Mika Webster-Longin nudged assistant coach Mark Freeman as she prepared to watch her teammates compete on the beam. She needed to lock arms with her coach, to complete an “all-for-one, one-for-all” cheering section.
As Freeman locked arms with the freshman, more Bruins joined to complete the chain-link effect. Competing in three NCAA events for the first time, beam was the only event Webster-Longin wasn’t lined up on Friday night. Yet, the Belgian national gymnast focused on what she could control at that moment — receiving energy from the gymnasts around her.
For Webster-Longin, that energy was reflected in her performances. Notching a career-high 9.900 on floor exercise and a career-best of 9.85 in vault, Webster-Longin introduced herself to Pauley Pavilion in commanding fashion, powering No. 5 UCLA gymnastics to a 197.675-195.450 victory over No. 25 Penn State.
Jordan Chiles won the all-around, scoring 39.600 and using a team-high 9.95-floor routine to give UCLA a 49.550 score on the event to end the night. Penn State scored below 49 on every event, never threatening the Bruins.
Frida Esparza, who roused the crowd by playing the “Star Spangled Banner” on her electric guitar before the meet began, drew its cheers again with her performance on uneven bars.
With each handstand — extending vertically like an arrow — Esparza’s teammates roared. Sophomore Sydney Barros pumped her fist on the graduate student’s final handstand and coach Janelle McDonald jumped up and down as Esparza stuck her dismount.
Esparza recorded a career-best 9.975 on the apparatus, connected with Jordan Chiles — who scored the same — to cap the rotation and help the Bruins reach a season-high 49.575 score. Uneven bars have turned into a reliable event for UCLA in recent weeks, with the Bruins scoring above 49.3 in four of their last six meets.
Balance beam, perhaps the Bruins’ strongest event this season, also went off without a hitch. Senior Emily Lee tied her season-high with a score of 9.925. Chae Campbell and Brooklyn Moors stuck their dismounts en route to 9.900 scores.
UCLA’s 49.450 on beam was still almost two-tenths away from its best in 2025 — 49.625 in Seattle last week — but Friday night provided results on par with the best in the country.
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