UCLA gymnastics wants to make NCAA Championships an LA story

“The best show in LA” is going national.The UCLA gymnastics team — and its favorite catchphrase — is headed to the biggest stage in the sport for the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.The Bruins’ mantra helped them get there, coach Janelle McDonald trotting it out once more heading into the team’s final rotation at the regional meet earlier this month.UCLA was in third place at the time, needing a superb showing on the floor exercise to advance.“I just remember standing there and Janelle was like, ‘We are the best show in LA for a reason — this is no different than any other meet we’ve ever been at,’ ” senior Ciena Alipio recalled.

“ ‘I don’t want you guys to worry about scores, I want you to go out there and just put on a show and do what we do best.’ ”Buoyed by those words, the Bruins dominated.Ashlee Sullivan’s 9.900 on the floor ensured that UCLA would advance, and Jordan Chiles’ perfect 10 secured the regional victory — the team’s first since 2019.That triumph vaulted the No.

4 Bruins (32-2) into a semifinal with No.1 Oklahoma — the defending national champion — as well as No.

9 Arkansas and No.13 Minnesota at 6 p.m.

PT on Thursday at Dickies Arena.The meet will be televised by ESPN2.The top two teams from the session will advance to the final Saturday alongside two other teams from an earlier semifinal round involving No.

2 LSU, No.3 Florida, No.

6 Georgia and No.7 Stanford.Alipio and Chiles are among six UCLA gymnasts on the current team who competed at last year’s NCAA Championships, where the Bruins finished as runners-up.Chiles has the most championships experience among the Bruins, having competed with the team in 2023 and 2025 and as an individual on bars and floor in 2022.

In 2023, Chiles won the uneven bars title with a 10 and the floor title with a 9.9875.McDonald said Chiles’ magnificent skill is only part of what makes the two-time Olympian such a great leader.“She really leads with he...