Jordan Chiles is finishing her college gymnastics career the same way she has always competed, bold, confident, and full of energy. In her final season with the UCLA Bruins women's gymnastics, Chiles keeps raising the bar. On January 25, she earned another perfect 10 on floor exercise and later shared that her time on Dancing With the Stars played a big role in her growth. UCLA traveled to East Lansing for a high-profile Big Ten meet against the Michigan State Spartans women's gymnastics. Competing inside the Breslin Center in front of nearly 9,000 fans and a national TV audience on Fox, UCLA posted a strong team score of 197.425.
Michigan State finished close behind at 196.900. Jordan Chiles was the standout of the night, delivering a perfect 10 on floor and the highest all-around score in the nation this season, a 39.875. She scored 9.975 on vault, 9.950 on uneven bars, 9.950 on balance beam, and 10.00 on floor. It marked her second perfect 10 of the 2026 season, following her vault 10 on January 18 against Nebraska. After the meet, Chiles spoke openly about how her DWTS experience helped her perform with more confidence and freedom.
Jordan Chiles explains how Dancing With the Stars changed her mindset
Jordan Chiles spoke honestly after the meet, sharing how her time on Dancing With the Stars helped her feel freer, more confident, and fully herself during competitions.
“I mean, Dancing With the Stars definitely helped even more. I can definitely say it was different compared to my last year,” Chiles said after the meet. “A lot of people really enjoyed my routine this year, and finally getting a 10 on it? I’m just happy.”
Jordan Chiles said the show helped her feel more comfortable being herself in front of a crowd. “I think being able to feel like I’ve been an entertainer my whole life, it’s a little easier to come out onto the floor and really just be myself,” she said. “That’s the biggest thing I really take away from everything I do is just being authentic to who I am.”
She added, “I’m happy I do have Dancing With the Stars underneath my belt, though, because it did give me a little more sparkle here and there.”
Chiles was not the only Bruin to shine. Junior Katelyn Rosen started the floor rotation with a solid 9.850. Senior Ciena Alipio and freshman Tiana Sumanasekera also scored 9.850. Sophomore Sydney Barros stepped in after a lineup change and posted a 9.900 in her career floor debut.
Together, the group helped UCLA earn a 49.450 on floor, the team’s best event score of the season and a key reason for the win. Afterwards, Jordan Chile called the East Lansing meet the biggest Big Ten environment she has experienced, showing how much the moment meant to her.