Bruins show off their skill, individual style
LOS ANGELES » Margzetta Frazier wore a pink leopard-print leotard inspired by her New Jersey roots. Emma Malabuyo was dressed in 1920s flapper fringe and glitter. Selena Harris' leotard was inspired by Jennifer Lopez's Super Bowl performance outfit. Nya Reed was dressed in white and gold to honor her sorority.
Six gymnasts donned custom-made leotards that they helped create Friday night at UCLA's Meet the Bruins event. It was an exciting touch to preface the start of the season, but also a signature move for the UCLA program.
“For me, UCLA has always been that team that has been different,” said Reed, a graduate transfer from Florida. “I want people to see that we're not just gymnasts. There's other things that make us special. So it's a way that we can be able to show our personality, not just through our floor routines.”
Meet the Bruins was a non-scoring meet that allowed gymnasts to practice their routines in an arena setting. UCLA's team was separated into four main lineups for each event, then another four lineups for exhibition routines.
Jordan Chiles was even in attendance, even though she won't be competing for UCLA this season as she prepares for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“All I can say is that she's a true Bruin,” senior Frida Esparza said of Chiles, who won NCAA titles last year in uneven bars and floor. “The ties, the connection that she made with the team and like still wanting to come back and experience this with us, even though she's not like competing or anything, that's just amazing.”
Reed, a six-time AllAmerican with the Gators, made her Bruins debut on vault and also showed off her floor routine as one of the gymnasts in the main lineup Friday night.
“I remember when I had first came for a visit. I walked in and I was like, this is huge,” Reed said. “I was so excited to be able to come and compete here. And so today, the energy was amazing and I fed off my teammates so that made it even more special.”
Esparza was back in the balance beam and uneven bars lineups after missing last season due to a shoulder injury. She worked with coach Janelle McDonald to create three potential bars routines for Meet the Bruins, and Esparza ended up performing the most challenging one.
“I really think she's one of the most natural bar swingers in the NCAA,” McDonald said. “Within a week, she was already doing the ultimate goal routine. And that's the one you saw here today. It's more difficulty than what she needs, but it's something that challenges her and it keeps her excited.”
Junior Emily Lee, who scored 9.9 or higher in leadoff beam routines last season, was back in her usual leadoff spot. McDonald said she anticipates Lee being in that position throughout the season. Freshman Katelyn Rosen also had the opportunity to prove herself in the allaround, joining fellow allaround competitors Harris and Chae Campbell.
Frazier performed her bars routine and floor exercise after coming back from an ankle sprain that occurred roughly a month ago. There were no tumbling passes in her floor routine, but she is medically cleared to start preparing for the start of the season in January.
The Bruins will have a nonconference meet against an opponent to be announced on Jan. 6 and two quad meets before beginning Pac-12 competition against Washington on Jan. 27 at Pauley Pavilion.
For the final season of Pac-12 gymnastics, UCLA plans on going out with the signature style it's created during its time in the conference before moving on to the Big Ten.
“It's really bittersweet,” McDonald said. “We've talked a lot about just celebrating this year and celebrating the legacy of our program and the Pac-12 and all the people that came before us. And really enjoying this last year altogether.”