OCEANSIDE, Calif. – Pac-12 rivalries are still tough – despite major conference realignment.

For the Bruins, their season opener translated into a Pac-12 conference reunion featuring three of the nation’s top-ranked NCAA teams.

In the first session of the first annual American Gold Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Classic in Oceanside, California, No. 10 UCLA gymnastics put up a 195.250 mark to finish last behind two former Pac-12 rivals, No. 4 California and No. 19 Oregon State. The Golden Bears claimed the top spot, with the Beavers trailing 0.500 points behind.

“This meet was already kind of in a million different pieces,” said junior Jordan Chiles. “From podium, not having the bar set up properly, from the floor being upside down and all these crazy things. I’m just very proud of this team being able to come together and do what we did.”

The win felt out of reach after falls from eight-time All-American graduate student Chae Campbell and Paris Olympian senior Emma Malabuyo started UCLA’s season opener. While the two veterans recorded the lowest scores on bars, graduate student Frida Esparza notched a 9.800 on her staple event.

“I was not planning to start the meet like we did. I think two falls and some lower scores were not how we’ve been training,” said coach Janelle McDonald. “They had a little bit of excitement mixed with nerves, probably. Those are definitely moments we’re gonna really learn from and take with us.”

New additions to the roster compensated for UCLA’s low scores. Freshman Macy McGowan matched Esparza’s 9.800 score, while freshman Mika Webster-Longin scored a 9.775 in her exhibition routine. 

Sophomore Sydney Barros made her NCAA debut after a torn ACL took her out of the 2023 season, recording a 9.500. Meanwhile, Chiles anchored UCLA’s lineup after deferring last season. The two-time Olympian earned the Bruins’ only score of at least 9.900, the Bruins’ highest score on the event.

Like bars, typically reliable pieces of the Bruins’ beam lineup notched uncharacteristically low scores. Campbell and sophomore Katelyn Rosen each wobbled on their brand-new acrobatic series, earning a 9.625 and 9.575, respectively. The latter’s mark was a career-low for the 2024 All-Pac-12 All-Around selection.

Malabuyo, junior Ciena Alipio and senior Emily Lee each scored above 9.850 to round off the Bruins’ total beam score to 49.050. For the second consecutive season, the Bruins vested the leadoff spot to Lee, who scored a 9.850 or higher on 10 of her 13 beam routines last season.

“The leadoff position is really crucial because it sets the tone for the rest of the lineup,” McDonald said. “When Emily goes up there and crushes that routine like she does, it gives everybody this confidence to get up and do the same.”

Graduate student Brooklyn Moors returned to beam for the first time since falling at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad last season. But the Tokyo Olympian redeemed herself with a 9.825 – just 0.050 below her career-high. 

On vault, the Bruins opted for four new faces to their lineup. Moors and Webster-Longin recorded UCLA’s lowest scores in their season debut on the event, while Chiles and McGowan earned the team’s best. 

Moors, who was crowned the floor champion, competed on three events for the first time since 2022. Last season, she primarily competed on floor, where she scored a 9.900 or above on eight of her 12 routines.

“I never thought I would be doing more than floor. This is the best I’ve ever felt,” Moors said. “Being able to come in here and do three events is such a big thing for me.”

Chiles debuted a brand-new 10.0 start value vault, performing a Yurchenko half followed by  front tuck half off the table. The 2022 World silver medalist still put up a team-high and an event-winning score on the event, recording a 9.900. 

UCLA will continue to compete against ranked programs at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad on Jan. 11. The Bruins will face new conference opponent No. 16 Ohio State for the first time in program history. Two Southeastern Conference programs in No. 7 Kentucky and No. 8 Arkansas headline the meet.