This post was updated Feb. 14 at 10:01 p.m.

Jordan Chiles hits every handstand to perfection, sticks every landing without a slide of the foot and reaches 180 degrees on every leap – following every rule in the book to a T.

But sometimes, Chiles couldn’t care less about the rules.

The UCLA gymnastics sophomore will act like she is conducting the marching band, sit in the stands among the fans and interact with UCLA’s student section during meets. And during the Bruins’ meet Saturday, Chiles did yet another thing she was told not to do.

After her perfect 10 on floor was announced, Chiles ran under the security belt and into the Pauley Pavilion stands to give her mom a hug.

“I just love her so much,” Chiles said. “I wasn’t even allowed to run up into the stands, but I always break the rules in this arena. It is what it is. I had to in the moment.”

Pauley Pavilion’s stadium security has had longstanding measures to keep the gymnasts safe. Barriers are placed between the audience and the floor to keep gymnasts separated from fans. Security guards are posted at each entrance to the events to prevent fans from attempting to enter the action. However, Chiles said she broke the rules when she burst into the crowd to find her mom.

“I just do spontaneous things,” Chiles said. “That’s just what I like to do. I feel like it just gives me the energy to be like, ‘Yeah, we’re here, we’re having fun and let’s go on to the next event.’”

Chiles said the security guards know her well enough to let her actions slide. She explained that after each home meet, she takes fans behind the blue line and onto the floor to take photos and sign autographs.

The Olympic silver medalist’s energy moves beyond meets and into practice as well.

Redshirt senior Margzetta Frazier, freshman Selena Harris and Chiles have become somewhat of a trio at Yates Gym. Harris said they gravitated toward each other because all three share a distaste for early wake-up calls.

“(Coach) Janelle (McDonald) separates us on purpose if we always end up in the same group,” Harris said. “All three of us, Marz included, are just not morning people. So we come in like, ‘We just woke up. Don’t talk to us.’ … We push each other very well. We keep the energy up for everyone else, too.”

Chris Waller was the head coach for Chiles’ freshman season at UCLA, and when McDonald was hired in Westwood, she inherited the second-team All-American onto the Bruins’ roster.

McDonald said it is really fun to coach such an accomplished gymnast as Chiles and that she shows just as much energy at meets as she does in practice.

“Any athlete that shows up every day in practice with great energy and striving to be the best they can be, I’m going to have a really fun time coaching them,” McDonald said. “That’s part of what a lot of the members of our team do, but especially Jordan.”

Even at a midseason meet with lower stakes than UCLA will encounter at the Pac-12 championships and the NCAA regionals, Chiles said she was still in awe when the judges revealed her perfect 10 on the floor.

She added that when she saw the score, she could only think of her hero.

Not a former NCAA or Olympic gymnast, nor NBA legend Michael Jordan whom she was named after, but rather, her mom.

“My mom is my hero,” Chiles said. “My mom is somebody that I will always look up to. She has accomplished so many things in her life. I want to be able to do the same thing.”