Janelle McDonald began coaching gymnastics in Scottsdale, Arizona, 25 years ago.

Now, in the middle of a career that has taken her to Plano, where she coached Olympians; Berkeley, where she built the No. 1 bar rotation in the country; and Los Angeles, where she led the Bruins to a national championship appearance in her first year, McDonald will return to her roots.

“I moved there as a very young, inexperienced coach,” McDonald said. “I had a lot of success as a young coach in Arizona, and so it’s always a special place to go back to.”

McDonald and No. 10 UCLA gymnastics will travel to Tempe on Saturday to take on No. 18 Arizona State in their final road meet of the regular season. The matchup marks the Bruins’ last chance to notch a Pac-12 victory before the postseason.

In the team’s final Pac-12 dual meet ever, McDonald isn’t the only one who will make a homecoming. Graduate student Chloe Lashbrooke, a fellow Scottsdale local, will also return home this weekend.

Lashbrooke said competing in a familiar place, surrounded by family and friends, will be a comfortable experience.

“My high school graduation was actually in the arena we’re going to be competing in,” Lashbrooke said. “Everything is just like home to me. I don’t go home very often, so it’s just so fun to see everybody.”

Returning home isn’t the only storyline to watch for Lashbrooke. The fifth-year Bruin competed in her first meet of the season last weekend at Stanford, posting a 9.825 on floor.

With senior Chae Campbell still out and junior Emma Malabuyo away at the Baku World Cup, Lashbrooke’s kin may be able to watch her Barbie-themed routine this weekend.

“I was so excited to go in last week,” Lashbrooke said. “I felt like it was perfect timing for me. I felt super confident, prepared, healthy, and I was ready to go when I was asked to step up.”

Freshman Alex Irvine also made her inaugural appearance in the floor lineup this season, recording a 9.750, and sophomore Maddie Anyimi exhibitioned on the event for the first time this season with a 9.775.

Junior Emily Lee said seeing her teammates find success after pushing through obstacles is rewarding.

“It’s not easy, by all means, to work and not get the chance to show everyone what you’ve been doing in the gym,” Lee said. “My teammates’ successes are my successes, so I am always really happy to see them out there.”

With some Bruins pursuing Olympic qualification and others suffering from injuries, lineups have been variable for UCLA this season, leading to lower scores on some rotations.

But as the postseason approaches, McDonald said her gymnasts – even the ones with less experience – are prepared to achieve success.

“They’re all getting dialed in,” McDonald said. “They’re all in a really confident space, and I feel like that’s going to bode well for us as we head into the postseason.”