The UCLA gymnastics team offered fans a sneak peek of what can be expected during the 2026 season at its annual Meet the Bruins event Saturday.
The Bruins are coming off a runner-up finish at the NCAA championships and a sweep of the Big Ten regular season and conference titles.
Bar routines have been an area of growth for UCLA during the past season, and the team is shaping up to have better depth. The gymnasts have been pushing each other to improve, and UCLA coach Janelle McDonald is pleased with the progress.
UCLA gymnast Jordan Chiles, center, fires up teammates during the Meet the Bruins exhibition on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at Pauley Pavilion.
(Dylan Petrossian/UCLA Athletics)
“Really excited about where we are at on bars,” McDonald said. ”I feel like it can be a great event for us and just really working on the consistency of the details right now.”
There are skills the Bruins want to clean up and tighten before the first meet of the new season in January, including sharper execution and landings.
“There were a couple of uncharacteristic things that we don’t typically see in practice, people that are really consistent with sticking and having steps,” McDonald said after the Meet the Bruins exhibition.
The seniors say they are focused on adding routines and events, emphasizing learning, growing and pushing themselves in their final year.
“I feel like both Ciena [Alipio] and Maddie [Anyimi] have had that mentality all summer long to really be able to come into the preseason and make a statement. It was great to see them out there in different events and to see them perform so confidently,” McDonald said.
Sophomore Macy McGowan did not perform on floor due to an injury and has been working throughout the offseason, building back each week to get stronger.
Jordan Chiles showed off her Prince themed floor routine for the final time and will replace it with something new during the competition season.
“I am really excited to do this floor routine,” said Chiles, who was a finalist on “Dancing with the Stars” during the offseason. ”We’ve already started and honestly, I’m like, ‘This is not Jordan. I’ve done the cutesy, I’ve done the hip-hop, I’ve done all those things and this is more the passionate, confident last era of being a Bruin.’”
Freshman Ashlee Sullivan stepped onto the Pauley Pavillion floor for the first time and has been adjusting to the transition from elite competition to collegiate gymnastics.
“When I came here, we were already hitting the ground running,” Sullivan said. “Like everyone looked so good. The team looked competition ready. Feeding off of that, everyone … pushes me to be [the] best I can.”
Tiana Sumanasekera, Nola Matthews, Jordis Eichman, Kai Mattei, Ava Callahan and Sullivan joined the roster this season, bringing a wide variety of skills to the UCLA lineup.
The 2026 season begins Jan. 3, when the Bruins will compete against Washington, California and Oregon State.