The sixth-ranked University of California-Los Angeles Bruins swept all individual titles in their clash with the University of Washington Huskies on Friday evening at the Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle, Washington.
Fil-American Paris Olympian Emma Malabuyo and teammate Ciena Alipio tied for first in the balance beam with scores of 9.950, with the latter coming up with a new career-high as the Bruins marched to their fourth straight win in the Big Ten Conference women’s gymnastics standings.
The Bruins also drew strength from Chae Campbell, who snared the all-around title with a season-high 39.625 and the vault crown with a season-best 9.925.
Frida Esparza then matched her career-high with a 9.950 to win the uneven bars for the third time this season.
The squad completed its performance with a 197.950-196.125 triumph over the Huskies, giving the Bruins an overall 7-2 win-loss record, for the top spot in the Big Ten standings.
Malabuyo, nationally ranked at no. 4 in the balance beam, ended the meet with another 9.950 to bump up UCLA’s beam score to 49.625, the sixth-best total in school history.
In the fourth beam rotation, Malabuyo impressed the judges with the wolf turn, a spin move while in a squat position, with the gymnast extending one foot on the beam, winds her arms and spins, before returning to her original position.
She followed this up with a split jump to ring jump, before transitioning to beat jump, after finishing with a stuck gainer full-dismount move as Malabuyo got her highest score of 9.950
Earlier, in the first rotation, Malabuyo scored 9.85 in the uneven bars, ending her routine with a good pirouette and a stuck, full tuck, double tuck landing.
This helped the Bruins begin the meet with a season-high 49.450 in the uneven bars.
In rotation 3, Malabuyo got a 9.9 in the floor exercise, off a controlled double pike move and a double wolf performance, which made up for a rushed landing.
This handed the Bruins another 49.5+ score in the floor rotation.