Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles Secure Victories at the Commencement of the NCAA Gymnastics Season
Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles Secure Victories at the Commencement of the NCAA Gymnastics Season
The 2024 Olympic victors set the stage alight in 2025 NCAA action. Jade Carey's No. 19 Oregon State Beavers and Jordan Chiles' No. 10 UCLA Bruins squared off against 2024's Second Place Finisher, the No. 4 California Golden Bears in Oceanside, CA on a Saturday. Despite Cal outscoring both teams by a substantial margin (over .500), these two Olympians bagged individual victories from their inaugural meet.
Carey reprised her top form at the "American Gold Collegiate Classic," guiding her Beavers past the Bruins and capturing titles in the all-around, beam, and floor. On floor, Jade displayed her signature skill set, acing her double-twisting double-back, a feat seldom seen in collegiate competitions.
She also managed third place on vault and bars, with the latter event seeing her debut a new skill, a Yurchenko-style vault featuring 1.5 twists. There's no denying that the three-time Olympic winner has returned stronger than ever, preparing for her senior year at Oregon State in pursuit of the elusive NCAA title.
Chiles' UCLA Bruins faced hurdles, committing "uncommon" errors in numerous events, yet Jordan herself exuded confidence and vigor in her comeback to the collegiate arena.
Chiles contested three events for the Bruins: vault, bars, and floor, generating scores of 9.9+ on the first two events and clinching the vault title. Like Carey, Chiles unveiled a new skill on Saturday, attempting an intricate tucked vault that barely missed the stick and resulted in a 9.90 score. Despite her team's losses, Chiles seemed positively elated to be back in the competition arena.
While the gymnastics community celebrated the reemergence of these two Olympic champions, dissatisfaction took hold with the event organization. Featuring numerous Olympians and the defending National Runner-Up (California), event organizers failed to offer any live-streaming services for spectators. This setback sparked outrage within the gymnastics community, with fans expressing their frustration at the persistent lack of accessibility to the sport.
"Extremely disappointed that there will be no live stream. This is not fostering the sport’s growth," a fan wrote in reaction to the announcement on social media. "Coaches and universities participating in these neutral site events should demand live streaming before committing. Gym enthusiasts nationwide deserve better!"
Although the three teams managed to create alternate streaming solutions - live-streaming through their respective team social media accounts - the sentiment remained unchanged within the online gymnastics community. Despite the frustrations, NCAA Gymnastics pressed on, continuing its season heading towards week two.
Carey and Chiles will prepare to compete once more in the upcoming week. Carey and Oregon State will face BYU in Corvallis, OR on Saturday, January 11 in a traditional dual-meet. Meanwhile, the Bruins will participate in a multi-team meet for the second week in a row, squaring off against No. 7 Kentucky, No. 8 Arkansas, and No. 16 Ohio State at the "Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad" on January 11.
- To watch the NCAA gymnastics, fans might be interested in knowing how to stream Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles' performances, as they continue their collegiate journeys with Oregon State Beavers and UCLA Bruins respectively.
- The highly anticipated NCAA gymnastics rankings for the 2022-2023 season will undoubtedly feature Jade Carey's Oregon State Beavers and Jordan Chiles' UCLA Bruins, given their impressive performances and individual victories.
- Cycling through gymnastics events, one cannot miss the thrilling NCAA women's gymnastics, where athletes like Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles showcase their skills and compete against other teams, such as the Olympic-winning California Golden Bears.
- Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, who is currently focusing on her comeback to international competitions, may also find inspiration in watching her teammates, such as Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles, excel in NCAA gymnastics.
- Aspiring collegiate gymnasts can draw inspiration from top performers like Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles who have successfully transitioned from Olympic gymnastics to excelling in college gymnastics, proving that their talent and dedication can shine across various levels.