This post was updated April 3 at 11:40 p.m.

A saying goes that a team is only as strong as its weakest link. For the Bruins, that has been vault this season. 

But No. 5 UCLA gymnastics advanced to the regional final Thursday after posting a season-high 49.450 on the event in the first session of the second round of the NCAA Salt Lake Regional. The squad’s 197.750 knocked out No. 12 Minnesota, No. 24 Southern Utah and Boise State and helped rewrite the story written after a shaky vault rotation eliminated the squad from national title contention in the same meet last year.

“We came in knowing we had a job to do,” said graduate student Brooklyn Moors. “We’re super proud of what we did today. We put out some great routines, and we know we can improve for the next day.”

Neither Moors nor junior Jordan Chiles were members of UCLA’s vault lineup last season. The former has been unable to replicate her consistently high floor scores to the vault table this season. But the 2020 Canadian Olympian notched a career-high 9.925 score, and Chiles tied her season-high 9.950 on the event.

Senior Emily Lee and freshman Mika Webster-Longin logged a pair of 9.850 marks, while graduate student Chae Campbell scored a 9.875 to round out UCLA’s strongest vault performance this season.

“In practice, we have a lot of conversations on what we are trying to do as a team but also individually. And so I think us focusing on our individual goals really brought in the team goal at the end,” Chiles said.

After overcoming their weakest event, the Bruins didn’t find the same success on bars. UCLA’s scores on bars have gradually increased across the last four meets, but the squad’s 49.300 total was the team’s lowest since March 2 at the Big Four quad meet.

The Bruins’ bars scores were increasing simultaneously with Chiles’ four consecutive 9.900-or-higher marks on the event, which helped build that consistency, but it seemed to fall apart once the nation’s No. 7 bar worker’s score dropped to 9.725 – her lowest score on the event since Feb. 23.

Chiles bounced back after her uncharacteristic performance on bars, earning a season-high 9.950 on beam in the final rotation. She said the anger from her bars performance helped her reach her season high on beam.

“I take my anger and put it into my own routine. It actually helps me,” Chiles said. “My best work typically comes out when I’m mad. It’s a different mentality, knowing that you could have done better on that event, but you have to let it go and move on.”

With five of six beam lineup spots filled by upperclassmen, the Bruins’ beam average has increased from 49.208 last season to 49.385 this season. Lee, senior Emma Malabuyo and junior Ciena Alipio scored a trio of 9.900 scores to send UCLA to its third-highest road score this season.

Floor has been an event the Bruins can count on. It has almost been clockwork for Moors, Chiles and Campbell to bring home scores of at least 9.900 on floor – and that trend held true in the first rotation.

“They’ve set the tone of our culture on floor of how to show up each and every day, to really be able to perform your routine full out and also have great tumbling and leaps to go with it,” said coach Janelle McDonald. “They really hold a high standard for us on floor that, each and every weekend, they’ve been showing up and just nailing it.”

Campbell’s 9.925 mark in the fourth spot was the first 9.900 or higher of the meet, which was followed by Moors’ 9.950 and Chiles’ 9.975. From there, UCLA ran away with a lead that would not fall below .350 points for the entire competition.

Freshman Macy McGowan, who is typically a crucial piece of three of UCLA’s lineups, did not compete on any events. Replacing the rookie was 2024 All-Pac-12 All-Around selection sophomore Katelyn Rosen.

“She (McGowan) had a back flare-up that we’re managing. It’s nothing serious,” McDonald said. “We felt like what was best for her was to rest her today, to make sure that she’s feeling as good as possible, hopefully, as we look forward to the national championships.”

Returning to the competition floor just in time for the postseason, Rosen earned a 9.800 in her second meet back on floor since Jan. 18, contributing to the Bruins’ 49.500 floor rotation.

But the job is not done yet. The Bruins will return to the Jon M. Huntsman Arena on Saturday to fight for one of two tickets to Fort Worth, Texas, for the NCAA Championships.