Four teams.

Four apparatuses.

One undefeated conference crown on the line.

Before turning the page to the postseason, one last quad meet remains.

No. 5 UCLA gymnastics (10-2, 6-0 Big Ten) will face No. 18 Iowa (7-4, 4-2), No. 19 Ohio State (3-4, 3-3) and No. 25 Maryland (7-3, 3-3) in its final Big Ten competition of the regular season at Pauley Pavilion on Friday.

With a victory or second-place showing, the Bruins would secure a second consecutive undefeated Big Ten regular-season title, continuing their perfect record in conference matchups since joining last season.

“This weekend for us, it is treating this quad meet as what regionals will feel like, what Big Tens will feel like and, I would love to say, nationals feel like,” said senior Ciena Alipio. “It does not matter who we are competing against because at the end of the day, it is us against ourselves.”

Quad meets not only feature four teams but also bring simultaneous routines on different apparatuses.

This dynamic forces gymnasts to sharpen their focus on nailing a routine.

The Bruins opened the season with two quad meets, where they posted their lowest all-around scores of 2026. Additionally, at the Spouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad on Jan. 10, UCLA took home its only two losses of the season against No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 LSU.

Friday’s meet allows the Bruins to showcase a more experienced squad with eight meets under their belt – though the constant competition places additional strain on the gymnasts.

“Especially for our younger freshman, … understanding that not every day has to look like full-out competition mode routines,” said coach Janelle McDonald. “Week eight, week nine, it really starts to feel a bit like a grind if you are not really cognizant of the rest and recovery needed.”

Freshmen Ashlee Sullivan and Tiana Sumanasekera have consistently competed in three and four events, respectively, in every meet this season – a rapid immersion into collegiate competition.

Weekly meets, paired with the Big Ten’s coast-to-coast travel, contrast with the elite schedule both gymnasts previously experienced, where months of training separated competitions.

Additionally, with gymnasts like sophomore Macy McGowan coming back from injury setbacks and the team’s recent challenges with illness, careful management of the squad could prove to be crucial as the regular season comes to a close.

“This season has been so surreal coming in as a freshman to such a big legacy that we built in the Pac-12 and then moving to the Big Ten,” Sullivan said. “So moving into the Big Fours, I feel like the common theme we have on our team is just having fun and being grateful for it.”