, and the Bruins' viral star was able to watch her old team take one big step towards recovery.

UCLA has less than a week to prepare for its next meet, with Utah coming to Pauley Pavilion for a battle of Pac-12 powers on Friday night. 

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