On March 9th, No. 3 UCLA Gymnastics (13-2) snagged a close win over No. 12 Stanford, 197.675-197.100, at Pauley Pavilion. With strong routines on the beam and floor, they scored their ninth straight victory, all above 197. And, as always, it was Jordan Chiles who brought the magic everyone was waiting for. Yet it was neither the win nor the winning streak that was the highlight of the night. No, that might have had something to do with the plea that Jordan made months prior. And the fans stood on the ground for that. But what plea you ask?

Well, months ago, Jordan requested all UCLA fans to show up more at their games. And it seems that plea has finally reached its high point last night. What a night! Jordan Chiles stole the spotlight with a 39.750 all-around, setting a Big Ten season high. She won vault, uneven bars, and floor with 9.950s and added a 9.900 on the balance beam. But it wasn’t just about her—eight UCLA seniors were in their final home meet, and to top it off, Pauley Pavilion was packed with 12,918 fans, making history as the largest crowd ever for UCLA Gymnastics.

With an average ticket price of $35 and record attendance, Pauley Pavillion generated an impressive figure of $452,130. This was a major step forward for the program, especially considering UCLA’s past struggles with fan attendance. It comes after a long wait that saw Chiles break down multiple times before her fans. Yet, while these numbers are great, they still fall short of the full house mark of 18,000 that the stadium can host.

Pauley Pavilion hadn’t seen a crowd this size since November 9, 2012, when 13,727 people packed in for the grand reopening of the renovated arena. Before this season, UCLA had trouble drawing large crowds, even when Jordan Chiles led them to a solid 197.550-194.850 victory over Maryland at the XFINITY Center in January. But now, both the crowds and the Bruins are at their best. And the only thing on their mind are the Sooners.

UCLA Gymnastics shines with Jordan Chiles at the helm

The crowd numbers are getting better, this wasn’t the case even two months back. Despite having an Olympic gold medalist on the team, the attendance in January was disappointing, with only 7,287 fans in the stands. While that was a significant increase from previous attendance records, it was still far from ideal, especially considering the arena’s nearly 18,000-seat capacity. That’s when Jordan Chiles stepped in and made a difference.

Before UCLA’s next home meet, she took to Instagram, sharing a preview of her floor routine and urging fans to show up and support the team. Chiles posted at that time, “Hello everyone, this is a PSA—please come and attend our home meet this Saturday the 25th at Pauley at 2 pm. @uclagymnastics would love all the support and want to give you guys an amazing show!! So come!!!” And fans answered the call.

The attendance for the March 9th meet proved that the momentum was shifting, with the crowd nearly filling the iconic arena. And honestly, the performances from the team were worth every bit of that energy. Of course, Jordan Chiles stole the spotlight, but every single athlete had their moment to shine. March 9th was a big night for the Bruins, and a few gymnasts stepped up.

Emma Malabuyo was on fire, posting a 9.925 on the beam, a 9.900 on floor, and a solid 9.875 on bars. Brooklyn Moors didn’t hold back either, scoring a 9.925 on floor and a 9.900 on beam. Chae Campbell delivered some consistency with 9.900s on both vault and beam. On the other hand, Emily Lee kicked things off strong, leading the beam rotation with a 9.925.

It was one of those nights where everyone seemed to bring their A-game. Freshman Mika Webster-Longin set a career-high with a 9.925 on bars. The seniors, including Mia Erdoes and Carissa Clay, also made contributions in the exhibition routines, helping secure the win. Thanks to Jordan Chiles’ influence and the team’s incredible performances.

The team’s performances were top-notch. The fans showed up in full force, helping to set a new attendance record for the program. The team performed like absolute pros, and it’s clear that UCLA Gymnastics is gaining some serious momentum. With the support they’re getting, things are looking super exciting for them moving forward. Now, all eyes are on March 15th—UCLA’s heading to Salt Lake City to take on No. 5-ranked Utah. It’s gonna be interesting to see how they keep the ball rolling!