Gymnastics wraps up regular season with 2 perfect 10s to triumph over UC Davis

This post was updated March 14 at 7:49 p.m.

The Bruins celebrated Senior Day on Saturday, but it was two underclassmen who reached perfection.

No. 17 UCLA gymnastics bested UC Davis 197.700-193.975 in Pauley Pavilion in its final regular-season meet. The Bruins’ second-highest team score of the season was highlighted by a pair of perfect 10s from freshman Emma Malabuyo and sophomore Chae Campbell.

Following the competition, the team celebrated its graduating seniors in a Senior Day ceremony. Coach Chris Waller said the afternoon was full of emotion.

“This was, in some ways, a very typical Senior Night in that there was a ton of emotion from the very beginning,” Waller said. “Before our first day of practice, we had a meeting and talked about what this week was about and what this weekend was about. The team was very clear that this weekend was all about the seniors and celebrating them and what they have done for the program.”

After scoring a season-high 49.475 on vault Sunday against California, UCLA cleared the 49.400 mark once again to open the meet, posting a 49.425 on the apparatus. The Bruins counted no scores below 9.850.

Campbell anchored the rotation with a stuck vault, earning her another perfect 9.950 on her Yurchenko full – her second in as many meets. Freshman Jordan Chiles and senior Sekai Wright also contributed season-high-tying scores of 9.900 and 9.875, respectively, with the former earning her fourth straight 9.900 on vault.

“Getting those stuck landings and big vaults and just the confidence and momentum on that first event is crucial,” Waller said. “Having three meets in a row in Pauley meant that we got to start on vault every time and really hone in to that rhythm.”

After posting a 49.175 on bars in its previous meet, UCLA rebounded with a season-high 49.475 on the event. The Bruins were led by a 9.950 from Chiles, who is currently tied for 20th in the nation on bars. 

UCLA also benefited from a pair of 9.925s from senior Norah Flatley – also tied for 20th in the nation on the event – and sophomore Frida Esparza. After missing six consecutive meets because of injury, Esparza was competing for the first since Jan. 23 and earned a career-high-tying score.

Going into beam – where the blue and gold rank a team-best No. 16 in the nation – UCLA led UC Davis 98.800-96.575. The Bruins continued their consistency on the event with the first five Bruins all staying on the beam and posting scores above 9.700, including a season-high-tying 9.900 from Campbell.

But it was Malabuyo in the anchor spot who stood out for the Bruins. After two routines this season with a perfect score from one judge, Malabuyo attained perfection for the first time in her career, posting a perfect 10 en route to a 49.475 team score on beam for UCLA.

“In the gym, I kept going up to (associate head coach Kristina Comforte) and asking her, ‘What can I work on? I just want to be perfect,’” Malabuyo said. “It was just an indescribable feeling because I was so overwhelmed and just so happy to get that 10.”

However, UCLA wasn’t done with perfection on the afternoon. Campbell took to the floor and earned a perfect 10 from the fifth spot in the lineup – marking her second perfect score of the season on floor and the Bruins’ first meet with two perfect 10s this season.

Campbell said despite her two 10s on the event, she feels no pressure to achieve perfection.

“My floor routine’s just so much fun,” Campbell said. “I’m literally just enjoying it.”

Two of UCLA’s seniors also earned season or career highs on their final routines in Pauley Pavilion. Flatley led off with a career-high 9.975, and Wright followed with a season-high-tying 9.825.

Flatley said while her score was high, it was not the most important thing for her Saturday.

“A 10 is obviously pretty, and it looks nice,” Flatley said. “But it’s more about the emotions that come from the routines for me, and those emotions were filled high today.”

The Bruins’ 197.700 marked their third straight score above 197 and their second-highest team score of the season. Campbell’s all-around score of 39.725 was a career-high mark for the sophomore.

Waller said his team has come a long way since January.

“We just started out kind of rough, to be frank,” Waller said. “It was a rough start, and it has taken the better part of the season to figure out how to compete.”

UCLA will return to the competition floor next Saturday at the Maverik Center in Utah to compete for the Pac-12 title.