Scouting report: UCLA gymnastics vs. Penn State


By Samantha Garcia
Jan. 23, 2025 9:39 p.m.
This post was updated Jan. 24 at 9:58 p.m.
No. 8 UCLA gymnastics will face off against No. 19 Penn State on Feb. 14. The Bruins are fresh off their second 197.550 score in two weeks, while the Nittany Lions have yet to surpass the 197.000 mark. Daily Bruin staffer Samantha Garcia breaks down each team for a preview of how things may play out this weekend.
UCLA
Strength: Floor
Weakness: Bars
X-Factor: Chae Campbell
Veterans appear to be the backbone of UCLA gymnastics’ lineups this season.
Graduate student Chae Campbell is an integral piece of all four of the Bruins’ rotations. But the eight-time All-American is most impactful on vault – averaging 9.842 in 2025.
Campbell’s stuck landings have become consistent, compensating for not having a 10 start value vault. She has seven perfect 9.950 scores in her career.
Joining Campbell in the vault lineup for the first time since 2023 is graduate student Brooklyn Moors. The 2020 Canadian Olympian is now consistently competing on vault, beam and floor for the first time in her career, despite the stereotype that gymnasts peak early in their career.
But the increased workload has not dimmed Moors’ shine on floor.
Moors – who ranks second nationally on floor – competed on the event in 12 of 13 meets last season and remains a constant in the lineup this season. Recently named Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week, she is currently averaging 9.933 on floor.
Senior Emma Malabuyo – who represented the Philippines at the 2024 Paris Olympics – exemplifies reliability for UCLA’s beam lineup. The two-time balance beam All-American has scored a 9.800 or higher in 32 of her 39 career beam appearances and averages 9.933 this season.
Malabuyo notched a career-high perfect 10 on beam as a freshman in 2022. This season, she has progressively improved her performances and earned a season-high 9.975 against Maryland last weekend.
The biggest name on UCLA’s roster is, expectedly, junior Jordan Chiles. The two-time Olympian has scored at least two 9.900 or higher scores on three events this season.
After recording a season-high 9.975 on floor at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, Chiles earned a perfect 10 on bars – the same event she won the NCAA title on in 2023. Her perfect score was the nation’s first on the event in 2025 and the fifth on bars in her career.
Penn State
Strength: Bars
Weakness: Vault
X-Factor: Kalea McElligott
An uncharacteristically low team score on floor contributed to Penn State’s loss in its conference opener against Minnesota.
Although floor is typically the Nittany Lions’ strongest event, three gymnasts recorded scores of 9.650 or lower – resulting in Penn State’s lowest floor score since its season opener last year.
But even on an off day for Penn State, Kalea McElligott is consistent for her team. The 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year notched a 9.825 on floor against Minnesota and averages 9.842 on the event this season.
In addition to McElligott, Penn State’s bar lineup stepped up against Minnesota, earning a season-high 49.125.
The newest addition to the bars squad is Cassi Barbanente, who transferred from Arizona State for her final year of eligibility. Last season, Barbanente competed on bars in every meet for the Sun Devils and scored a 9.800 or higher in all but three meets.
Barbanente averages 9.800 on bars this season. She logged a season-high 9.850 against the Golden Gophers to land in second place in her Big Ten debut.
On beam, Amani Herring will return to Penn State’s lineup after qualifying for the 2024 NCAA championships on the event. Herring – a 2024 Big Ten All-Championships Team selection – averages 9.800 this season and boasts a 9.950 career-high tally.
Vault is the only event the Nittany Lions have failed to reach the 49.000 mark on this season. However, Penn State’s event score has risen at every meet – peaking at a 48.950 against Minnesota.
Allison Kaempfer, the 2024 Level 10 national vault champion, has struggled to find success at the collegiate level. Kaempfer averages 9.500 on vault and finished in last place on the event in two of the Nittany Lions’ meets.
Despite her low early-career scores, Kaempfer is capable of sticking her Yurchenko one-and-a-half. But against Minnesota on Saturday, the freshman played it safe and downgraded to a Yurchenko full – a strategy that could benefit Penn State’s chance of winning its first Big Ten matchup this season.