Not long ago, UCLA seemed like an afterthought in the national title race. Their opening-week performance was shaky. They were outside the rankings. The top teams, Oklahoma, LSU, and Florida looked untouchable. Then came Week 6, which brought surprises and big changes in the standings. Florida stumbled. LSU rallied. Oklahoma remained strong. But the biggest twist? UCLA’s rise. The Bruins, who began the season, searching for their rhythm, have jumped into the top four in the Power Rankings and 5th in the standings. They’ve passed Michigan State, and have shown they belong in the title talk. It hasn’t been easy. They’ve dealt with inconsistency, shuffled lineups, and faced tough competition. But in a sport where momentum matters, UCLA has its Spade in Jordan Chiles!

UCLA had been staring down the barrel for the better part of this season, teetering on the edge of the rankings. Then, the signature moment arrived! And at the heart of it stood Jordan Chiles! The story goes like this- Bruins, who were trailing by seven-tenths of a point heading into the final rotation against Michigan State in Week 4, needed a near-flawless floor exercise to have any hope of victory. But what followed was not just perfection but dominance; Chiles, a junior and Olympic gold medalist, anchored the floor rotation with a flawless 10.0, which was her fifth career perfect score on the event. It was the exclamation point on a historic 49.800 team floor performance, the fourth-best in UCLA’s gymnastics history. More importantly, it was the moment the Bruins announced themselves as true title contenders.

Her impact didn’t stop there. In the very next meet against Washington, Chiles continued her brilliance, posting a 9.950 on the floor to share first place while also delivering a season-best 9.900 on the beam, and helping UCLA reach the top five.

Here is the UCLA Progress in the Standings until Week 6:

Week 1: 1. Oklahoma, 2. LSU, 3. Michigan State, 4. Utah, 5. Missouri, 6. California, 7. Auburn, 8. North Carolina State

Week 2: 1. Oklahoma, 2. LSU, 3. Alabama, 4. Utah, 5. California, 6. Michigan State, 7. Florida, 8. Kentucky.

Week 3: 1. Oklahoma, 2. LSU, 3. Florida, 4. Michigan State, 5. Utah, 6. Kentucky, 7. California, 8. UCLA.

Week 4: 1. Oklahoma, 2. Florida, 3. LSU, 4. Utah, 5. Michigan State, 6. UCLA, 7. Kentucky, 8. California.

Week 5: 1. Oklahoma, 2. Florida, 3. LSU, 4. Utah, 5. Michigan State, 6. UCLA, 7. California, 8. Kentucky.

Week 6: 1. Oklahoma, 2. LSU, 3. Florida, 4. Utah, 5. UCLA, 6. Michigan State, 7. California, 8. Kentucky

For Quiz Geeks, Jordan Chiles is the only gymnast to score two perfect 10s in college gymnastics this season. How is she pulling off all those jaw-dropping routines? Any miracle? No, something even more powerful—the Gold Over America Tour.

Jordan Chiles Credits GOAT Tour for Her Renewed Mindset

When Jordan Chiles landed her final tumbling pass at UCLA’s meet against Michigan State on February 1, it felt almost scripted. Blue and gold confetti echoed the energy of her Prince-themed floor routine at Pauley Pavilion. Moments later, the judges scored her a perfect 10.0, her second this season. Beneath the excitement was a deeper story, of her journey of mental reset and rediscovery.

Chiles’ road back to NCAA gymnastics has been anything but conventional. She returned to UCLA in December, barely a month before the season started, after a whirlwind stretch that saw her claim Olympic team gold in Paris 2024, adding to her Tokyo 2021 team silver, and star in the Gold Over America Tour (GOAT). The relentless schedule kept her in the spotlight but also left her needing to recalibrate.

“The tour [GOAT] kind of helped me change my mindset,” Chiles told International Gymnastics Online. “I was doing school, some online classes, and other stuff, trying to get my mind and my body in the flow of everything.”The transition back to a student-athlete’s routine involved balancing coursework, training, and competition. And sure, it wasn’t easy. But Chiles found stability in her UCLA gymnastics program, leaning on the unwavering support of her team.

For the Oregon native, team chemistry is everything. “I knew I had the team and the support behind me, helping me these past few months get my mindset back into, ‘OK, we compete every weekend, we have classes, and all of this stuff.’ It’s been a whirlwind, but I wouldn’t change it.”Now, Chiles is not just competing but thriving. With two perfect 10s already under her belt this season, she has regained the momentum that makes her one of the sport’s brightest stars.