This post was updated April 11 at 11:16 p.m.

Rebuild.

That’s what the past year initially meant for the Bruins, as they prioritized reestablishing team culture and morale alongside new head coach Janelle McDonald.

At the beginning of preseason for UCLA gymnastics, that task proved to be an uphill battle, as the team was rebounding from a year in which it averaged a mere 196.735. However, that didn’t dissuade the Bruins, as redshirt senior Margzetta Frazier recalled how determined the team was to restore its confidence and emphasize the importance of each gymnast’s individual role within the team.

McDonald made exactly that her mission when she was hired in May.

“What made this season so special is that we needed to get our culture in a place where everybody felt they were adding something really special so that we could create something together,” McDonald said.

From there, the team’s belief that this year could be something bigger than just rebuilding grew, as each gymnast contributed her own brand of leadership that ultimately helped propel the team forward, Frazier said.

That made the program that much stronger, Frazier added, because of the depth and variety of leadership present within the team. The fifth-year Bruin proceeded to cite how each of her teammates provides leadership in different ways.

“(Senior) Chloe Lashbrooke is the hardest worker I’ve ever met. She’s a great leader. (Junior) Katie McNamara is always in the huddle, the first one to say something, … she sets the tone for the day. (Sophomore) Jordan (Jordan Chiles) is a great leader with all her gymnastic history, knowledge and how to compete with fierceness,” Frazier said.

Leadership proved to be key early on when UCLA’s schedule had the team competing against some of the top programs in the nation, Auburn, Michigan and Oklahoma, in its season opener. It again was critical come its regional final when the blue and gold had a less-than-ideal warmup in a win-or-go-home situation.

“Day two (of regionals) was kind of an emotional roller coaster for our team. They were actually a bit tight in the warmup,” McDonald said. “It took us the first couple of events to settle into really fighting to make it to nationals.”

With UCLA facing an uphill climb to make it to the NCAA championships that day, the team didn’t necessarily just lean on its top scorers or long-tenured veterans.

Other leaders on the team emerged in the form of sophomore Ana Padurariu and freshman Selena Harris, who could see the change of energy within the team, and in turn, stepped up to inject some energy into their teammates.

“I knew how badly this team wanted to make it to nationals,” Padurariu said. “I was hoping to be that person who could help lift people up because that’s what we needed during that time.”

Padurariu executed her vision by providing a positive voice within the team huddle, while Harris contributed big when she scored her first-ever perfect 10, sticking her Yurchenko 1.5 on vault to give UCLA the push needed to advance to nationals for the first time since 2019.

Now, as the Bruins come down from the emotional roller coaster that was regionals, the focus has shifted to competing with confidence and precision come Thursday, when its NCAA championships journey begins against the top two ranked teams in the nation.

However, if this season has taught the Bruins anything, it’s that they are capable of pushing through and coming out on top, Frazier said.

“This team has been through so much change and adversity, and they still remain kind, hardworking, disciplined and breakthrough,” Frazier said.