UCLA gymnastics to vault into season with Mean Girls Super 16 meet

The Bruins will officially begin their quest for a team national championship in an away invitational meet.

No. 5 UCLA gymnastics is set to start its season at the Mean Girls Super 16 meet at the Orleans Center in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The Bruins will compete in the fourth and final session of the meet alongside No. 7 California, No. 8 Alabama and No. 17 Auburn.

After just missing out on the final four last year, the Bruins are walking into the season with a chance to get one step further in 2024. Postseason conditions will be replicated at Super 16, with the equipment being held up on podium and programs from different conferences present at the meet.

“Getting on podium this early in the season – it’s game-changing for us,” said coach Janelle McDonald. “It really bodes well for us to be confident when we get out there in the championship meets on the podium.”

At the inaugural Super 16 in 2023, the Bruins posted their highest season-opening score in 18 years with a 197.250. The feat marked a new era of UCLA gymnastics, with a brand new coaching staff and a new, reformed team culture.

With McDonald entering her second season as head coach, she said the Bruins are kickstarting the season off with a different level of confidence.

“Last year, I felt like we were really culture-focused on trying to build that, and then the gymnastics started to fall in place as the culture got better,” McDonald said. “We’re able to really jump into goals for the season and really be able to focus on what we want to accomplish for the year.”

Sophomore Selena Harris is returning to her hometown for the second consecutive year. The Las Vegas local is set to compete in the all-around for the Bruins after hitting four routines at the Meet the Bruins intrasquad in December, including a stuck Yurchenko 1.5 on vault.

Heading into the weekend, Harris said she’s looking forward to competing in front of the home crowd.

“It’s a little extra pressure because they know what I’m capable of,” Harris said. “But I love the pressure, so it makes me more excited.’

After battling a shoulder injury last season, junior Emma Malabuyo is back and competing in at least three events.

“I feel really confident with my training and the coaches just being there, very supportive for me, I think I’m ready,” Malabuyo said.

On top of working on upgrades for her to compete at international competitions as a senior elite with the Philippines, Malabuyo said she prioritized taking care of her body and rehabbed every day during the offseason.

While the Bruins will have Malabuyo for the Super 16 and early season meets, the junior will have to forego two home meets against Utah and California to compete at world cups with aims at qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Unlike her 2023 teammates Jordan Chiles and Ana Padurariu, who deferred the upcoming season in an effort to make their home country’s Olympic teams, Malabuyo is staying in Westwood for the remainder of the season.

“I considered taking a year off,” Malabuyo said. “I did not want to miss out on helping them this year just because I know we have such a great shot at a national championship this year.”

Olympic deferrals and the graduating class left holes to fill, but Harris said she has big goals for the team this year.

“We got this as a team,” Harris said. “Everyone’s about to be mind blown when they see us, so I’m excited.”

Session four will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. in Las Vegas.