double-twisting Yurchenko with a flawless landing. “It took me four years to finally get a 10 on vault!” she said, a testament to how difficult it is to stick that vault so cleanly. Since then, she has carried her strong form through the 2026 NCAA season, collecting seven perfect 10s. Now, as she prepares for the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics National Semifinals, Chiles is staying sharp while watching rivals who are nailing their landings even more consistently than she is.

That feeling became clearer when Chiles was asked who stood out to her among the athletes competing in the semifinal field. Instead of picking just one name, Jordan pointed to LSU sophomore Kailin Chio, and her praise was direct.

“One person that I really think is phenomenal and what she’s been doing is Kailin Chio,” Jordan Chiles praised, “Girly Pop, if I could stick like you all the time, I would because, man oh man, she is a stick machine, but you know, she understands her craft.”

“Every athlete has the opportunity to come out here and do their thing, and it’s going to be a great show. So, I’m happy that our team gets to be a part of that, and I get to witness it. ”

In gymnastics, sticking a landing is everything. It is the final moment of a routine where even a small step can change the score. Just like that, Chio has built her reputation around getting that moment right almost every time. Competing a difficult Yurchenko 1.5 vault, she has been consistent, sticking nearly every landing and rarely leaving deductions on the table. Across the season, she has delivered a 83%  stick rate, with most of her vaults landing in the 9.9 range or higher.

Even her vaults in particular have drawn from Aly Raisman, as she said in April last year:

“The first one I want to talk about is Kailin Chio, who is, in my opinion, probably one of the greatest freshmen in collegiate gymnastics. She is just fantastic. The way that she has been so consistent and somehow manages to just keep her feet glued to the mat when she does these vaults.”

The Louisiana State University star has owned the 2026 season, racking up nine flawless 10s that stunned college gymnastics. Two came on vault, two on floor, and five on balance beam, enough to shatter the program’s single-season record once held by Haleigh Bryant. Her consistency has turned every meet into a showcase, with fans waiting for her next perfect score like clockwork.

“Three in one night… that feeling was unreal,” Chio said after becoming the first NCAA gymnast to compete three events and hit a total of 30.000. The crowd went wild, and her teammates couldn’t stop celebrating a performance that instantly entered collegiate gymnastics history.

At the same time, Jordan Chiles is not far behind in the conversation. The 2024 U.S. Olympian has seven perfect 10s but is trailing only Chio this season, as the two sit near the top of the national race. Even more interesting, Forbes has placed Chio slightly ahead in the NCAA title race, with Chiles just behind her in the list of top contenders.

Still, Jordan Chiles keeps her focus on the bigger picture of competition. “Every athlete has the opportunity to come out here and do their thing and it’s gonna be a great show, so I’m happy that our team gets to be a part of that and I get to witness it.” That mindset carries into the biggest goal of her college career.

Jordan Chiles eyes final college crown as UCLA enters NCAA semifinals

Chiles is a senior in her college life, and she wants to make a good impression in her final year. “Bringing home a national championship would mean everything….That trophy isn’t just for me, it’s for every single person who was able to come and be a part of what the Bruins are all about.”

She is now a No. 4 seed in the NCAA semifinals, who will play Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Minnesota in Fort Worth, Texas.  Only the top two teams move forward, where another group of heavyweights waits on the other side of the bracket.

“Yes, we are known as one of the underdogs,” said senior Jordan Chiles. “But again, we fight, and we continue to stay in our ‘Bruin Bubble,’ and that is what makes us so unique.” But to win it won’t be easy.

The problem facing UCLA is evident. Oklahoma has been the most steady team during the season, as it has ended up at the top of the standings and is going to nationals as the favorite. On paper, they are trailing UCLA, yet not so far as to be sacked, particularly following their national championship runner-up showing last season and their narrowly missing a college championship in a long time.

But the Bruins are strong in critical areas. Beam has been among their most dependable events, and their strong routines have seen them through tight events. Vault has seen its good times and bad times; nonetheless, Jordan Chiles has been a difference-maker in Vault. Everything could come down to bars, and some of the best teams proved to be wilting under the pressure, such as UCLA in the previous rounds.

Top-seeded Oklahoma enters as the defending champion and the most consistent program this season, while LSU, Florida, Georgia, and Stanford form a dangerous group on the other side of the bracket.

However, right now, UCLA is on its best season since 2018, and with Jordan Chiles at the helm, the school has a legitimate opportunity to battle its way to the final. 

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