Jordan Chiles, UCLA advance to NCAA gymnastics finals

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jordan Chiles and the UCLA gymnastics team will compete for an NCAA title on Saturday after advancing out of their semifinal session at the NCAA gymnastics championships on Thursday night.

Chiles, who was part of the U.S. team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics last summer, won the NCAA uneven bars title for the second time and helped propel the Bruins ahead of No. 1 seed and defending NCAA champion LSU, which failed to advance in a thrilling second semifinal session at Dickies Arena. Fifth-seeded UCLA will be joined in the finals by No. 4 Utah, No. 7 Missouri and No. 2 Oklahoma, which has won five of the past eight national championships.

“I might cry again,” Chiles told ESPN after the meet. “I believed in this team from the very beginning. There’s so much pride, so much joy, so much fun in the atmosphere. I knew this was our year.”

Chiles followed teammate Frida Esparza’s 9.9250 on the uneven bars with her winning score of 9.975, while teammate Brooklyn Moors secured her first NCAA title in floor exercise with a 9.9625. Moore, a graduate student, lifted UCLA to a 49.5250 first-rotation score for an early lead. The Bruins posted five scores of 9.86 or higher on the floor, three of which were 9.9 or above.

UCLA, Utah, LSU and Michigan State were all separated by less than two-tenths of a point going into the final rotation.

Emily Lee posted a sub-9.70 score to begin their turn on the balance beam, but the Bruins delivered as a group. Led by senior Emma Malabuyo’s meet-best 9.975 score, UCLA finished with a team total of 197.7375 and held off top-seeded Louisiana State (which finished on the vault) to secure the fourth and final spot in the finals. The Bruins posted three straight 9.9s to close the rotation.

Utah finished first Thursday night with a 197.7625 to advance to the finals for the fifth consecutive time. Utah finished on the uneven bars, where all of its counted scores were above 9.9.

UCLA will try to win its eighth national championship but its first since 2018 on Saturday at 1 p.m. PT (ABC/Ch. 7). Utah is looking to add to its NCAA-leading nine championship titles with its first win since 1995. Oklahoma (197.550) is headed to the finals for the 11th time in the last 12 years – searching for a seventh national title. Missouri (197.3000) earned a spot in the finals for the first time in program history, with a previous best finish of fifth in 2022.

Florida, Michigan State and Alabama joined LSU as the four semifinalists who were eliminated.

Thursday’s semifinal sessions also decided the NCAA champions in the women’s all-around competition and the four individual events. Two-time U.S. Olympian Jade Carey, who represents Oregon State, and 2021 Olympic silver medalist Grace McCallum (Utah) were among the headliners in a crowded field that also featured U.S. alternates Leanne Wong (Florida) and Joscelyn Roberson (Arkansas).

Oklahoma’s Jordan Bowers ultimately won the all-around title Thursday, her afternoon score of 39.7125 finishing just ahead of McCallum and Sooners teammate Faith Torrez, who placed second and third, respectively. Carey, competing at night, needed a 9.9375 on the vault to tie Bowers for the all-around title but had a hop on the landing and finished fourth. Chiles finished fifth, while Roberson was 13th and Wong placed 17th.

LSU freshman Kailin Chio claimed the vault championship with a 9.975 to become the Tigers’ 19th individual champion and their eighth in the vault competition.