With two bids to the NCAA Championships on the line, it came down to the final two gymnasts in the final rotation of the Raleigh Regional Finals in North Carolina. UCLA’s balance beam score and Missouri’s floor exercise score would be the determining factors.

The Bruins huddled together Saturday, awaiting the final numbers after No. 11 Missouri’s Amari Celestine danced through her floor routine and Emma Malabuyo strutted on balance beam.

“It’s high anxiety because it’s coming down to a 10th or half a 10th (of a point),” UCLA senior Norah Flatley said. “And your body is just tense because you just want your score to be up there.”

Malabuyo’s 9.975 was good for first place in the event, but it wasn’t enough to rescue her team. Celestine scored a 9.925 to give her team the final points it needed to edge the Bruins and claim second place as well as a trip to the NCAA Championships.

Michigan won the meet with a team score of 197.800. Mizzou recorded a 197.425 and No. 14 UCLA had a 197.400. Iowa rounded out the scores with a 197.075.

The Bruins battled with No. 3 Michigan through the first two rotations of the four-team meet at Valvano Arena. Though the Wolverines rank third in the country in floor exercise, UCLA edged them in the event with a 49.550 team score to lead midway through the meet.

UCLA has ended home meets with floor exercise, one of their strongest events, at Pauley Pavilion throughout the season. Starting Saturday’s meet with floor changed the order drastically, but not the emotions.

“No matter what, we’re still going to have that hype energy and be able to fill the crowd up and make sure everybody’s involved,” Bruins freshman Jordan Chiles said. “We’re out here having fun, so we want the crowd to have fun as well, no matter what.”

Michigan was able to close the gap and even the score at 148.275 by the end of the third rotation, thanks to a 10 from Gabby Wilson in vault. Chiles recorded a 9.950 in uneven bars – which tied her for first in the event – shortly after Wilson’s perfect score to keep the meet close.

UCLA’s 49.125 team score in balance beam, the final rotation, wasn’t enough to move the Bruins to second place. The score was the third-lowest of UCLA’s season, but Malabuyo’s performance remained a highlight.

“I hope she puts this in the toolkit and brings this out every time she’s looked at to step in in an important moment,” UCLA coach Chris Waller said of the freshman, “because that was a veteran’s move right there.”

In addition to Malabuyo and Chiles’ top individual performances, UCLA’s Chae Campbell placed third in vault with a 9.925 and tied for first in floor exercise with a 9.950. Chiles was also second all-around.

Michigan and Mizzou advance to the NCAA Championships, which are slated for April 14-16 in Fort Worth, Texas.

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The top individual finishers in each event, as well as the top all-around competitor not on a qualifying team from the Raleigh Regional Finals, will also compete in the NCAA Championships. For UCLA, though, the team season has ended.

“I’m proud of the girls who were so dedicated the entire season and also led the team in their own ways, even when things got really hard,” Flatley said. “Just proud of the girls for staying strong all the way throughout.”