FIL-AMERICAN Paris Olympian Emma Malabuyo and the University of California-Los Angeles Bruins snared their first conference title following their first-place finish at the Big Ten Conference finals on Sunday (Monday in Manila) at Ohio State University.
It was the Bruins’ eighth consecutive meet crown with their score of 197.200 in the women’s gymnastics of a US NCAA Division 1 event in Columbus, Ohio.
The Bruins, who had an overall 9-2 win-loss slate, finished with a nine-game sweep in the Big Ten.
Nebraska was second with 196.675, while Ohio State landed third with 196.650. Rutgers settled for fourth with 195.875.
Malabuyo was in the first rotation when UCLA started the meet with a 49.500 in the floor exercise.
Five scores of 9.850 or higher with Brooklyn Moors and Jordan Chiles closed the rotation with back-to-back 9.950s.
Teammates Macy McGowan and Malabuyo contributed 9.875s and Chae Campbell added a 9.850.
Malabuyo executed a switch ring to switch half, and a full wolf turn for a good routine, followed by a one-and-a-half somersault to front before dancing out of the mat for an almost perfect score.
The Bruins then put up six scores of 9.825 or higher in the vault for a team total of 49.275.
Chiles won the all-around for the third consecutive meet, scoring 39.550.
