Ciena Alipio emerging as key piece in UCLA’s

Coming into her senior 12 months, Ciena Alipio needed to be as current as humanly attainable and be taught how to trust herself going into every competitors.

She set forth objectives for herself and a greater one for the UCLA gymnastics staff. With the first box checked after clinching their second consecutive Big Ten title, the work toward assembly each of her requirements is just starting.

“You’re seeing the result of every hard practice that we’re having,” Alipio said after Friday’s victory over Maryland. “We’re putting in work and we’re doing what we absolutely have to every single day in the gym and I think it’s just putting it all together on the same day.”

After an unbeaten convention season, Alipio has not only reworked herself into a three-event staple in the lineup, she was among the 45 nominees for the 2026 AAI Award along with her teammate Jordan Chiles — an NCAA honor that is given to the most excellent senior feminine gymnast of the season.

“She’s just one of those athletes that’s really willing to do whatever it takes to be at her best for the team, and she’s an incredibly hard worker,” coach Janelle McDonald said. “She puts her heart into everything she does and she really has a growth mentality that she takes into every aspect of her life.”

During the first three years of her faculty profession, Alipio was identified as a stability beam knowledgeable. That fact hasn’t modified, besides now she added success on the uneven bars and the ground exercise.

She’s at present ranked No. 4 in the nation on beam and leads the staff with six particular person titles in the event. Against Nebraska in January, Alipio led the meet in the ground exercise. On her approach to another Big Ten title, she has shown consistency by hitting all 23 of her routines without a fall.

Alipio is averaging a mark above 9.800 on beam, bars and ground exercise. The two-time first-team All-American on beam has been named Big Ten event specialist of the week 3 times this season for her high performances on a number of apparatuses.

McDonald describes the Big Ten stability beam champion as a regular chief who leads by instance, somebody who’s keen to put her head down and go through the grind to get better — a beneficial asset to any staff.

“To see somebody always trying to show up and get better with that growth mindset is so great,” she said. “Ciena really has leveled up in her leadership in that she’s somebody that continually checks in on people.”

When Alipio notices somebody wants a little pick-me-up, she’s there to assist them, McDonald added.

“She’s also just become a really great messenger of our team culture and just [continues] to build and tighten our culture where it’s needed and to step up in those moments when the team needs a leader.”

With two meets left in the common season — against Stanford on Saturday and Utah on March 14, senior night time at Pauley Pavilion — Alipio is just going to have enjoyable competing.

“Coming in as a freshman I was like, ‘Oh, I have so much time,’ and now it has gone by in a blink of an eye,” she said. “… But I’m really, really trying to just stay present for the next few weeks and just enjoy every single moment with this team.”

Rosen update

McDonald and the teaching employees will take a conservative method to dealing with Katelyn Rosen’s foot injury from Friday’s meet. Resting her and making sure she is 100% to go for the Big Ten championships is the precedence. Replacing her at the top of rotations is an ongoing dialog.

“We really look for that lead-off to be very steady,” she said. “Somebody that doesn’t kind of go with the ups and downs of their emotions. They can show up, be really steady, kick off the event really aggressively, confidently and so those things we’re gonna be looking for this weekend [against Stanford].”