#Ciena Alipio

[aerialgymnastics]

Ciena Alipio (Midwest)

2022 US Championships (Day 2)

[uclagymnasticsfanpage]

Reasons we are excited for the 2023 season with UCLA!

We wanted to share with you all some of our reasons why we are excited for the upcoming UCLA gymnastics season!

Photo: Christine Kao

Reason #1 - New head coach Janelle McDonald

Taking over after Chris Waller’s short three-year run of the program, Janelle McDonald has been tasked with rebuilding the UCLA gymnastics program.

While this is McDonald’s first-ever head coaching position at a collegiate level, she brings  with her over two decades' worth of coaching experience. Three years as an assistant coach at the University of California McDonald coached the Cal bar squad to its highest-ever bar score, 49.825, tying the national record with UCLA. During her time with California McDonald won several accolades including the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in both 2020 and 2021, and she was named to College Gym New’s Coaching Staff of the Year in 2021.

Alongside collegiate coaching experience, McDonald coached at notable elite gym WOGA for six years between 2012 and 2018.

Along with her McDonald brings two new coaches to UCLA’s coaching staff, assistant coach Kyle Grable, and volunteer assistant coach Autumn Grable, both coming from JPAC

Needless to say, we are super excited to cheer on Janelle McDonald as the new UCLA head coach this season!

Photo: Jesus Ramirez

Reason #2 - The return of Jordan Chiles

What a year it has been for Jordan Chiles! Returning for her sophomore season at UCLA, Jordan Chiles is coming off a very successful NCAA and elite gymnastics season.

In her freshman season, Chiles scored three perfect 10s twice on the floor and once on the uneven bars

However, after the end of her first collegiate season, Jordan returned to elite gymnastics with her eyes on the World Championships in Liverpool at the end of the year. In national competition, Chiles placed 3rd in the AA at the U.S. National Championships, along with being 3rd on both the uneven bars and floor exercise.

After the national championships, Chiles attended the Paris Challenge Cup, where she won silver on the uneven bars, and gold on the floor exercise.

Succeeding in her goal, Jordan Chiles was named to the 2022 U.S. Women’s World Championship team, where she helped the U.S. clinch the team gold, along with winning two individual silvers on vault, and floor exercise.

To say the least, Jordan is a vital asset to the UCLA team and one of the reasons we are so excited about the upcoming season!

Photo: UCLA Athletics

Reason #3 - Ranked #10 in the pre-season poll

UCLA has been ranked #10 in this year's WCGA preseason poll, extending the 27-year streak of being named in the top ten and it is certainly a reason to be excited!

Photo: John McCoy

Reason #4 - College Gym New’s #1 Ranked Recruit Selena Harris

The new UCLA freshman class is littered with talented athletes, arguably one of the most notable is the #1 ranked 2022 recruit by College Gym News Selena Harris.

Harris has competed at both the club level, and also at the junior elite level, she has won eight level 10 national championships, excelling in all events and in the all-around.

Selena Harris is predicted to be an incredible asset for UCLA for the next four years and for the upcoming season, we cannot wait to see what she will do along with the rest of the UCLA team!

Photo: (Source could not be found)

Reason #5 - Ciena Alipio

Another incredible incoming freshman for the UCLA squad is Ciena Alipio is ranked as College Gym New’s #16 recruit nationwide.

She is a four-time US national team member and has experience competing both nationally and internationally. This year, Alipio won a silver medal on the beam at the U.S. National Championship, at the 2022 U.S. Classics she placed 9th in the all-around and 6th on floor exercise.

Ciena trained along with 2021 Olympic Champion Sunisa Lee at Midwest Gymnastics before moving to UCLA for her collegiate career.

Another athlete we will be so excited to cheer on during her time at UCLA!

Photo: Inside Gymnastics

Reason #6 - 5th Year Senior Margzetta Frazier

Returning for her 5th season at UCLA is redshirt senior Margzetta Frazier who sadly incurred an injury at UCLA’s first meet of the 2022 season.

Coming back as a super senior for UCLA we are excited to see Margzetta return to competition, known as an all arounder with high marks on all events. Margzetta is an integral part of the UCLA team and a vital leader, and someone who as fans we value and look up to for her talents, hard work, and courage

Frazier has also served as a member of the Pac-12 Gymnastics diversity & inclusion organization, G-PAC, two years in a row.

Photo: (Source could not be found)

Reason #7 - Return to competition for Emily Lee

Emily Lee might be returning to UCLA as a sophomore, but the 2023 season will be the first time we see her compete in the blue and gold

While competing at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Lee tore her Achilles tendon, and subsequently did not compete during the 2022 NCAA season while recovering

Lee, a three-time U.S. National Team member, was ranked #10 by College Gym News in the Class of 2021 national rankings. With strengths on the balance beam, floor exercise, and in all around.

We have waited! And we are so ready to see Emily Lee compete in Pauley Pavilion in the blue and gold!

Photo: (Source could not be found)

Reason #8 - UCLA Floor Party

While UCLA has had a large turnover in coaches from the last season, BJ Das is staying put with UCLA, having spent three years as a volunteer assistant coach (2020-2022).

Das is a professional dancer and choreographer and has been known for creating some of the most iconic UCLA floor routines in recent years, and we are so excited to see what she might come up with for this year's floor party in Pauley Pavilion!

Working with Das, UCLA is known for having some of the best floor performers in the nation, and this year is no different with notable athletes being; Jordan Chiles, Margzetta Frazier, Chae Campbell, Brooklyn Moors, Emma Malabuyo, Chloe Lashbrooke, Emily Lee

Photo: David Rimer

[agathacrispies]

US WAG Senior team after the 2022 U.S. Classic at the Maverik Center on July 30th in West Valley City, Utah (Source: IMAGO)

[tutyayilmazz]

since i didn't see it here yet, arthur gander memorial results

[mo-salto]

Ciena Alipio | 2021 US Classic

[twoflipstwotwists]

ciena.37: i am so excited to announce that i verbally committed to continue my gymnastics career at UCLA on a full athletic scholarship. i couldn’t have been able to do this without the help from my coaches and my family. thank you to all the colleges who had interest in me. i can’t wait for this next chapter of my life! go bruins🐻💙

[marz-fraziers]

Juniors turning senior in 2020: US Edition

[dyingroses]

More 2019 GK Classic floor highlights

[griffinssclarke]

Jesolo 2019 | Ciena Alipio + aerials on beam

[gymfanconfessions]

“Ciena Alipio gives me major Kara Eaker vibes”

[aerialgymnastics]

Ciena Alipio (Midwest)

2022 US Championships (Day 2)

[mihaisvacuum]

Ciena Alipio is still wearing her Dunkin Donuts leo I see

[postolympicworlds]

[pouncequick]

Thoughts on the juniors:

Overall, I’ve been enjoying the juniors a lot more than the seniors. Today wasn’t perfect for them, but it was still pretty darn awesome

 Congrats to Maile on back-to-back national championships! I’m so impressed by her performances on both days

Emma was also amazing, and it was so close between her and Maile for almost the entire competition. I’m loving watching these two push each other, and I can’t wait for next year

Anyone who wasn’t a fan of Kara Eaker before this weekend is now. Her presentation is just gorgeous, and that beam! I really hope she can upgrade her vault next year and make everything even more interesting

Everything I just said about Kara? Also applies to Leanne Wong. She has some work to do on bars, but I’m looking forward to an amanar from her next year

Adeline Kenllin is another one I just love watching on floor. Anyone who competes a pod is fantastic in my view--I hope she starts landing it a bit more upright in the future

Jay Jay Marshall is insane with her power, and I can’t wait to see her learn to control it a little more. He LO on BEAM went out of frame!

Speaking of insanely high tumbling on beam--JaFree Scott’s standing arabian. That is all.

Sunisa Lee and Olivia Dunne both had some issues this weekend. Sunisa came back a lot stronger today and she’s a 2003 birthday; I’m sure Olivia’s going to be back in the gym working hard to make sure she can hit 100% next time

Loved Lilly’s Maroney-style double back on floor. Still calling her Lilly Lilliput on accident. Sorry Lilly!

Sienna Robinson and Ciena Alipio on bars--the come back and the toe point, respectively.

Overall thoughts on skills--sideways beam jumps need to be downgraded. I realized I can like a single wolf turn, but I hated every single double and triple on both floor and beam. .05 and .2 deductions are needed, especially considering how big a step has to be before it gets the .3 these days.

Seniors, the juniors set a pretty high standard today--can you meet it?

[mo-salto]

Ciena Alipio on beam at the 2021 Winter Cup

[twoflipstwotwists]

@sunisalee_: first podium💜