NCAA Gymnastics Update: UCLA Athlete Hits New Milestone Despite Losing War Against Utah

Published 02/20/2024, 2:20 AM EST

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The UCLA Bruins’ three-match winning streak came to a halt last night when they hosted Utah for the PAC 12 clash. With that, the UCLA team also handed its first conference loss of the season. The day was slated to be a big one for the Bruins as several former stars were at the center of the attention for a special occasion. However, the Utes had different plans, thus casting a dark shadow over UCLA’s dreams of retaining their winning ways.

The Utah gymnastics squad took the match 197.300 to 196.975, ultimately negating the Bruins’ lead in the first two rotations. While the Utes walked away from Los Angeles with the points, some UCLA athletes made sure their team had something to show for at the end of the night.

NCAA gymnastics fans treated to a special night in LA

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In their latest Instagram post, the official UCLA Gymnastics Instagram handle shared the exploits of Selena Harris on an otherwise disappointing NCAA meet. “@selena.harriss scored her second consecutive perfect 10 on vault“, reads the caption of the post as the accompanying image shows an elated Harris running off to celebrate her sensational performance with coach Kyle Grable. With Harris’ incredible performance, UCLA managed to register an impressive 49.525 in the vault event.

However, Harris wasn’t done so easily and proved that she had a lot more steam left in the engines later in the night as well. In the second rotation, Harris once again clinched the event title with 9.950 scores on the board, which ensured the UCLA gymnastics team maintained its lead over the visitors (98.825 – 98.400). The last event of the night was the floor exercise, and Harris once again stole the show with an enthralling display of skills, bagging her third event title of the night with another 9.950 from the judges.

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With that, Selena also was awarded the all-around title of the night after the repeated display of prowess in all the events. However, she wasn’t alone when it came to giving it all for the UCLA gymnasts, despite their loss to the NCAA opponents.

The Bruins didn’t back off without a fight

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Led by Selena’s third perfect 10 of the season, the Bruins recorded their season-high score of the 23/24 calendar on the vault thanks to two of her teammates Chae Campbell and Katelyn Rosen also registering at least 9.925 on the scoreboards. “I was super proud of how they came out today and vaulted“, said the head coach of UCLA women’s gymnastics team, underscoring how flattered she was by the athletes’ dedication even when they faced a much stronger opponent.

Read more: ‘Writing History’ Jade Carey Stuns Thousands at NCAA Gymnastics Meet: ”Setting the Standards”

Harris and Margzetta Frazier both tied their individual season-high scores on the bars, ensuring the Bruins retained their lead even in the second rotation. However, the Utes bounced back in a stellar fashion in the beams and floor exercise to swoop in and take the win on the road.

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Now, as the Bruins prepare to take on California next Sunday, it remains to be seen if they find their mojo back for another win.

Watch this story: LSU Gymnast Olivia Dunne’s Latest Vacation Pics Are Blowing the Minds of Her Fans

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Written by:

Diptarko Paul

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Diptarko Paul is a senior Olympic Sports Correspondent at EssentiallySports. This state-level swimmer decided to dive deep into the world of Olympics. From writing various aspects of swimming to diving deep in the world of NCAA division 1 Volleyball, Diptarko covers it all.
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Edited by:

Joyita Das