Just what a night it was for the UCLA Bruins in Salt Lake City, and what a comeback story it’s shaping up to be for someone. Let’s set the scene: It’s Thursday, April 3. The Bruins enter the NCAA Regional Second Round knowing there’s no room for error. The stakes? Sky-high. But UCLA doesn’t just show up—they show out with a season-defining score of 197.750, their third-best of the year. And right there, woven into that winning formula, is the quiet reawakening of someone many had all but written off—Katelyn Rosen.

You might remember Katelyn as the “Dark Witch of Westwood,” the Texas-born gymnast who bewitched the gymnastics world during her freshman season with her spellbinding, witchcraft-inspired floor routines. She was fierce. Unapologetic. Electrifying. But sophomore year? It hit differently. The magic seemed to fizzle. Her routines were solid, sure, but not headline-making. The spark? Fading. The critics? Whispering. And then Thursday happened. Three events. Three strong scores.

With intense scores of 9.850 on the uneven bars followed by further emphatic performances of 9.825 on the balance beam and a leading 9.800 on the floor made her a true frontrunner. But what changed? How did she claw her way out of the dreaded “sophomore slump” and back into form when it mattered most? Well, one UCLA senior might’ve the answer for that.

The Twin City Twisters club member pays her gratitude to an Olympian 

Behind every great routine, there’s usually more than just talent—there’s resilience, growth, and sometimes, a mentor who shows up at just the right time. And for Katelyn Rosen, that person was none other than Olympian Emma Malabuyo. Let’s rewind for a moment. This season hasn’t been a smooth ride for Rosen. After a dazzling freshman year where she became the “Dark Witch of Westwood” and lit up the floor with her spellbinding routines, her sophomore campaign started unraveling.

Scores dipped. Confidence wavered. The dreaded “sophomore slump” loomed large. But when everything started to tilt sideways, one voice pulled her back from the edge. And that voice? It belonged to Malabuyo. In an April 2 article by Eva Geitheim for Gymnastics Now, Rosen revealed the turning point: “When things started to go south for me this year, [Malabuyo] immediately pulled me aside and was like, ‘Do not crash out. This is your sophomore year. It’s called your sophomore slump.”

Malabuyo further emphasized that slumps can happen to anyone, including her. She continued, “It happened to me. It happened to every one of your seniors. You are still Katelyn; you are still an incredible gymnast, and you cannot forget that.” That moment, that message—it landed like a lifeline. A reminder that struggle doesn’t mean failure. That greatness can pause, but it doesn’t vanish.

And Rosen? She believed it. She held onto those words, trained harder, trusted deeper—and the results followed. Thursday’s stellar 9.850 on bars, 9.825 on beam, and 9.800 on floor weren’t just numbers. They were proof. She’s not just back—she’s evolved. Even UCLA head coach Janelle McDonald spoke of the bond between the two gymnasts. 

UCLA gymnastics shines in the light of bonding 

Let’s be real: scoring a 197.750 in the NCAA Regional Second Round doesn’t just happen. It’s the product of months of grind, growth, and, most importantly, unity. And if there’s one story that captures that spirit, it’s Katelyn Rosen’s comeback—fueled not just by talent, but by the belief Emma Malabuyo poured into her when she needed it most. But the magic didn’t just start in Salt Lake City. It sparked earlier, back at the Big Ten Championships.

After being sidelined since January 25, Rosen returned like a woman on a mission. Not just to compete—but to claim her spot. And boy, did she deliver. With a 9.925 on the beam and a 9.875 on the floor, she once again dazzled the crowds. In one night, she made it clear: Katelyn Rosen was back. And not just back—but back where she belonged. That performance didn’t just help UCLA clinch the title—it cemented her place in the final lineups moving forward.

And behind that breakthrough? A head coach who saw her potential, even when the scores didn’t show it. Ahead of the Regional semifinal, Coach Janelle McDonald told the press, “She’s just such a competitor, and she has so much experience under her belt. She was just missing a little of that confidence earlier in the season. Now that she’s found it, we trust her to be in those lineups and to perform how she’s been training.”

And yes, it’s that word again—trust. Because that’s what’s carried this UCLA Gymnastics team. That’s what Emma and Katelyn represent. Malabuyo didn’t just give Rosen a pep talk—she gave her a lifeline. And now that spark between them? It’s lighting up the whole team. McDonald summed it up perfectly for Gymnastics Now by saying, “The seniors set the tone … they haven’t wavered from that.”

She further continued, “With that, their relationships have grown so much. They know what a teammate is thinking or feeling just by a look on their face. They know how to support that teammate because they are close to them.” So, this isn’t just a team—it’s a family. And Thursday night? That wasn’t just a win on the scoreboard. That was a win for belief. For sisterhood. For comebacks. And with the regional final on the horizon, one thing’s for sure: the Bruins aren’t just competing—they’re connected. And that may be their greatest strength of all.