Q&A: UCLA gymnastics coach Janelle McDonald dives behind the scenes of 2025 season

Coach Janelle McDonald pumps her fist to celebrate a routine in Pauley Pavilion. (Daily Bruin file photo)

By Aaron Doyle, Hannah Westerhold, Finn Karish, Samantha Garcia, and Ella Dunderdale
Dec. 11, 2024 8:09 p.m.
Two weeks ahead of UCLA gymnastics’ annual Meet the Bruins intrasquad, coach Janelle McDonald sat down with the Daily Bruin gymnastics beat to reflect on the end of the squad’s 2024 season and how her team is looking as she heads into her third year at the helm of the program.
Aaron Doyle: Compared to last year, what are some of the improvements you’ve seen, whether that be on events or within the squad?
Janelle McDonald: The biggest change that we’ve seen is the connection and the culture the team has. I think how the season ended last year was pretty disappointing, and especially our senior class this year really wanted to make sure that we came together as a team, and we’re really on the same page as far as what we need to do to be successful as a team together. They’ve put a lot of work into being connected, being on the same page, being able to communicate really well and really have a lot of fun together. I think that that has created a really cool environment that has allowed our gymnastics to really level up this early in the year.
Samantha Garcia: There are a lot of new freshmen – how have they been developing?
JM: They’ve been doing really well. We have a really strong class. They all have a little bit of different strengths, which together makes them a really impactful group of athletes coming into the team. It’s been really fun watching them transition as new college freshmen – it’s a huge life change, and then you throw the busyness of a student athlete into that, and I think it shocks them how busy it is but also how fast it goes. This preseason has really flown by, and we’re just right around the corner from being able to start our competition season and enjoy that. It’s been really fun watching their transition, watching them really mature and grow as college freshmen, and really see them connect and figure out what it is about being a student-athlete.
SG: Which new athletes do you think are going to make a big impact in the lineups?
JM: We have a couple freshmen that absolutely came in with a lot of experience under their belt. Macy McGowan is one of them who was a level 10 national champion, and I really expect for her to be able to fit right into some of the lineups and fill some holes for us – she’s doing really, really well. She’s training all around really strong. I definitely see her being in quite a few lineups. Mika Webster-Longin is another one. She is another former level 10 national champion. She actually had some really cool experiences getting to compete for Belgium – which is actually where she was born – over the last year and a half, and she got some really cool international experience under her belt. She just has some really stunning gymnastics – she’s really consistent across the board, and I see her being able to make a big impact for us as well.
Finn Karish: Moving on to the arrival of the new assistant coaches – Mark Freeman and Lacy Dagen – how have they adjusted to working in a program?
JM: It is crazy because we keep saying it over and over again, but it’s been so seamless – the transition of bringing them on board. It just overall feels like just such a perfect fit. They both are really passionate about gymnastics, they love coaching, they love the sport and they really love helping our student athletes develop into the best version of themselves. I really feel like they have just seamlessly transitioned on the team. I felt like there weren’t even really bumps in the road and that the team right away connected with them and really bought into the things that they bring to the table. I couldn’t be happier with having them here and the impact they’ve already had on our team.
AD: You’ve said last year’s regional loss catapulted the team to a place it wouldn’t have been otherwise. What are some of the things you learned from that loss?
JM: Yeah, I think number one is we were very gymnastically prepared for that competition. The end of last season we had some really good confidence from different competitions that we had and going into regionals, but it was just really a moment of not taking anything for granted. The little things and the way we show up for each other is probably the most important thing at the end of season to really take us as far as that was capable of going. And in that way, our team has connected in a way I’ve never seen. This is the most connected team I’ve ever coached that is really in it together, and they’re really willing to lean on each other but also push each other in a way that’s just that’s really creating a very cool, competitive environment in the gym. I think that is something that has really come about because of how last season finished.
AD: What event would you say is the most far along right now?
JM: I would say beam. Beam was getting locked in pretty early for us this preseason, and that was really exciting to see. I feel like we never really settled into a consistent beam lineup last year. It was always a question mark for us, and I feel like this year can be a completely different story. Vault is really starting to come together. We had our pre-Thanksgiving intrasquad last Sunday, and vault went really, really well. It was probably the strongest vault lineup that we’ve had since I’ve been here, which was really cool to see, especially this time of year, and knowing that we’re going to get a couple other people in the mix as well there. We definitely have a little bit more depth on bars, which has been great. Bars and beam last year, it felt like we were a little bit thin as far as our depth chart went, and this year I think we’re definitely looking stronger there. Obviously, floor is always a fun event for our team, and it’s always a great event, and that coming together as well. Choreography is now pretty much done, but BJ (assistant coach BJ Das) has been working really hard to get all of that dialed in, and excited to see those floor routines out there at Meet the Bruins next weekend.
Ella Dunderdale: What are your thoughts about the team’s move to the Big Ten? Do you have any challenges or dynamics that you are expecting?
JM: I’m really excited about the Big Ten. Our team is fired up to make a statement as we enter this new conference, and to bring our tradition of excellence and the history that we had in the Pac-12 – bringing that to the Big Ten and really strengthening the conference as a whole and being a part of that is something we’re very excited about. We are excited to go to new places and see different teams that we don’t usually run into. There’s some really competitive teams in the Big Ten – ones that have just had recent success, but also ones that are up and coming – so I really am excited about the competition in the Big Ten and just being able to compete against new teams and different arenas.
ED: Coming into the Big Ten, your athletes will have to travel further. How have you and the coaching staff prepared the athletes for the transition?
JM: When I look at the number of days that our athletes are going to miss because of competition, it is honestly the same or even less than what we had in the Pac-12. When I saw how they put the schedule together, I felt like they were really intentional about making sure that it wasn’t this big dramatic change, or for the schools that need to fly a little bit farther. So overall, I feel like our travel schedule is pretty good. We’re pretty excited about it. We are doing things to get the whole team prechecked and all of that kind of stuff to make the airport experiences a little bit easier, and some different recovery tools that we’re going to bring on the road to make sure that right off the plane, making sure we feel good with all those kinds of things, and just making sure we’re set up for success academically but also athletically when we get there. Overall, I feel like the department had done a really good job in making sure that a lot of those factors were considered in the transition.
AD: Who is someone you think fans might be sleeping on ahead of season?
JM: I don’t know about sleeping on, but I want to shout out our senior class. Our senior class has really set themselves up to have their best gymnastics year that they’ve ever had. All of them have really put in the work over the summer and they’re all in a very, very good place right now. Emma (Malabuyo) – obviously coming off the Olympics – she’s probably more locked in than she’s ever been this time of year, and also doing some upgrades which we are really excited about. Brooklyn (Moors) being able to be in the picture on three events this time of year is huge, because keeping her body feeling good and healthy and handling the gymnastics she does has been a challenge throughout her time in college, and right now she’s managing things really well. I’m excited for her because I think she really deserves to have another phenomenal year to close out her gymnastics career with. Emily (Lee) is just one of the hardest workers that I think anybody knows. She’s really put in the work to make some changes on her gymnastics – she’s completely revamped her bar routine. The one she was doing before was not quite working and consistent, and so this summer, she put in the work to get a completely different bar routine, and its going really well right now. I’m just really proud of our seniors. As you get to the end of your career, it’s easy to sort of rest on what you’ve done and what you can do, and I feel like they have the mentality of, “No, we want this to be our best year yet.” They’ve rallied each other, but they’ve really rallied behind that mindset which has been really inspiring.
AD: What are some of the things you learned at the Olympics this summer that you’ve taken and implemented into your team this year?
JM: It was probably one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It was so inspiring and so exciting just to be there and watch her (Malabuyo’s) dreams come true. It was a really special opportunity to be there. The thing I took away was that when you are there, you are surrounded by all these different people from all over the world – from all different sports that have all sacrificed and worked hard and done the little things that it takes to get to the highest level that you can possibly achieve. To me, that was just so inspiring, but also it breeds belief that anybody can do it if you’re willing to put in the work and have the right mentality. I think something that I definitely took away was that the possibilities are endless if you really are willing to put in the work and believe in yourself.
FK: Following an era of Utah-UCLA dominance in the Pac-12, how do you anticipate being in different conferences will impact that rivalry?
JM: We wanted to keep a competition going with Utah. I think those are some of the most memorable, big competitions in the regular season that have been over the years, and they are fun to watch and fun to be a part of. They’re a team that is always at the top of our sport, and so we want to be in competition with teams that are going to be at the national championships. I think competing with them – for a lot of reasons – is going to be a lot of fun and to continue that rivalry. Our goal is to be at the national championships and giving ourselves a chance to compete there. So, we want to be surrounded by those teams. Regardless of what conference that we are in, we want to continue that rivalry, and hopefully for many years to come.
ED: What are you looking forward to most this year?
JM: I’m really looking forward to – I don’t know if it’s the most – but I’m really looking forward to going to a lot of different places, seeing different arenas, getting in front of different teams and seeing how a different conference feels. But overall, I’m most excited to see how the preseason our team has built translates into competition because I couldn’t be more proud of where they’re at right now, not just as a team but also gymnastically. I think we’re in a really good place, and so I’m excited to see how that translates into competition, and I’m excited for that.
FK: Is there any particular message or philosophy that you are trying to emphasize to your team this season?
JM: The biggest thing is we really want to be prepared for any opportunity that comes our way, and be prepared to be consistent in those moments. I think our biggest thing is just really trying to be intentional about what we’re doing each and every day, and being able to lock in to the things that help us be successful. It really takes little things adding up to make a really successful season, so, we’re really trying to highlight those little things and being intentional about how we complete them each and every day – and that’s in the gym, that’s outside of the gym, that’s in rehab, that’s in our athletic performance training, it’s in our conversations with each other – it’s in everything. All the little things add up to help us be successful, and I think that the more intentional you can be with those little things, the more successful our team can be and also the more consistent our team can be.
Hannah Westerhold: Last season, injuries proved to be a difficult and removed some starters from the lineup. What is the overall health of the team, and are there any preexisting injuries that you anticipate having an impact on the upcoming season?
JM: Actually last year, they were more precautionary things that took people out of the lineups. There weren’t any major injuries that took people out of the lineups per se, but we do tend to try to make sure that they’re healthy for the big moments. Right now, we’re doing really well – knock on wood – we’re in a good place. We’re trying to dial in the rehab and the conditioning to really shift from preseason training to staying strong throughout the season and the maintenance of competing week after week. I feel good about where we’re at gymnastically and healthwise. And It’s just a matter of really being able to maintain the strength and conditioning and how we feel each and every day.
HW: Is there a moment you identify as a highlight in your preparation for the season?
JM: I would say it was our intrasquad this past weekend. I was really, really proud of the team. It was so much fun, and there was such a lightness in the room because they were so connected, and their gymnastics looked really, really good. Actually the week prior, I watched Meet the Bruins from my first year here, and I watched the videos of our intrasquad last year, and that actually gave me this new perspective because I was like, “Wow, we’re in a really good place right now – a little bit ahead in some areas of where we have been the last couple years,” which was really cool to see. I felt gymnastically, we looked really prepared, and also as a team, they were so connected and enjoying the time together and enjoying the little moments. For me, it just made me really proud of where we’re at and the work that’s been put in through this preseason.
HW: Are there any meets in this coming season that you’ve circled as pivotal for the team’s development and that fans should pay extra attention and get excited for?
JM: Our meet against Michigan State that is here in Pauley. It’s going to be our alumni meet, which is always exciting to have our alumni back in the in the building and getting to celebrate them. But Michigan State is the reigning Big Ten champions– they have a really strong team, and I’m excited to get them out here to Pauley, but also to get to compete against a great team and test ourselves against them. I think it’s going to be a really good one to keep your eye out for.
AD: There’s a lot of new faces on the team this year – a new coaching staff, a graduate transfer and three athletes lost to the transfer portal last season – how has that impacted the developing culture of the team?
JM: As far as our culture goes, I only have positive things to say. I’m really, really excited about where our culture is at. The team is more connected than they’ve been in my time here. but really any team I’ve ever coached because they’ve been so intentional about it. They knew this is an area we’ve got to level up in and as a team, they came together and decided that they were going to make sure that they were in it together in every way. There’s a lot of new faces, but I feel like we’ve got the right people in the gym right now.
AD: What are some of the things you and the coaching staff have done to build that culture?
JM: That started after last season. We had a lot of team meetings just about culture and the cracks that we might of had that we need to fill up, and our team was so receptive of it because they really wanted to make sure that this year looks different than it did last year. I really feel like those conversations started in the postseason of last year. We try to always get together and do things as a team – our team retreat is a great opportunity to have a lot of fun together. We make competitive, fun games and all of those kinds of things, but we also do a lot of team bonding. We do a lot of culture building lessons during that time, and a lot of goal setting to really set the tone for what the season is going to look like. I feel like that kicks off our preseason in a way that allows us to really be able to move forward in a positive way. We’ve got our holiday party coming up. Then, just little moments in the gym. Making sure that we are being intentional about continuing to have the conversations we need to have and and have the team together in it. With goal setting, reminding ourselves of our goals and how we achieve those goals. It’s really about the little things, and making sure we’re being intentional about mentioning them day in and day out is something that’s really important.
AD: What are some of the things that makes this team different compared to last year?
JM: This team, they really love gymnastics. They’re really excited about what they can do. They’re excited about the opportunities ahead, and they’re really on the same page as far as the goals that we want to achieve and how we want to show up as a team.