Ucla Freshmen Draw On Their Elite Gymnastics Roots To Help Bruins Push For Championships

After sustaining a ft wounded connected her equilibrium beam regular during a quad meet connected Feb. 27 against Maryland, Ohio State and Iowa, Katelyn Rosen was sidelined for nan remainder of nan competition. With nan Big Ten title connected nan line, Bruins coach Janelle McDonald trusted 1 of nan youngest athletes connected her roster.

Freshman Nola Matthews was slotted into nan level rotation to switch nan injured gymnast.

Matthews took complete nan leadoff position, but it did not faze her. She was fresh to thief UCLA unafraid its 2nd consecutive regular-season Big Ten title.

“Nola had an opportunity to spell retired [and compete nan play before] connected floor, truthful I deliberation that really prepared her to consciousness fresh for that,” McDonald said aft nan win.

UCLA freshman Ashlee Sullivan competes connected nan vault during nan Big Fours tourney astatine Pauley Pavilion connected Feb. 27.

(Etienne Laurent/For The Times)

Throughout their undefeated Big Ten season, nan Bruins’ freshmen person established themselves arsenic a cornerstone of nan team. Ashlee Sullivan and Tiana Sumanasekera person each earned 3 Big Ten freshman of nan week awards.

Matthews is averaging a 9.860 connected bars and a 9.750 connected floor. Jordis Eichman has made nan astir of her constricted opportunities, averaging 9.805 connected nan equilibrium beam and 9.750 connected vault.

“The freshmen are contributing a batch for us,” McDonald said.

Before competing successful NCAA competition, they had already competed connected nan elite stage, nan highest level of competitory gymnastics that includes nan Olympics.

When subordinate caput coach BJ Das approached Matthews to show her to beryllium ready, nan freshman stepped up without hesitation, a accomplishment she worked connected during elite competition.

“She’s nan type of jock that has to activity to get immoderate skills and to support them,” said Cleo Washington, who coached Matthews’ elite team, Airborne. “That’s what I for illustration astir her, she understands difficult work, she understands nan grind, and she’s not acrophobic of that.”

When Washington first met Matthews, she was self-deprecating. Rather than defining herself by her accomplishments, she focused connected her mistakes.

As her gymnastics improved, truthful did her aforesaid value, which has helped create her into an jock UCLA tin spot successful large moments.

UCLA freshman Nola Matthews gets tallness connected her dismount from nan equilibrium beam during a meet against Nebraska astatine Pauley Pavilion connected Jan. 17.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

“[She’s] highly hardworking, has gotten a batch of resilience retired of this sport, a batch of grit,” Washington said. “She’s 1 of nan toughest athletes I’ve ever coached.”

Following Matthews connected level during nan Bruins’ large quad meet was Sumanasekera, who posted 9.875, adding to her 5th spot all-around performance.

Since Week 2 of nan season, Sumanasekera has competed successful each event. She has vanished 2nd successful nan all-around down teammate Jordan Chiles 3 times. Sumanasekera is nan highest nationally classed freshmen astatine No. 22, pinch a National Qualifying Score of 39.375.

In elite competition, Sumanasekera and Eichman were teammates. Their coach astatine World Champions, Cécile Canqueteau-Landi, knew they would some person contiguous occurrence astatine nan assemblage level from nan infinitesimal she started coaching them.

“You’re only capable to beryllium successful and patient if you’re doing everything you tin successful nan gym and extracurricular nan gym,” she said. “[They] learned really to negociate their clip and their betterment and their training.”

Canqueteau-Landi misses coaching them, but she is excited to spot them succeed.

UCLA gymnast Tiana Sumanasekera competes connected nan beam during nan Big Fours meet held astatine Pauley Pavilion connected Feb. 27.

(Etienne Laurent/For The Times)

“They’re ever consenting to do much and they besides person a really bully consciousness of humor, it’s ever easier to activity pinch athletes that want to laughter and don’t return themselves excessively seriously,” she said.

Canqueteau-Landi is nan caput coach astatine nan University of Georgia and location is simply a chance she could reunite pinch her erstwhile athletes during nan nationalist championships if some teams advance.

“You want nan student athletes to win because we each cognize really difficult it is to beryllium one,” she said. “But erstwhile it’s your erstwhile athlete, you want much for them.”

Following Sumanasekera successful nan level workout was Sullivan, whose capacity earned her a 9.900, her second-highest people successful that event.

Throughout nan season, she’s consistently participated connected nan vault, uneven bars and nan level exercise, averaging supra 9.850 successful each 3 of nan events. She’s competed successful nan all-around twice, earning a play precocious of 39.325 against Stanford successful March.

During their last meet of nan regular season, Sullivan earned arena master of nan week honors aft winning vault pinch a 9.975 and earning 2 9.900s during nan Bruins’ triumph complete Utah.

While training pinch coach Marnie Futch astatine Metroplex Gymnastics, Sullivan tested herself to spot what she was tin of.

“I deliberation she moreover amazed herself pinch really overmuch she was capable to execute past play successful nan elite world,” Futch added.

After clinching nan Big Ten regular-season title, UCLA will compete successful nan Big Ten title meet Saturday, wherever nan freshmen people will show its skills for nan first clip astatine nan assemblage postseason level.