A fun Weekend at UCLA seeing a Gymnastics Meet

At the meet inside Pauley

On March 16th, 2024, my dad and I went to see the UCLA gymnastics meet in Los Angeles at Pauley Pavilion. I have always wanted to see a UCLA gymnastics meet since I was born, but I always had gymnastics meets on the days when UCLA competed. So we looked for a meet on which I did not have a gymnastics meet. We flew in on Friday night at around 6 pm but were delayed for 2 hours, so we did not leave until around 8 pm and landed at around 11 pm. We picked up the rental car, headed to the UCLA campus hotel, and went to bed for the day. 

Then, the following day, we got breakfast at the hotel, which was so good, and my dad said we wanted breakfast at the UCLA Luskin Center Hotel. We walked around campus to the bookstore to get UCLA gear for the meet. Finally, we went to Pauley Pavilion to watch the meet.

Breakfast before the meet

 UCLA has a great gymnastics team. They were ranked number 11 this season. The coaching staff is fantastic, looks involved, and supports their athletes. The team supported each other, and even the opponent, the Bruins, was competing against Clemson.  

UCLA started on Vault, which Kyle coaches. The team rotated in Olympic rotation which is Vault, Bars, Beam, and Floor. On vault, Selena Harris, a sophomore on the team, got a 10.00, which means that she did not receive any deductions, and it was perfect.

Then the Bruins rotated to their second event, Bars, in which they hit six solid routines, and Selena Harris got another perfect 10.00, which Janelle coaches.

The third rotation was Beam, and they had an excellent solid Beam rotation, and I don't think anyone fell.

UCLA Gymnast Beam routine

Finally, the last rotation was the floor, and Chae Campbell got a 10.00, and they won the meet on a senior night. 

The floor was signed by former UCLA head coach Valerie Kondos Field before she retired. She was the head coach for the Bruins from 1991 until she retired in 2018. This D1 team is known for its beautiful and exciting floor routines, which BJ Das choreographs. The Bruins call it a “Floor Party in Pauley.” Some noticeable names you may remember are Katelyn Oshasi, Janay Honest, and Nia Dennis. 

Their new head coach, Janelle McDonald, is doing a great job. She is building and creating the program to the best it could be. She looks like she is having so much fun coaching and cheering on the athletes at the end of the events. I loved seeing her so happy after one of the athletes hit their routine. Janelle seems to care about the athletes she is coaching and wants them to be successful. 

After the meet ended, the team had a senior class video since it was senior night, so we watched that, and then they announced each senior's name and had a little celebration. A few minutes after that concluded, the gymnasts got to take some photos with the gymnasts at the end of the meet. I got a picture and a signature with Chloe, Janay, Frida, and Jordan Chiles. I got signatures from Katelyn, Maddie, Sara, Janay, Frida, and Brooklyn. 

Photo with Janay Honest, Frida, Chloe, and Jordan

Katelyn, Sara, Maddie, and Janay Honest Signunatures

Brooklyn Moores and Frida Signuatures

2020 Olympian Jordan Chiles Signature

After the event, we returned to the hotel and got some dessert at the hotel restaurant. My dad and I ran into Janelle McDonald, the head coach of UCLA, so I talked to her for a few minutes. 

I have always wanted to see UCLA since I was about 7. I have seen it on YouTube and heard about other people going to see it. I had so much fun, and I am so excited that I got the chance and opportunity. 

leaving the meet and got a photo

A little recap video