FILIPINO-AMERICAN Paris Olympian Emma Malabuyo has moved up to no. 2 in the national rankings of the beam exercises in the US NCAA Division 1 women’s gymnastics competitions.
The rise of the 22-year-old Malabuyo came days after she scored a career-high 9.9 in the balance beam for the no. 5-ranked University of California-Los Angeles Bruins as they stormed to the solo lead with their fifth consecutive triumph on Friday in the Big Ten Conference.
The Bruins, who won individual titles in four events and shared honors in one, struck down no. 25 Penn State, 197.675-195.450, in Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California.
With the five-foot Malabuyo scoring high in two rotations, the Bruins improved their record to 8-2 and took the solo lead in the Big 10 standings.
UCLA finished with a season-high 49.575 in the uneven bars and recorded a total of 10 scores of 9.9 or higher.
Jade Carey of Oregon sits ahead of Malabuyo at the no. 1 ranking, with Isabella Magnelli behind her in third position.
