UCLA freshmen draw on their elite gymnastics roots

After sustaining a foot injury on her steadiness beam routine during a quad meet on Feb. 27 against Maryland, Ohio State and Iowa, Katelyn Rosen was sidelined for the remaining of the competitors. With the Big Ten title on the road, Bruins coach Janelle McDonald trusted one of the youngest athletes on her roster.

Freshman Nola Matthews was slotted into the ground rotation to change the injured gymnast.

Matthews took over the leadoff place, but it didn’t faze her. She was prepared to help UCLA secure its second consecutive regular-season Big Ten title.

“Nola had an opportunity to go out [and compete the weekend before] on floor, so I think that really prepared her to feel ready for that,” McDonald said after the win.

Throughout their undefeated Big Ten season, the Bruins’ freshmen have established themselves as a cornerstone of the group. Ashlee Sullivan and Tiana Sumanasekera have each earned three Big Ten freshman of the week awards.

Matthews is averaging a 9.860 on bars and a 9.750 on ground. Jordis Eichman has made the most of her restricted alternatives, averaging 9.805 on the steadiness beam and 9.750 on vault.

“The freshmen are contributing a lot for us,” McDonald said.

Before competing in NCAA competitors, they’d already competed on the elite stage, the best stage of aggressive gymnastics that consists of the Olympics.

When affiliate head coach BJ Das approached Matthews to inform her to be prepared, the freshman stepped up without hesitation, a talent she labored on during elite competitors.

“She’s the type of athlete that has to work to get some skills and to keep them,” said Cleo Washington, who coached Matthews’ elite group, Airborne. “That’s what I like about her, she understands hard work, she understands the grind, and she’s not afraid of that.”

When Washington first met Matthews, she was self-deprecating. Rather than defining herself by her accomplishments, she targeted on her errors.

As her gymnastics improved, so did her self worth, which has helped develop her into an athlete UCLA can trust in big moments.

UCLA freshman Nola Matthews will get top on her dismount from the steadiness beam during a meet against Nebraska at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 17.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

“[She’s] extremely hardworking, has gotten a lot of resilience out of this sport, a lot of grit,” Washington said. “She’s one of the toughest athletes I’ve ever coached.”

Following Matthews on ground during the Bruins’ big quad meet was Sumanasekera, who posted 9.875, including to her fifth place all-around efficiency.

Since Week 2 of the season, Sumanasekera has competed in every event. She has completed second in the all-around behind teammate Jordan Chiles 3 times. Sumanasekera is the best nationally ranked freshmen at No. 22, with a National Qualifying Score of 39.375.

In elite competitors, Sumanasekera and Eichman had been teammates. Their coach at World Champions, Cécile Canqueteau-Landi, knew they’d both have fast success at the school stage from the second she began teaching them.

“You’re only able to be successful and healthy if you’re doing everything you can in the gym and outside the gym,” she said. “[They] learned how to manage their time and their recovery and their training.”

Canqueteau-Landi misses teaching them, but she is worked up to see them succeed.

UCLA gymnast Tiana Sumanasekera competes on the beam during the Big Fours meet held at Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 27.

(Etienne Laurent/For The Times)

“They’re always willing to do more and they also have a really good sense of humor, it’s always easier to work with athletes that want to laugh and don’t take themselves too seriously,” she said.

Canqueteau-Landi is the top coach at the University of Georgia and there may be a likelihood she may reunite with her former athletes during the national championships if both groups advance.

“You want the student athletes to succeed because we all know how hard it is to be one,” she said. “But when it’s your former athlete, you want more for them.”

Following Sumanasekera in the ground exercise was Sullivan, whose efficiency earned her a 9.900, her second-highest mark in that event.

Throughout the season, she’s persistently participated on the vault, uneven bars and the ground exercise, averaging above 9.850 in all three of the occasions. She’s competed in the all-around twice, incomes a season high of 39.325 against Stanford in March.

During their ultimate meet of the common season, Sullivan earned event specialist of the week honors after successful vault with a 9.975 and incomes two 9.900s during the Bruins’ victory over Utah.

While training with coach Marnie Futch at Metroplex Gymnastics, Sullivan examined herself to see what she was succesful of.

“I think she even surprised herself with how much she was able to accomplish last season in the elite world,” Futch added.

After clinching the Big Ten regular-season title, UCLA will compete in the Big Ten championship meet Saturday, where the freshmen class will show its abilities for the first time at the school postseason stage.