UCLA gymnastics begins new chapter, finds footing after setbacks

For Ana Padurariu, nothing beats going to the gym.

But that changed when the Bruins found themselves with a divided locker room.

“Going to the gym is my favorite part of the day,” the freshman said. “Once things got very intense, it was not.”

One month removed from a controversy that culminated in the transfer of freshman Alexis Jeffrey and multiple gymnasts calling out the administration, No. 17 UCLA gymnastics has started to find its footing on the gym floor. Following a 194.850 in its season opener, the blue and gold twice eclipsed the 197 mark with a 197.650 against then-No. 3 Utah on Feb. 4 and a 197.125 against Washington on Sunday.

After the meet against the Red Rocks, Padurariu said she could finally let out a sigh of relief.

“It’s really nice to enjoy doing what I love again,” Padurariu said.

While UCLA followed up its performance against Utah with consecutive losses to Stanford and Arizona State – including a 195.475 in the latter meet that featured the blue and gold’s worst single-event score since 2011 – the Bruins recovered against the Huskies.

Prior to the meet against Washington, senior Kendal Poston said there were times earlier in the season when it was difficult to enjoy her lifelong passion.

“It was definitely hard to be in the gym at certain points in time,” Poston said. “Just because we all have so much love for the sport, and for this team, … when things aren’t going the way that you want them to go, or when there’s extra noise outside, it becomes really hard to get in there and just enjoy the sport that you love.”

After opting to return for a fifth season, Poston said she was excited for the return to normalcy after a year plagued by COVID-19 in 2021. The Bruins welcomed fans back to Pauley Pavilion this season and also have competed in multiple tri-meets after dual meets became the norm in 2021.

However, while there have been less pandemic-induced restrictions this season, Poston said that didn’t preclude the inevitability of other obstacles.

“(COVID-19) has let up, but … it doesn’t mean that you’re going to get a perfect year,” Poston said. “It’s definitely been a roller coaster, but things aren’t worth it unless they’re hard, and that’s what this team has been trying to focus on.”

Even after UCLA faced a series of setbacks with the loss of sophomore Sara Ulias to a torn ACL suffered in the meet against Stanford and a subsequent 47.825 on bars the following week against Arizona State, UCLA found a way to rebound to the tune of another 197 against Washington in Pauley Pavilion.

Coach Chris Waller said his team began a new chapter after falling to the Sun Devils.

“We were really hitting the reset button,” Waller said. “That was something we talked about a lot during the week. It was a good week of training, and I’ve got a ton of respect for how the team came back into the gym.”

Poston added that gymnastics is a sport that strongly depends on the mental state of the competitor, noting that she can hit all her routines when she’s in a positive mindset but becomes an entirely different gymnast when she’s in a negative state. UCLA’s 194.850 in Minneapolis on Jan. 17 – its worst team score in seven years – came one day after it was confirmed that Jeffrey had entered the transfer portal.

With the Bruins six weeks past that season-opening meet, Padurariu said the atmosphere in practice has improved significantly.

“A lot of us are back to normal in the gym in terms of actually wanting to be there and training with each other,” Padurariu said. “Really being there for each other has made such a big difference.”

With two meets to go until the regular season comes to a close, UCLA remains squarely in the postseason hunt. But whether or not the Bruins can bring another trophy to Westwood in April, Poston said she takes pride in how far they have come.

“Regardless of how we compete, regardless of where we finish this year, I’m proud of the work that we’ve done in there as women – I’m proud of the work that we’ve done in the gym as gymnasts and as a team,” Poston said.