UCLA gymnastics posts season-high score on uneven bars, extends win streak

LOS ANGELES — The UCLA gymnastics team recorded a season-high team score on the uneven bars to beat Penn State, 197.65-195.450, on Friday night during the Bruins’ annual Pride Meet.

Jordan Chiles won the all-around and Mika Webster-Longin tied for first on vault. Chiles and Frida Esparza tied for first on the uneven bars and Emily Lee took first on the balance beam. Chiles grabbed her third win of the night when she tied with Brooklyn Moors for first in the floor exercise.

Four out of six Bruins recorded season-high marks on the bars, which was the Bruins’ second rotation of the meet. Chiles and Esparza hit back-to-back 9.975 scores to close out the event.

Esparza also performed the national anthem on an electric guitar prior to the meet and received roaring applause each time she paused to create rigid, straight lines in her bars routine.

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UCLA gymnast Frida Esparza plays the national anthem before the Pride Meet against Penn State while wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt. #journalism #reporter #sports #sportsreporter #womenssports #ucla #gymnastics #nationalanthem #electricguitar #pride #blacklivesmatter

♬ original sound – Haley Sawyer

Emma Malabuyo and Chae Campbell stuck both of their landings to score season highs of 9.900 and 9.875, respectively.

A 49.450 team score on the balance beam prefaced the Bruins’ “floor party” and featured the return of Katelyn Rosen, who hadn’t taken part in a meet since Jan. 25, when she completed an exhibition routine.

Rosen, a sophomore, also did an exhibition floor routine and the pair of well-executed routines could signal a return to the lineup for the former three-time freshman of the week.

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The top-ranked floor team in the nation wrapped up the final rotation with a 49.550 team score. Moors is still chasing a perfect 10.0 and recorded a 9.950 for her fifth floor score this season at that mark or above.

The 8 p.m. start time – the latest of the season – did not appear to have an effect on the fifth-ranked Bruins (8-2 overall, 5-0 Big Ten) and each gymnast scored 9.825 or above.

UCLA continued to struggle on vault, the meet-opening rotation, and recorded its second-lowest score of the season with a 49.100.

The lineup looked slightly different than in previous meets with freshman Riley Jenkins leading off instead of Lee, who only competed on balance beam on Friday.

UCLA gymnasts wore rainbow-colored leotards for the Pride Meet, which fell on Valentine’s Day this season. Gymnastics staff members wore bright pink T-shirts with a heart-shaped progress pride flag on the back.

Fans waved progress pride flags in the stands and rainbow-colored “10.0” signs were handed out on the concourse.

It was the last home meet until March 9, when the Bruins play host to Stanford.

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