UCLA Gymnastics Tops NCAA Raleigh Regional Late Session to Advance to Final

An avalanche of 9.900-plus scores helped send the Bruins to the Regional Finals on Saturday versus Michigan, Missouri and Iowa.

(Photo Courtesy of NC State Athletics)

The Bruins bested the field and now have the chance to keep their season alive even longer.

UCLA gymnastics topped Michigan, Maryland and North Carolina in the second session of the NCAA Raleigh Regional on Thursday night, clinching a spot in the Regional Finals Saturday. The Bruins went for 197.800, their second-highest team score of the season, as 13 of their 20 individual scores were 9.900 or better.

Missouri and Iowa were the teams who advanced in the first session, knocking No. 6 LSU out of contention and setting UCLA up as the third-highest-ranked team remaining in the pod. If the blue and gold can manage to finish in the top two, they'll advance to the NCAA semifinals in two weeks' time.

The Bruins finished the regular season with three consecutive dual-meet wins at home, but finished fourth at the Pac-12 championships.

That neutral site competition was still UCLA's best away from Pauley Pavilion this season, and they took it one step further in Raleigh on Thursday.

Taking a leap from the jump, the Bruins started with a 49.400 on vault, just shy of their best mark on the event this season. Senior Norah Flatley led off with a 9.850, then freshman Emma Malabuyo posted a 9.800.

UCLA performed so well on the rotation that Malabuyo's solid score wouldn't even count, as freshman Jordan Chiles followed it up with a 9.925, senior Kendal Poston and senior Sekai Wright went for 9.850 and sophomore Chae Campbell capped things off with a 9.925.

Malabuyo once again boasted the score that was dropped on uneven bars at 9.450, but the rest of her teammates combined to tally a 49.475 – tied for their highest mark of the year.

Campbell started with a 9.800, and the next four Bruins all hit the 9.900 mark. Chiles led the way with a 9.950 and Flately wasn't far behind at 9.925, while freshman Ana Padurariu and sophomore Frida Esparza each went for 9.900.

That was more than enough for UCLA to stay ahead of Michigan, and the lead would only grow after the third rotation.

Padurariu scored a 9.875 in the leadoff position on beam, only for Chiles to fall and score a 9.250 immediately after. Needing four hits in a row, Flatley went for 9.900, Campbell went for 9.850 and senior Samantha Sakti matched Flatley at 9.900.

Malabuyo anchored with a 9.775, but UCLA still posted a 49.300 on the event to head into the final rotation up 0.225.

That lead ballooned as the Bruins wrapped things up on their best event, with all five of their scores going for 9.900 or better.

Flatley, freshman Brooklyn Moors and Malabuyo went for 9.900, 9.925 and 9.900, respectively, before senior Pauline Tratz posted a 9.750. UCLA got back on track from there, though, as Chiles and Campbell tied for the regional-best at 9.950.

Campbell finished just behind Flatley as the all-around leader, with the former going for 39.525 and the latter posting a 39.575. Chiles won the vault, bars and floor, but her fall on beam took her out of the running in the all-around.

The Olympic silver medalist will have another chance to show off those all-around skills, however, with UCLA clinching a spot in the Regional Final on Saturday.

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