The time has come to say goodbye.

Seniors Jordan Chiles, Ciena Alipio and Madisyn Anyimi, along with graduate student Carissa Clay, are set for their final meet at Pauley Pavilion. Each took a different path to UCLA, their journeys reflecting the many routes athletes take through collegiate gymnastics.

“Coming in as a freshman I was like, ‘Oh, I have so much time,’ and it has gone by in a blink of an eye,” Alipio said.

The San Jose local began her collegiate career strictly on beam because she had sustained a hand injury. She competed as a beam specialist for three years and added bars and floor to her repertoire as a senior.

Floor is an integral part of UCLA gymnastics. With iconic “floor parties” and a history of viral routines, there is a reason Bruin gymnastics is called the “Best Show in Los Angeles.” For Alipio, earning a spot in the floor lineup was an important goal.

“Coming into UCLA, I knew floor’s what we were known for, and that has always been a goal of mine, to be in our floor lineup,” Alipio said. “After consistently working floor throughout all of season last year, going into summer this year, when I was talking to BJ (associate head coach BJ Das), it was very much, ‘I want to be someone you can rely on.’”

But stepping into the lineups was not the only change.

With a relatively young team, senior leadership took on an even greater importance this year. Coach Janelle McDonald said the “Bruin Bubble” fosters a supportive team environment, and each senior brings a unique element to the table.

“Ciena leads with her heart, she’s a connector of people and she each and every day shows up and leads by example in the work that she puts in, but she also shows up as a phenomenal teammate each and every day,” McDonald said.

From freshman-year roommates to seniors graduating together, Alipio and Anyimi have been side by side for the entirety of their collegiate careers.

Sacramento local Anyimi chose UCLA for the opportunity to grow in and out of the classroom and gym while challenging herself, McDonald said. The applied mathematics student is graduating early with honors.

“Madi has been this amazing, steady build of what the opportunity of being on this team can do for you,” McDonald said. “She came in as a student, became part of the team and really has taken every year and continued to grow and get better. She’s such an amazing example of what a student-athlete who really takes advantage of everything that UCLA has to offer can do.”

Taking advantage of opportunities has been a common theme of the graduating class. Clay, a graduate student, made her 8-year-old self’s dream come true after transferring to UCLA.

[Related: ‘It felt like home’: Carissa Clay takes leap of faith with UCLA gymnastics]

After previously competing at the University of Kentucky, the San Diego local earned a master’s degree in transformative coaching and leadership and is now completing a postgraduate certificate in marketing.

Clay experienced a senior night in 2025 before returning to compete for UCLA as a sixth-year.

“I know she already got to have one senior night with us, but it’s so exciting to get to celebrate her again,” McDonald said. “She brings this joyous energy and love for life to the table that really lights up the room and makes everybody happy to be around her.”

Clay said she plans to pursue a career in coaching and athletic commentary once her time as a Bruin concludes.

Other Bruins are still pondering their continued connections to collegiate gymnastics.

“I know for sure after the season I will need some time away and to see what life is like without gymnastics,” Alipio said. “I’m not sure I could fully step away and never think about gymnastics ever again after I’m done. I definitely don’t think I will completely separate from it, but I need a little bit of time to do a little bit of soul-searching without it too.”

And for one UCLA gymnast, continuing her legacy in the sport after college is a very real possibility.

Although Olympic gold medalist Chiles has yet to confirm whether she will make a run for the 2028 LA Olympics, she has indicated her interest in representing the United States.

And the Olympics are part of the reason she is still competing with the Bruins this year.

After taking the 2024 collegiate season off to compete in the Paris Olympics, Chiles has had a unique collegiate career. Her ability to compete in both reflects the growing overlap between Olympians and college gymnasts.

“Jordan leads by example and the work ethic and the amazing gymnastics she brings in, the energy she brings each and every day,” McDonald said. “That’s something that everybody on our team has been inspired by.”

Viewers have also noticed her leadership. Chiles talks with her teammates before their routines at every meet.

And while supporting her teammates, the self-proclaimed “that girl” has built a legacy of her own with the Bruins.

[Related: Jordan Chiles reflects on 4 seasons at her dream school, journey to success]

During her time at UCLA, she has become a three-time NCAA individual champion, a 16-time All-American and currently stands with 17 perfect 10s.

“Seeing the four letters one last time in Pauley for our senior night is definitely going to be bittersweet,” Chiles said. “I don’t think I’m very prepared for it.”

As the graduating class prepares to begin new chapters, it leaves behind a powerful legacy of hard work and leadership – having shaped the Bruin Bubble.

But it also leaves room for new beginnings and opportunities.

“There’s always an end to everything, and there’s always a new beginning, and so I’m allowing this to be a very welcoming ending,” Chiles said.