Jordan Chiles’ 2026 NCAA opener made it clear: she is here to win. A 39.725 all-around win, winning all four events, and a UCLA team victory at 196.975 – Chiles delivered the kind of start athletes dream about. But just a few feet away from the spotlight another story was unfolding. The women who once stood shoulder to shoulder with Chiles in competition were now watching her routine from the other side of the floor.

These were the familiar names that fans were talking about throughout the 2025 season: Jade Carey, Haleigh Bryant, and Mya Lauzon. But this time, they were not pursuing titles. They were coaching, supporting, and cheering on the sideline as UCLA left behind California (196.000), Washington (195.625), and Oregon State.

For Carey, the shift from elite competitor to mentor is already in motion. After finishing her competitive career at Oregon State University, she stayed with the program as a Student Assistant Coach. Gymnastics Now even shared an Instagram post, where Carey was watching closely with an intense look, captioned with: “Same team, different role for Coach Carey 🫡.”

Haleigh Bryant’s journey is similar. One of the most decorated gymnasts in LSU history, she won multiple national and conference titles before retiring from competition in April 2025. Shortly after graduating, she joined the LSU Tigers staff as an assistant coach for the 2025-26 season.

After watching Jordan Chiles and the rest of the field compete, she posted a joyful photo of her journey from being gymanst to a coach, “Nights like these are why it was so easy to stay 🤍.” Now, she’s preparing LSU for its season opener on January 10, 2026.

Then there’s Mya Lauzon, another fan favorite from Cal gymnastics.

Following a decorated career, which won her several All-ACC awards and NCAA trophies, she returned to Berkeley in 2026 to take over the Golden Bears as an assistant coach. She even shared an Instagram story which included the scores of the season opener, but with it she also shared a positive note, “Just the beginning for these bears.”

Jordan Chiles opened the season beautifully, but if all these former athletes had competed in the 2025 season, would Jordan Chiles still have been the winner?

Could Jordan Chiles still dominate if Carey, Bryant, and Lauzon had competed

Jordan Chiles and UCLA had a strong season in 2025, but they didn’t clinch the NCAA team championship. That honor went to the Oklahoma Sooners, who narrowly edged UCLA at the national championship in April. UCLA finished as runner-up.

But in 2026, if Jade Carey, Haleigh Bryant, and Mya Lauzon had been competing alongside their teams, UCLA’s dominant season opener would have been tough, as their past matchups show they could keep Chiles on her toes.

For example, at the 2025 NCAA Championships semifinal on April 17, Jade Carey scored 39.6250 in the all-around, while Jordan Chiles scored 39.5875 in the same session. Carey’s score was just a fraction higher, placing her ahead of Chiles in that ranking. And with it,  Carey finished fourth overall, with Chiles right behind her in fifth.

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Even Haleigh Bryant also had an incredible 2025 season. She recorded 39.5625 in the 2025 NCAA Semifinals All-America Standings, which was almost comparable to that of Chiles (39.5875) in the all-around.

And then you have Mya Lauzon, who took over in the ACC Championships in 2025. She was tied in the all-around title with 39.625 that was one of the high scores during the regular season. However, Jordan Chiles also had some such moments as she achieved the highest score on a season-high 39.775 all-around in the 2025 NCAA Championships team final.

However, with such a high level of talent competing against these athletes, it becomes clear that the path to winning for Jordan Chiles would not have been easy!