What better place to spend the first day of Black History Month 2025 than at a Big Ten women’s gymnastics meet in Los Angeles, where both squads had their share of Black gymnasts.
UCLA hosted Michigan State. The Bruins have six Black gymnasts — juniors Madisyn Anyimi and Jordan Chiles; freshmen Macy McGowan and Mika Webster-Longin; and graduate students Chae Campbell and Carissa Clay.
The Spartans boast four sistahs — juniors Nikki Smith and Olivia Zsarmani, soph Makayla Tucker, and senior Gabi Stephen.
Both UCLA (No. 6) and MSU (No. 5) are ranked high nationally; this would be the first time in over 20 years that the two schools would meet in gymnastics, and the first time ever as Big Ten opponents.
The 4’-11” Chiles electrified the near-capacity crowd at Pauley Pavilion when she posted a perfect 10 in her floor exercise in the last rotation that propelled the Bruins past the visitors to win the meet. She performed to music by Prince.
“I’ve done millions of different routines, [but] with Prince, I felt like it was something that would give people more of an energetic feeling, something that I felt like was really something I was connected with and I have fun with,” Chiles told the MSR during a post-game press conference.
As the only Minnesota media in the place, we asked her why she chose the late Purple one. “He was an icon and a legend,” said Chiles of Prince. “Not a lot of people got to experience what he put out to the world in his music. So, if I was able to bring that back in and see it in gymnastics, then it’s something,” she pointed out.
The Feb. 1 gymnastics meet was my first since last summer’s USA gymnastics trials in downtown Minneapolis. It also was my first time seeing Chiles and Simone Biles perform in person — the two Black women gymnasts and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade all received medals for floor and was the first all-Black podium in Olympic gymnastics history.
Long considered an elite sport, gymnastics historically is one of the most watched Olympic sports, and is a non-revenue sport in colleges and universities. An SEC official told me back in the 1990s that scoring in gymnastics is subjective. It still is.
An updated score caused Chiles to lose her bronze medal, which she and USA Gymnastics have contested.
Blacks in recent years have become gymnastics stars, such as Biles. Chiles is among 13 honorees for 2025 Time’s Woman of the Year. She and MSU’s Smith earlier this month earned Big Ten’s Co-Gymnast of the Week, and Minnesota this season has five Black gymnasts on their roster.
“You got to be good first, but representation matters,” said Michigan State AD Alan Haller. “We’ve got a very diverse tram. They got to be good, and they’re really good.”
“It’s Feb. 1. It’s Black History Month. I’m ready to see the Black girls shine,” said Ashley Land of Chicago. “I’m rooting for everyone Black.” She and Kalee Kennedy of Delaware were among the Black fans at the UCLA-MSU meet.
“I think Black girls in gymnastics is so important,” added Kennedy, a longtime UCLA season ticket holder.
“It’s really great to be a part of something so special,” noted UCLA’s Chae Campbell. “I didn’t get to see a whole lot of Black gymnasts who looked like me at the highest level. So, to see so many of the Black gymnasts doing so well … It’s honestly very special, and I hope that we’re able to inspire the next generation coming up that they can do anything they put their mind to.”
“I’ve been following gymnastics ever since I was 12 or 13… I’ve been trying to get all my friends excited and bring them here,” said Kennedy. “I think it’s very, very important to support Black people in all arenas, whether it’s here in gymnastics or not.”
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.