UCLA Wins Second Session at NCAA Regional Second Round

Raleigh, N.C. – UCLA placed first in the second session of the NCAA Regional Second Round, recording a season-high away score of 197.800 to beat second-place Michigan by four-tenths of a point. The Bruins earned the meet's highest event scores on vault (49.400), uneven bars (49.475) and floor exercise (49.625) to advance to the regional final with the highest score of the day.

Advancing along with UCLA to Saturday's final are Michigan and Missouri and Iowa from the first session. The four teams will compete for two spots in the NCAA Championships. The meet kicks off at 5pm ET/2pm PT and will air on ESPN+.

Bruin senior Norah Flatley won the all-around with a score of 39.575. Freshman Jordan Chiles tied for first on uneven bars with a 9.950 and tied with sophomore Chae Campbell for first on floor exercise, also scoring 9.950.

The Bruins led from start to finish, grabbing the first rotation lead after scoring 49.400 on vault. A season-high-tying 49.475 on uneven bars kept the momentum going, and UCLA maintained the lead after scoring 49.300 on balance beam and counteracted Michigan's final rotation score of 49.550 on beam with a big 49.625 on floor exercise.

First Rotation – Vault
The Bruins started the meet strong with a 49.400 on vault, taking first place ahead of Michigan, who scored 49.350 on floor exercise. Norah Flatley got UCLA started with a stuck Yurchenko full that scored 9.850. Emma Malabuyo followed with another strong landing, scoring 9.800. Jordan Chiles stuck a big Kazamatsu full and scored a career-high 9.925. Senior Kendal Poston tied her season-high, scoring 9.850. Sekai Wright got huge air time on her Yurchenko full and scored 9.850, and Chae Campbell closed with a huge stuck Yurchenko full that earned her a mark of 9.925.

Second Rotation – Uneven Bars
UCLA tied its season-high on uneven bars, scoring 49.475. The rotation was full of stuck landings, as four Bruins counted scores of 9.9 or higher. After Campbell's leadoff 9.800, Frida Esparza and Ana Padurariu hit back-to-back 9.900s. Chiles performed the most difficult routine of the competition, with four release moves, and stuck her full-twisting double layout dismount for a 9.950. Flatley closed the rotation with a stuck double layout of her own and scored 9.925.

Third Rotation – Balance Beam
After Padurariu led off with a 9.875, the Bruins had their first bout of adversity after Chiles fell on her side somi, but her teammates picked her up, with Flatley following with a 9.900, Campbell a 9.850, and Samantha Sakti a 9.900. In the anchor spot, Malabuyo had a big break in her routine after her front aerial but managed to stay on the beam to avoid a fall and then stuck her dismount to score a 9.775 to keep the Bruins at a 49.300 and ahead of Michigan, 148.175-147.950.

Fourth Rotation – Floor Exercise
UCLA brought the Pauley floor party to Raleigh, scoring a meet-high 49.625 to secure a first-place finish. Flatley started with a 9.900, and Brooklyn Moors recorded a career-best 9.925 in the two-spot. Malabuyo scored 9.900, and Pauline Tratz scored 9.750 after just going out of bounds on her final tumbling pass. Chiles earned a 10 from one judge and a final score of 9.950, and Campbell stuck her opening and final tumbling passes cold and also earned a 10 from one judge and a 9.950 score.