It’s Jordan Chiles’ final year at UCLA, and she’s making every moment count. The Olympic medalist opened the 2026 season with a dominant all-around victory at the Best of the West Quad Meet, and she hasn’t looked back since. Week after week, Chiles has collected Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors and now stands among the nation’s elite after being named a finalist for the NCAA’s highest individual award, cementing her place as one of the top senior gymnasts in the country.

Just recently, voters named Jordan as one of seven finalists for the 2026 AAI Award. This annual award recognizes the most outstanding senior female gymnast in NCAA women’s gymnastics.

The other six finalists are Carly Bauman (Michigan), Gabby Gladieux (Alabama), Morgan Price (Arkansas), Anna Roberts (Stanford), Nikki Smith (Michigan State), and Faith Torrez (Oklahoma). But why seven finalists this year when usually only six are selected?

A tie in the voting expanded the field, but what really makes Jordan Chiles stand out is how voters chose her. NCAA gymnastics coaches nominate seniors, whom they consider to be worthy, due to their season and career accomplishments. Interestingly, out of 45 nominees this year, Chiles’ 2026 season made her selection feel almost inevitable.

UCLA senior Jordan Chiles, one of only four women ever to win Olympic, World, and NCAA titles, has ruled the 2026 season from start to finish. She has ranked No. 1 nationally in the all-around for eight of the past 11 weeks and has topped the floor standings for the last five straight.

Along the way, Chiles has earned six perfect 10s, including a remarkable five-week streak between January 17 and February 14. Her career total now stands at 17, third in UCLA history and 10th all-time in the NCAA.

Not to mention, Jordan Chiles has claimed 37 individual titles, including 10 all-around crowns and nine straight victories. She also set a Big Ten record with 10 Gymnast of the Week awards in 11 weeks, 16 total in two seasons, the second-most in conference history. Her season began with a 39.725 at the opener, UCLA’s best debut since 2020.

And if that wasn’t enough, UCLA recently named her Student-Athlete of the Week. But it is not her college honors alone that make her a star.

Jordan Chiles shines off the UCLA gym floor

On the international stage, Jordan Chiles has shone brightly! She helped the U.S. team capture gold at the 2024 Olympic Games and was a key contributor to the team’s victory at the 2022 World Championships.

Earlier, she helped the U.S. squad secure silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but Chiles’ impact extends far beyond the gymnastics floor. In 2025, she was a finalist on “Dancing with the Stars”, juggling intense training with a full academic schedule at UCLA.

The same year, she was a Time Magazine Woman of the Year and a New York Times best-selling author. She also spends her time on causes she passionately believes in, such as mental health, global poverty, and children’s health, in support of underserved communities. Her support of young female athletes through her mentorship program confirms that her power extends far beyond the field.

Now with the national championship tournament scheduled to conclude around April 18 in Fort Worth, Jordan Chiles is nearing the end of her UCLA journey. With so much on the line, winning the AAI Award would be a fitting capstone to a season and a career.