It is indeed a good time to be a UCLA Bruins and a Jordan Chiles fan. The Big Ten Conference was legendary. Not only did the team score an all-time high score of 198.450 at the Big Ten Championship, but also became the first ever UCLA team to win both regular season and conference championship titles in the Big Ten. But beyond stats, there was something more: from the moment the season kicked off, something felt different. Crowds were bigger, energy was higher, and suddenly, regular-season meets were feeling more like headline events. And why wouldn’t it feel that way? Our girl Jordan Chiles had returned to UCLA gymnastics after taking a year off to train for the Paris Olympics. But once she stepped into the arena, fans knew something special was coming. And yes! It did! Even the coach believes so.
When you’ve got a coach like Janelle McDonald—someone with 20 years of coaching under her belt and leading UCLA since 2022—you expect the team to show up big. And they did just that. On April 5, the Bruins locked in their NCAA Championship spot with a second-place finish at regionals, notching a 197.625. Now they’re headed back to Fort Worth, chasing their first national title since 2018. It’s a huge milestone, but for McDonald’s. But before shouting out her team or even pointing to the perfect 10s, McDonald made it clear: there’s someone behind the curtain who lit the spark.
“Every single place we’ve visited, we’ve been so welcomed,” the coach shared with UCLA’s publication. It wasn’t just polite applause or scattered cheers—it was full-blown energy, start to finish. And what was insane was when the Minnesota coach Jenny Hansen added, “Your stands are filled, and your fans are cheering and they’re up on their feet before they’ve even started.” For UCLA’s head coach, the wave of support this season felt personal. Before the medals, the scores, or the standings, she made one thing clear—the fans made this ride unforgettable.
And what a ride it’s been. The Bruins entered the Big Ten with more national titles than any other program, and finished their debut season with the highest team score in the history of the conference championship. “Being in the Big Ten this year has been amazing,” she said. “We’ve had so many great meets across the country – a lot of getting to go to a lot of new places, our team getting to perform in front of people they’ve never seen before.”
But the magic wasn’t just in the routines. It was in the atmosphere. “If you can get people to a meet, they’re probably going to come back and bring two friends,” she added. “It’s show-stopping, fun, energy, amazing athleticism.” And what helped fuel that buzz?
UCLA soars with Jordan Chiles leading the way
The return of one Olympic gymnast, Jordan Chiles, who had skipped the 2024 season to train for Paris, added to the thrill of the season without a doubt. Her power on the mat is undeniable. In a season where perfect 10s are hard to come by, she has secured three of them, including one in the Big Ten Championships, thanks to her impeccable floor routine. McDonald made sure to credit the entire team for the season’s success, but there’s no denying the spotlight followed this gymnast wherever she went. Do you need proof?
UCLA gymnastics didn’t just enter the Big Ten—they owned it. Their first season in the conference turned into a fan-filled spectacle, with record-breaking crowds becoming the norm. The wave started January 18 in College Park, where 7,287 fans showed up for the Bruins’ meet against Maryland—obliterating the Terps’ previous record by over 5,000. From there, the team brought the buzz to every stop: Washington drew 7,046 fans, Michigan pulled in over 11,000, and Ohio State saw its largest crowd ever with 3,695. Even Michigan State upgraded to the massive Breslin Center for their rivalry meet, pulling in 6,251 fans—the most in their program’s history.
Then came the showstopper. On March 9, UCLA returned to Westwood and capped off their regular season with a bang, setting a new all-time program attendance record of 12,918 during their Senior Day meet against Stanford, surpassing the previous record set in 2019. Safe to say, the crowd showed up and showed out.
Well yes! UCLA is locked in its spot at the NCAA semifinals—happening April 17 in Fort Worth, Texas—for the first time since 2023. Records are falling left and right, and honestly? Feels like they’re just getting warmed up.
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