Last April, when UCLA was in the regional final against Utah, Jordan Chiles faltered on the floor. She lost her balance and stepped out of bounds, earning her lowest floor score in the Bruins’ rotation. UCLA missed out on winning the regional final that day, just like they had for the last four years. But this time, in 2026, Chiles was on the same stage when she reversed that jinx, making no error.
“Four years here, I’ve never won regionals,” Chiles said. “This is something that I have always wanted in my career.”
Chiles was given the role to anchor UCLA’s floor routine this time, and she did it perfectly. And after the routine, when the judges posted the score that was a perfect 10, Chiles broke down into tears and sat down on the floor.
The commentator felt the intensity of her emotions, “I had to let that moment speak for itself… you can see the emotion.”
Chiles sat on the floor with her head in her hands and cried. She then ran to her teammates, tears still rolling down her cheeks as UCLA got its first regional title since 2019, after the undeniably intense night.
UCLA, Minnesota, Utah, and Alabama were all fighting for the last two spots to advance to the 2026 NCAA Championships. And for much of the night, UCLA had trailed and needed a strong finish to secure one of the advancing slots. So, all hopes rested on Jordan Chiles as she stepped onto the floor.
She may have already been emotional from the pressure and the weight of the moment. But what followed was Chiles’ perfect 10 was her eighth of the 2026 season, and the 19th of her career, which helped UCLA post a 49.625 floor total.
And that finally sent UCLA to the National Championships, which Jordan Chiles had always craved for.
JORDAN CHILES STAYS PERFECT
Chiles was overcome with emotion after scoring her EIGHTH perfect 10 on the season
pic.twitter.com/1ov3H4hEic
— espnW (@espnW) April 6, 2026
Interestingly, this score pushed UCLA’s team total to 197.725. In doing so, they topped Minnesota’s 197.625 and Utah’s 197.500 to clinch the regional title.
With the win, UCLA and runner-up Minnesota punched their tickets to the NCAA National Championships, hence ending a regional title drought for UCLA since 2019 and marking a return to nationals for Minnesota since 2022.
But at the same time, Jordan Chiles wasn’t the only Bruin who helped UCLA earn its regional title and advance to the NCAA Championships!
Team effort and Jordan Chiles’ leadership keep UCLA close in regional final
It was the team effort across all events! Before the floor, other Bruins put up competitive marks that kept UCLA in the hunt through vault, bars, and beam.
In the Vault, UCLA posted a 49.350 team score. Jordan Chiles led with a 9.950, and even one judge gave her a 10, while Katelyn Rosen matched a 9.900. Also, Riley Jenkins and Ashlee Sullivan added 9.825 each, but a fall by Mika Webster‑Longin left UCLA trailing Minnesota.
But on Uneven Bars, the Bruins bounced back with a 49.400. Senior Nola Matthews scored 9.900, tying for the top score of the rotation, keeping UCLA within distance of Minnesota and Utah. However, the balance Beam featured strong contributions from several Bruins.
Ciena Alipio rebounded from a wobble earlier in the season to post 9.925, and Katelyn Rosen again led with 9.900. Freshman Jordis Eichman added 9.800, and that was her first beam score since February.
“I told her (Eichman) before even getting out to the beam, you’ve been on the biggest stages of your life. This is just easy-peasy,” Jordan Chiles said. “I said, ‘Do you, have fun, but also figure out what your rhythm is and just go with the flow.’ And she did that today.”
Despite these performances, Minnesota stayed ahead due to individual stars like Arianna Ostrum, who scored 9.950 on vault, and Jordyn Lyden, who scored 9.950 on bars and beam, leaving UCLA just behind as the team approached the final rotation- floor!
For Chiles, it wasn’t just about the scores. It was about cherishing her final season, her teammates, and every moment that led to this opportunity.
