Bruin fans know Emma Malabuyo for her lights-out performances that anchored UCLA’s beam lineup.

And in her first year as the Bruins’ graduate student assistant coach, the alumna is still spearheading the nation’s No. 3 beam lineup – just now from the sidelines.

Malabuyo, a four-time balance beam All-American, graduated from UCLA in 2025 after four seasons with the gymnastics program.

But the 2025 NCAA balance beam runner-up announced in September that she would return to UCLA as a coach while pursuing a certificate in marketing.

“(She’s) in such a unique position, and she has so much wisdom and life experience to add and to help uplift everyone on the team,” said freshman Ashlee Sullivan. “She connects to everyone, through freshmen to seniors.”

And Malabuyo is not giving up on competition just yet.

Malabuyo competed in October at the Gymnastics World Championships, representing the Philippines – the same team she competed for at the 2024 Paris Olympics – and finished No. 33 on beam and floor.

Malabuyo rarely made missteps when competing on the collegiate beam, all while adding an artistic flair to her routines. She became the fourth UCLA freshman in program history to record a perfect 10 on beam in 2022.

“Emma really tries to share how she performed on beam – she was one of the best in the country at showing a performance up there, almost like you do on the floor,” said coach Janelle McDonald. “We got a little note from one of the judges on one of our routine summaries last weekend that they really appreciated the performance and choreography on the beam, which was cool to hear because that is something that Emma’s putting her touch on.”

Malabuyo held the anchor position on beam last season – typically reserved for the team’s most consistent performer – competing after then-junior Ciena Alipio.

And Alipio, who sits at No. 3 in the nation on beam, has inherited the role. The senior is yet to score below 9.900 on beam this season and said she learned to handle the pressure that comes with serving as the team’s anchor from Malabuyo.

“Being in that spot before her last year really did help prepare me for this year to be in that anchor spot and take over for her,” Alipio said. “I’d watch her go up, handle the pressure, handle everything that was being thrown at her – no matter what the circumstance was – and this year, I wanted to not replicate it but take what I learned.”

McDonald added that Malabuyo’s ability to straddle both coaching and competing has helped her support both the staff and athletes.

“She’s really gotten to see another side of the sport – she understands the coach’s perspective a little bit better now, and with that, she’s able to give us really great feedback,” McDonald said. “She’s still able to really check in on the tone of our team.”