UCLA gymnastics head coach Janelle McDonald calls senior Chae Campbell “sneaky competitive.” She doesn’t always show her competitive side in her mannerisms but rather internalizes it.
“There’s no doubt that I am really competitive, but I keep a very calm demeanor on the outside,” Campbell said. “But inside, I want to win.”
Monday afternoon’s meet against No. 4 Utah will have Campbell doing mental math to figure out how many points the Bruins need to win each event. The Utah meet can bring that competitive side out of No. 8 UCLA, but it also gives gymnasts a chance to sharpen their focus in a postseason-like atmosphere.
“People put so much pressure around these meets and we’re just there to have fun,” Bruins senior Frida Esparza said. “It’s dealing with the outside comments, whether it comes from the coaches or like fans, people hyping it up so much, and then we just stay in our little Bruin bubble.”
The meet will give UCLA its second chance to beat Utah after it surpassed the Red Rocks in January for third place at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad. The Bruins have yet to lose a conference meet this season and it’ll also be the final UCLA vs. Utah meet in the Pac-12’s existence
Monday’s lineups will look different from the ones in January. Emma Malabuyo is in Cairo, competing in a World Cup competition, leaving vacancies in the uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise lineups.
McDonald told reporters Friday that Alex Irvine, Madisyn Anyimi or Paige Anastasi will likely compete on bars. Brooklyn Moors, Campbell or Esparza could be on beam. Floor exercise is still undecided.
“This week in the gym,” McDonald said, “I feel like a lot of those people who were kind of on the bubble of being in the lineup – those athletes have really been intentional about the work they’ve put in this week, which has been really great to see.”
Esparza changed up a leap in her beam routine in preparation and is also in…
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