Swanson: Party on — future of UCLA gymnastics in good hands

Teammates react after Paige Anastasi of the UCLA Bruins performs on the vault during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Fans react as Selena Harris of the UCLA Bruins scores a 10 on the vault during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

UCLA Bruins prepare to perform the floor exercise during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Margzetta Frazier of the UCLA Bruins performs the floor exercise during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Nya Reed of the UCLA Bruins performs the floor exercise during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Emma Andres of the UCLA Bruins performs the floor exercise during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Brooklyn Moors of the UCLA Bruins performs the floor exercise during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

of the UCLA Bruins during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Chae Campbell of the UCLA Bruins performs the floor exercise during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Selena Harris of the UCLA Bruins performs the floor exercise during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Teammates celebrate with Margzetta Frazier of the UCLA Bruins after performing on the floor exercise during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Head coach Janelle McDonald reacts as Margzetta Frazier (not pictured) of the UCLA Bruins performs the floor exercise during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Emma Malabuyo of the UCLA Bruins performs on the balance beam during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Selena Harris of the UCLA Bruins performs on the balance beam during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Selena Harris of the UCLA Bruins reacts with teammates after performing on the balance beam during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Selena Harris of the UCLA Bruins scores a 10 on the vault during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Katelyn Rosen of the UCLA Bruins reacts after performing on the balance beam during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Chae Campbell of the UCLA Bruins performs on the vault during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

UCLA Bruins footprints in the chalk during the balance beam during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Margzetta Frazier of the UCLA Bruins performs on the uneven parallel bars during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Katelyn Rosen of the UCLA Bruins performs on the vault during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Selena Harris of the UCLA Bruins scores a 10 on the uneven parallel bars during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

UCLA sophomore Selena Harris reacts after her performance on the uneven parallel bars, her second perfect score of 10 on the day, as the Bruins defeated Clemson on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Pauley Pavillion. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Chae Campbell of the UCLA Bruins performs on the uneven parallel bars during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Emily Lee of the UCLA Bruins performs on the vault during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Katelyn Rosen of the UCLA Bruins performs on the uneven parallel bars during a NCAA gymnastics meet against Clemson at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

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LOS ANGELES – So that is a UCLA floor party, huh?

Consider me floored.

The Bruins threw one of their patented floor parties – distinctive, galvanizing floor routines that routinely bring down the house – to celebrate the eight seniors on the women’s gymnastics roster Saturday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.

It was a fine way to go about commemorating those perseverant careers, beating Clemson 198.550-196.825. The Bruins’ score the third-highest in program in history and boosted by senior Chae Campbell’s 10 for her brilliant Black Panther-themed exercise.

It also was a timely and big-time bounce back after last week’s fumble at Arizona State, where No. 11 UCLA lost to No. 18 Arizona State 196.625-196.325 in its final Pac-12 dual meet – that tally the Bruins’ lowest this year and worst since February 2022.

And it was a plug for the future of a proud program that’s recalibrating following a few seasons of stress and strife, after the Bruins, in 2021 and 2022, missed the national meet in consecutive seasons for first time.

Saturday’s regular-season closer before a crowd of 5,237 fans – and Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles – an apt showcase for what second-year coach Janelle McDonald’s team has to offer in the years ahead.

Sophomore Selena Harris arrived as the nation’s top recruit a year ago and performed like one of the top gymnasts in UCLA’s decorated history Saturday, recording 10s on her first two routines – the vault and the uneven bars – before finishing with an all-around score of 39.900, tied for the second-best score in Bruins history.

“It only goes up from here,” said Margzetta Frazier, a sixth-year senior who finally was healthy enough to make the most of her first and last floor program of the season, recording a career-best 9.975.

“This program is so special and legendary. Down to Kerri Strug, there’s so many legends and there’s so much history, it’s absolutely iconic … you have no choice but to be successful when you step foot into this program – and it’s in really good hands. I feel like it’s only up from here, especially seeing how these freshman handle themselves, with such poise and grace and they’re just so hard-working.”

Well, freshmen and that sophomore Harris, who Frazier said, “will always be my freshman.” A baby-faced killer in a leotard, a girl with glitter on her cheeks and a constitution for big moments, Harris’ presence at UCLA undoubtedly a floor-raiser.

“When you have athletes who have competitive greatness, there’s something to be learned form them,” McDonald said. “I think Selena learned a little bit last year with Jordan too, being able to compete alongside her, is when you can show up in the big moments, it shows everybody on the team, there’s nothing to worry about. You just do what you do in the gym and I think Selena is messaging that to the team constantly.

“… and as far as competitive greatness goes, I really do feel like we have a lot of team members with competitive greatness.”

And a lot of them figure to be around a lot longer, including this season’s breakout star Katelyn Rosen, a three-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week, as well as fellow freshmen Alex Irvine and Paige Anastasi, who are growing by, well, leaps and bounds as the season progresses.

It wasn’t Rosen’s all-around technical aptitude that had McDonald raving Saturday, but the 18-year-old’s maturity.

“She shows up in every moment we ask her to,” said McDonald, whose ask this time was for Rosen to rest up and let the seniors have the floor for a final party at Pauley.

The kid didn’t blink, her coach said. Instead Rosen basically ran laps around the floor, positioning herself wherever she could best support her teammates during their respective routines, likely losing her voice in the process.

“She was like, ‘Yep, no problem… I got it,’” McDonald said. “A true team player, and as a freshman to already be showing up in those moments like exactly how we need her to, it makes me really excited to see what her NCAA career is going to turn out looking like.”

So too will her scores, I’d think; no 10s yet, but she’s scored between 9.90 and 9.950 in three of four events.

The kids, they’ll be more than all right. Much promise, especially because they’ve promised to carry on the legacies of the gymnasts who’ve come before them, including those eight seniors or super seniors in the building Saturday.

“Oh my gosh I’ve taken so much from them,” Harris said. “I’ve been watching them on YouTube since I was like 11, so being able to be in the gym and train with them, it’s just like watching Simone Biles in front of you every single day. You can see their work ethic, how hard they push themselves inside, outside of the gym, it can’t do anything but rub off on you.”

by
on March 17, 2024

Swanson: Party on — future of UCLA gymnastics in good hands

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