UCLA gymnast Sydney Barros was not prepared to be a part of the rotation during their meet against Michigan State on Sunday. Leading up to the meet, she was ready to watch from the sidelines as she was recovering from a minor ankle injury.
During the previous competition against Nebraska on Jan. 17, when the Bruins came out with a win, Barros’ only action came with performances on the uneven bars and floor exercise.
Due to illnesses to some of her teammates, it was her turn to compete.
“When I realized I might have to step up this weekend, I had to mentally put myself in that position really quickly,” Barros said. “… I made sure I was in the best mental space possible and just trusted my training that I did have.”
Barros posted a 9.9 on the uneven bars — the team’s second-highest score of the rotation — and followed it with another 9.9 on floor, finishing fourth. Both scores marked career highs.
Coach Janelle McDonald was excited to see her strong execution and full of confidence.
“I think it really bodes well and just showed people the type of competitor she is, the type of athlete she is and the type of teammate she is,” McDonald said.
She began her time with No. 5-ranked UCLA coming off an ACL injury, resulting in holding off her participation on the mat until her sophomore year. Before Sunday, Barros had been limited to one event — a 9.800 mark on the uneven bars during the Jan. 10 quad meet against Oklahoma, Utah and Louisiana State.
Building her up after an ACL injury took some time because Barros had to regain her confidence and trust in her body, said McDonald.
“This whole year has just looked completely different for her,” she said. “She’s fired up, she’s training really hard, she’s training really confidently and aggressively, and we really felt like this could really be her breakout year.”
McDonald proud her team stepped up
When the team got back to practice on Tuesday, McDonald made sure to let them know how proud she was of how they stepped up for each other when it was needed.
Making up excuses for things not to go perfectly would have been easy with the team dealing with illnesses. Instead, the Bruins figured it out and remained unbeaten in conference play after beating a fierce competitor in Michigan State 197.425-196.900.
“I think that that is a testament to just the resilience this team has and the determination they have to be a really great competitive team, no matter the circumstances,” McDonald said.
During their meet on Sunday, Barros, Jordis Eichman, Ciena Alipio and Ashlee Sullivan all had to fill lineup spots.
Sullivan competed in all events for the first time this season and scored a 9.775 on the balance beam.
“I never really imagined how much I could help the team,” she said. “It’s really surreal to be a part of such a legacy and to be a valued player on the team.”
Bruins remain hungry
UCLA has started the season 6-2 while maintaining a perfect record in the Big Ten Conference. Jordan Chiles continues to dominate in all events and the Bruins’ freshman class has made its mark on the team.
Every week, they are getting a standout performance from different gymnasts. Success continues to dominate the headlines for them, but the Bruins show no signs of complacency.
“Our team’s very hungry,” McDonald said.
“… We still have a lot of room to grow, we still have details that we got to dial in, we still have those moments of confidence that we gotta continue to build,” she added.
Their focus is to put out the best team they are capable of assembling and to be on top of the Big Ten.
“We wanna show up to every competition, just really focusing within our own Bruin bubble,” McDonald said.
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