“Can’t Take Another Shock”: Gymnastics Community Frustrated After Selena Harris’ UCLA News Verdict Hits the Internet

The gymnastics world seems to be undergoing a lot of seismic shifts of late. One sucker punch to the gut was Olivia Dunne’s purported retirement and now it seems like fans are in for another shocker. Selena Harris, acclaimed as the 2024 Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year, encountered an unexpected twist in her journey. Once hailed as UCLA’s star gymnast, it now appears she won’t don the blue and gold any longer. According to a report from dailybruin.com, her dismissal was announced on May 14th. With an impressive repertoire, including 12 All-American titles and 2024 Pac-12 all-around, vault, and bars champion, Harris now transitions into the transfer portal, leaving behind a legacy at UCLA.

Despite the unclear reasons for her dismissal, Harris’s past performances and promising future continue to captivate the attention of gymnastics fans. While UCLA refrains from disclosing the reasons behind Harris’s dismissal, many fans speculate that social media may be a contributing factor. This speculation adds to the curiosity surrounding her dismissal, making it a topic of interest among followers of the sport.

What really happened to Selena Harris? The plot thickens

Harris still had two years of college eligibility left. However, GYMcastic recently shared a post on X. They announced, “Selena Harris is in the transfer portal.” Despite not publicly addressing her dismissal, Harris subtly acknowledged it by reposting with a mysterious “shhhhh.” Additionally, it’s worth noting that she removed UCLA gymnastics from her profiles on X and Instagram, further adding to the mystery surrounding her departure.

Throughout the NCAA season, Selena Harris emerged as UCLA’s most reliable gymnast, competing in the all-around category in nearly every meet. Her standout performance on the final home meet on March 16th solidified her place in program history. She achieved an overall score of 39.900 with perfect 10s on bars and vault and  9.95s on floor and beam.

Despite Harris’s individual success, UCLA encountered significant challenges as a team, notably missing out on the regional final and nationals after stumbling at the NCAA California Regional. However, as soon as fans came to know about her dismissal, speculation regarding the reasons behind it began to surface.

Harris’s mysterious exit leaves everyone guessing!

Amidst the myriad comments on Reddit’s thread titled ‘Selena Harris Transfer – Not by Her Own Choice?‘ fans began sharing their perspectives. Some speculated based on her past, with one fan remarking, ‘I’m so confused why everyone is acting like her social media is so bad. She liked a few tweets about how she wanted UCLA to be more focused on winning and being consistent. Is it critical of the team and coaches? Sure. But it ao shows she wants to win and be competitive. That is not a bad thing. I feel like there has to be more to the story.’

This comment references when she liked a post by the user ‘KD,’ who expressed frustration with UCLA stating, “I love UCLA, but Jesus why are we always the most under prepared team. UCLA is too talented for this to keep happening. It’s not a matter of lack of talent. I can’t imagine how frustrating it is to be Selena Harris.”

Even a fan on X shared and reposted her old TikTok video with a caption that reads, ‘This isn’t looking good.’ The video depicted a moment where she was asked to ‘write an essay,’ in which she detailed her relationship with her coach. She wrote, ‘At the start, we were great friends. But we hated each other at the end of the season.‘ Her coach, Janelle McDonald, was at the center of the controversy. The concerned fan also urged for an explanation as to why her coach should be reconsidered.

Another fan questioned the notion that social media led to her dismissal, stating, “This is why I don’t think it’s because of her social media. It seems like something changed very recently.” This sentiment was echoed by another fan who remarked, “Agreed. You don’t dismiss your best gymnast for liking a couple of tweets about losing.”

Another fan chimed in, voicing their increasing anxiety, “I can’t handle another shock; I swear I’m developing an ulcer.” They’re expressing how the ongoing revelations are taking a toll on their mental and physical health.

In addition to the existing discourse, another fan offered a compelling perspective. Fan stated, “With it being this long after the season, I have to assume something new happened that caused her to be dismissed. either she did something, or she was caught for something that she had previously done.” This fan proposes two potential scenarios: either Harris engaged in a recent action or she was discovered for something she had previously done.

These comments shed light on a growing skepticism among fans regarding the role of social media in Selena Harris’ dismissal. Instead, they suggest a recent change or development may have influenced the decision. This sparked further intrigue and speculation within the online gymnastics community. What will become of her now? Only time will tell.