No. 4 seed UCLA gymnastics is postseason bound and will open regional competition Friday in Corvallis, Oregon. The Bruins must advance through quad meets – with the top two teams reaching Sunday’s regional final – and the top two there earning a trip to Fort Worth, Texas for the championships. The Daily Bruin gymnastics beat breaks down just how far the 2026 Bruins can go.
Ella Dunderdale
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: National champions
The moment I knew this squad has what it takes to go the distance was, ironically, when senior Ciena Alipio – UCLA’s highest-ranked beam anchor since 2020 – fell off the apparatus in the squad’s opening rotation of the Big Ten championships last week.
Mistakes like that can shake a team’s confidence.
But not the Bruins.
Even with the senior’s rare mistake – which carried over to a step out of bounds on floor and her absence from the bars lineup – the squad bounced back, scoring within 0.025 of its season highs on floor, bars and vault and breaking 198.000 for the second time this season.
The postseason brings pressure and unexpected challenges.
But as I watched each gymnast rise to the occasion on the conference’s biggest stage after a misstep from one of the Bruins’ steadiest competitors, I knew this squad was ready for the postseason.
Things just seem to be clicking for the Westwood bunch.
The squad finds more vault sticks each week, gymnasts such as freshman Ashlee Sullivan and sophomore Mika Webster-Longin have found their stride, and senior Jordan Chiles flirts with perfection in every routine.
I can’t help but feel optimistic.
The path to Fort Worth and a national title is not an easy one. Although the Bruins control their own fate, the pieces still need to fall into place – as they did last season – for them to earn a spot at Four on the Floor.
But, if they get there, this roster, bolstered by a standout freshman class and a peaking veteran core performing, can win it all.
Finn Karish
Daily Bruin reporter
Prediction: Second place in national final
Last year, I said history often repeats itself.
This year, I am doubling down.
The road to Fort Worth is, once again, clear for UCLA and fellow top-five seed Alabama.
The biggest threat they face is Utah – a squad that has fallen more than seven tenths from its 2025 NQS and lost to UCLA twice in the regular season. But despite their No. 12 seed ranking, the Red Rocks have shown high-scoring potential late in the season, breaking the 198.000 mark on Feb. 13 and scoring at or above 197.650 in two of their last three meets.
The national semifinal will prove a greater task, as 2025 national champion and current No. 1 seed Oklahoma has its ticket all but punched to the final. This leaves UCLA and Alabama as the likely contenders for second place, but, with the Crimson Tide coming down from a mid-season peak, the Bruins may be stronger favorites than their NQS suggests.
The fight only continues to intensify for the Westwood squad in the final.
UCLA could face two teams with NQS marks within a 10th of an impressive 198.000 in Oklahoma and LSU, alongside a No. 3 seed Florida squad that owns a nation-leading 198.575 from Mar. 13.
But last year’s SEC firepower was similarly undeniable heading into the postseason – yet the Bruins still earned their spot as national runners-up. With another clutch performance, UCLA has every ability to find itself back in contention – it just may not be able to usurp the trio of SEC powerhouses.
Alexandra Crosnoe
Daily Bruin senior staff
Prediction: National champions
The Bruins showed exactly who they are at the Big Ten Championships on March 21.
Clutch.
The squad delivered on its biggest stage so far, earning a 198.100 to defeat No. 11 Michigan State, No. 13 Minnesota and No. 10 Michigan.
Senior Ciena Alipio – the Bruins’ best beamworker – fell off beam, took a step out of bounds during floor and was replaced in the bars lineup, not contributing to the team’s final score. But it didn’t matter – the Bruins’ deep roster saved the day, putting up high scores even without one of their most consistent athletes.
But this kind of performance is nothing new for UCLA, who showed in last year’s postseason that it shines under the brightest lights. The squad posted multiple scores in the high 197.000s that led it to the national runner-up title, despite starting as a No. 5 seed.
UCLA will likely face tough opponents along the way in No. 12 seed Utah and No. 5 seed Alabama. If it advances to the final, it will almost certainly go toe-to-toe with No. 1 seed Oklahoma – which boasts an NQS of 197.980, and defeated UCLA at nationals last season.
But this year, UCLA is even better equipped to go the distance. Led by senior Jordan Chiles – who has peaked in her final season with seven perfect 10s – alongside a roster of consistent underclassmen and, most importantly, the ability to excel under pressure, the Bruins can take it all the way.
Hannah Westerhold
Daily Bruin reporter
Prediction: Second place in national final
Seeding is not a forecast – UCLA proved that last postseason.
Then-No. 5 seed UCLA upset top-seeded LSU in the national semifinals and placed ahead of then-No. 4 seed Utah in the national championship.
Now, the Bruins enter the postseason as the No. 4 seed and the top seed in their region. With the two highest-scoring teams advancing to the national semifinals – and UCLA fresh off its second-highest team score of the season at the Big Ten Championship – the squad is well-positioned to advance past regionals.
But a tougher test likely awaits in Fort Worth. No. 1 seed Oklahoma holds a 197.980 NQS – 0.440 higher than UCLA – and boasts top-five rankings on every event, including No. 1 on vault.
If the regular season is any indication, the Sooners – who have recorded seven 198.000-plus marks – should have a clear path to Four on the Floor.
And if the Bruins snag the second spot, they could face two squads seeking redemption on the national stage.
No. 2 seed LSU sits just behind Oklahoma with a 197.920 NQS and could meet UCLA after being knocked out at the 2025 national semifinals. Florida holds the same No. 3 seeding as last season after failing to advance to the 2025 National Championship.
Last season exemplified how anything can happen in the postseason.
And while UCLA may not top the rankings, it certainly has a shot at victory on the National Championship floor.
Kate Bergfeld
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: National champions
Maybe this is overly optimistic.
Maybe it is just too much hope.
But I think this is the year for the Bruins to take it all.
While UCLA fell to Oklahoma in 2025 by four tenths, the new squad is poised to come out on top this year.
Senior Jordan Chiles has collected seven perfect 10s over the course of this season and is tied for the highest all-around score in the country with a pair of 39.875s. She consistently scores above 9.900 on every event, was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and just became the second Bruin to earn first-team regular season All-American status in all five categories in the same year.
And the freshman class contains multiple standouts who have high-pressure elite experience with Tiana Sumanasekera and Ashlee Sullivan taking multiple Big Ten weekly awards and both earning All-Big Ten First Team honors.
While UCLA fell to Oklahoma and LSU in its Jan. 10 quad meet, the Bruins have improved dramatically over the past 10 weeks. And if they meet again, it will be on an even footing with the same judges.
And this time, the Bruins will come out on top and claim their title.
Sofia Celis
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: Third place in national final
Entering this year’s NCAA Championships in the second round with a 197.540 NQS, the Bruins’ success will depend on taking things one step at a time.
The squad’s biggest threats in the regional semifinals lie No. 13 seed Minnesota and Iowa – but UCLA will likely replicate its Feb. 27 and March 21 victories to secure a spot in the regional finals.
No. 12 seed Utah has the potential to upset UCLA or No. 5 seed Alabama in the regional finals, as the Red Rocks have improved their consistency since the beginning of the season. And as the Crimson Tide has struggled with an end-of-season slump, the Bruins have what it takes to beat at least one of the two squads and make it to Fort Worth.
I predict UCLA will fall to No. 1 seed Oklahoma and No. 2 seed LSU at the national championships, foreshadowed by its loss to both squads Jan. 10. However, another perfect score from senior Jordan Chiles, alongside senior Ciena Alipio’s potential for perfect 10 on beam, will boost the squad to a potential bronze.
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