Sports
UCLA gymnastics focused on delivering Bruins’ next national title
UCLA could earn another national title this weekend.
Led by Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles, the Bruins’ gymnastics squad is having its best season since 2018 and will compete in Fort Worth in an NCAA national semifinal on Thursday for a spot in Saturday’s championship meet.
The Bruins haven’t won an NCAA gymnastics championship in eight years, a long gap for the seven-time champions known for developing Olympic talent.
UCLA will compete in a semifinal against Oklahoma, Arkansas and Minnesota. The Bruins will start on the bars, then go to the beam, floor and vault.
The top two teams advance to the finals Saturday against the top two teams from the other semifinal featuring Louisiana State University, Stanford, Florida and Georgia.
“There’s no defense in gymnastics, and so you really need to just focus on what we need to do to go out and put out the best competition possible,” UCLA coach Janelle McDonald said. “We’ve prepared the team all season long to have that mentality when we go out into competition.”
UCLA placed second in the finals last season, with Chiles and Brooklyn Moors capturing the NCAA uneven bars and floor exercise titles.
The Bruins won their first NCAA Regional title since 2019, leaping from third place into first after finishing with a 49.625 team total on floor in the final rotation at 197.725, one-tenth ahead of second-place Minnesota and .225 ahead of third-place Utah.
UCLA senior gymnast Ciena Alipio leaps in the air after her dismount on the balance beam on Jan. 17.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“I thought regionals were just such, such an amazing competition for our freshmen that were being thrown in some big pressure situations, and they just really stepped up to the plate and handled it with so much confidence and that was really great to see,” McDonald said. “And I think that really bodes well for us heading into the NCAA [championships.]”
Chiles is also one perfect 10 on beam away from a senior-season grand slam. The two-time Olympic medalist has already won three individual NCAA titles, but this is her last chance to get a shot at the all-around title in addition to the team championship.
Her perfect 10 on floor in the regional, which was her eighth perfect mark this season, helped the Bruins win their semifinal.
“Having Jordan has just been so amazing,” McDonald said. “Just her energy and the passion that she brings to our team each and every day. Obviously, her gymnastics skill level is incredible, but she just really has become such a leader for us. She leads by example. She leads with her energy, but she really leads with her passion and with her heart.”
But Chiles isn’t the only athlete powering the Bruins run to the NCAA championships. She is one of six UCLA athletes who competed on this stage last year.
“Having all of that depth really has been so helpful all year, especially in those meets where we had girls that were down because they were sick, or little things flared up here and there,” senior All-American Ciena Alipio said. “But we had people who could step up and really fill those positions. So it’s been really awesome to have a lot of people on every event.”
UCLA is one of the most consistent teams on beam in the nation, led by Alipio and Katelyn Rosen. Alipio had a fall during the Big Ten championship and she bobbled during the first round of regionals, but she posted an excellent 9.925 in the regional final to help the Bruins to a narrow lead going into their winning floor routine.
They’ve been up and down on vault, but Chiles took that regional title to help the Bruins, while sophomore Riley Jenkins has also had some success in the event.
Bars might be the x-factor for all the teams in the tournament. In the regional semifinal, UCLA’s 49.225 was its season low. LSU and Oklahoma have also struggled on the variable bars routine during the tournament.
Top-seeded Oklahoma is the defending champion, claiming its seventh U.S. national collegiate title last April.
The semifinals also serve as individual finals, with the national champions being determined in the all-around and on all four events after the two semifinal sessions on Thursday.
The Bruins have a good chance to win a few individual titles, and Chiles is a favorite for the all-around, but a team title would be huge for a program that came so close last season.
“We got to nationals, and that is the top eight out of the entire country, like we’re there,” Alipio said. “Getting to Day 2 is gonna be our goal for Day 1. But if we go out there and do what we’ve been doing all season, there should be no doubt in our heads that we’ll make it to Day 2.”
Sports
Chiefs’ Rashee Rice ordered to 30 days in jail for probation violation after failing drug test
Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice was taken into custody Tuesday and ordered to serve 30 days in jail after violating the terms of his probation stemming from a 2024 vehicle crash that left multiple people injured.
A spokesperson for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office said in an email to The Times that Rice had tested positive for THC, the primary psychoactive chemical in marijuana. The fourth-year player out of Southern Methodist will remain in the Dallas County jail until June 16.
Based on that timeline, Rice will miss the Chiefs’ voluntary team workouts May 26-28 and June 1-3 and mandatory minicamp June 9-11.
“We are aware of the reports and have been in touch with the league office,” a Chiefs spokesman told the Associated Press, declining further comment. An NFL spokesperson told The Times that the league is “aware of the report” and also declined further comment.
Also on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Rice underwent surgery on his right knee last week to remove loose debris that was causing inflammation. Rice is expected to be ready for training camp this summer, according to Schefter.
The Chiefs did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment regarding Rice’s reported surgery.
Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail last July after pleading guilty to third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. He was, however, granted flexibility as to when to serve his jail time and had not served it yet.
After his recent probation violation, the district attorney’s office spokesperson said, Rice was ordered to serve that jail time immediately.
On March 30, 2024, according to prosecutors, Rice was driving a Lamborghini Urus SUV at 119 mph when made “multiple aggressive maneuvers around traffic” and struck other vehicles, then fled the scene on foot without checking on anyone in the other vehicles.
He was suspended for the first six weeks of the 2025 season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
In 28 games with the Chiefs, Rice has 156 receptions for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Lamar Jackson absent from Ravens OTA as new coach Jesse Minter downplays voluntary practice skip
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The Baltimore Ravens were without their two-time NFL MVP quarterback when Tuesday’s organized team activities (OTAs) began.
Why Lamar Jackson was absent from Tuesday’s media-open practice remains unclear. Monday’s voluntary OTAs were closed to reporters. New Ravens coach Jesse Minter offered little explanation but downplayed concerns about Jackson’s absence and suggested the star quarterback would return soon.
“Lamar’s been one of our leaders of the offseason program, and he had a couple things going on yesterday and today, and I do expect him to be back soon,” Minter said. “We’ve had some great conversations. I know when he’s going to be back and again, I’ll probably leave those between me and Lamar.”
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens watches the NFL preseason game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., on Aug. 23, 2025. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Minter replaced John Harbaugh, who was dismissed in January after 18 seasons as the Ravens’ head coach. The New York Giants hired Harbaugh shortly after his departure from Baltimore.
Jackson’s attendance at voluntary offseason activities has drawn attention because of its inconsistency throughout his NFL career. It’s hard to say how much that matters, but it’s certainly an issue critics have pointed to from time to time. His contract, with two years remaining, has also been a significant topic lately after he and the Ravens did not agree to an extension before the start of free agency. Baltimore instead restructured Jackson’s deal to create cap space.
LAMAR JACKSON HITS BACK AT CRITICS WITH FAITHFUL MESSAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The Ravens held minicamp in April — the first under Minter — and Jackson was in attendance.
At the end of Tuesday’s OTAs, the team took part in a little game in which players from the offense and defense competed at throwing medicine balls. Minter said that’s part of preparing the team to play well in the most important moments.
New Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter is introduced during a news conference at Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, Maryland, on Jan. 29, 2026. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
“We end practice every day (with an) ‘At our best when our best is needed’ period, and so that could be anything different. Today, we decided to do a little friendly competition,” Minter said.
“Right now, you can’t really do the football competition, and so I thought it would be something different, something fun. I try to get guys to not know what’s about to happen and answer the bell when their number’s called, and it’s as simple as that. That’s really all we’re trying to get done with that and make it fun, have the guys pull for each other.”
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens warms up before the game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., on Dec. 21, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
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Star running back Derrick Henry caused a brief scare after a knee-to-knee collision with another player. Though he stayed down momentarily, he later returned to practice.
“The ground felt like a bed for a little while,” he said. “And I saw you all (reporters) looking hot and bored, so I was like, ‘I need to give them something to tweet and write about.’”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
THIRD ROUND
DIVISION 1
Pool A
Norco 9, Ayala 2
Pool B
Corona 6, Corona Santiago 1
Pool C
Cypress 8, Sierra Canyon 0
Pool D
La Mirada 11, Huntington Beach 1
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 2
Elsinore 6, Santa Margarita 4
Ganesha 5, South Hills 2
Newport Harbor 4, Great Oak 1
Aquinas 5, Gahr 3
Santa Ana Foothill 3, Servite 0
Yucaipa 17, Royal 2
Loyola 7, Chaminade 6
Alemany 9, Westlake 6
DIVISION 3
Mira Costa 6, Redondo Union 3
Dos Pueblos 10, Edison 7
Warren 10, Palos Verdes 1
St. Francis 5, Cajon 2
Agoura 3, Garden Grove Pacifica 0
Fullerton 7, Corona del Mar 6
Millikan 3, Beckman 1
Summit 5, Arcadia 4
DIVISION 4
Saugus 11, San Marino 10
Rio Mesa 4, Claremont 2
Glendora at Katella, Wednesday
Anaheim Canyon 4, Upland 1
Marina 11, La Quinta 4
Grand Terrace 4, Palm Desert 0
Laguna Beach 7, Woodbridge 2
Moorpark 8, Monrovia 6
DIVISION 5
Irvine 3, Citrus Valley 2
Cathedral 2, Long Beach Poly 1
Kaiser 5, Quartz Hill 4
Santa Barbara 12, Paramount 5
Long Beach Wilson 2, Jurupa Hills 1
Temescal Canyon 7, Riverside Prep 6
Culver City 6, St. Bonaventure 2
St. Bernard 4, Bishop Montgomery 0
DIVISION 6
Brentwood 9, Ontario 7
Foothill Tech 4, Canyon Springs 0
Trinity Classical Academy 5, Troy 3
El Rancho 8, Northwood 0
Western Christian 5, Savanna 3
Covina 15, Alhambra 5
Muir at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel, late
Lakewood 6, Crossroads 2
DIVISION 7
Carpinteria 7, New Roads 2
North Torrance 7, Grace 0
Santa Paula 11, Fontana 1
Patriot 3, Victor Valley 2
South El Monte 3, Hemet 2
Golden Valley 6, Jurupa Valley 3
Arroyo 4, Carter 3
Norwalk 4, Garden Grove 1
DIVISION 8
Rancho Alamitos 13, Edgewood 10
Chadwick 26, Pasadena Marshall 23
Wildomar Cornerstone Christian 7, Rio Hondo Prep 3
Oxford Academy 4, Rosemead 3
Duarte 4, Santa Clarita Christian 2
Nuview Bridge 3, Nordhoff 2
Artesia 10, Magnolia 5
Anaheim vs. Schurr at Rio Hondo College
DIVISION 9
Lennox Academy 6, Dunn 4
Crossroads Christian 9, St. Monica Academy 8
Ojai Valley 2, San Bernardino 0
Webb 5, Yucca Valley 3
Rolling Hills Prep 11, Ambassador Christian 3
Riverside Bethel Christian 6, Westminster 4
Temecula Prep 22, Cobalt 1
Garden Grove Santiago 7, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 6
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)
QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 1
Corona at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
Norco at Orange Lutheran
St. John Bosco at La Mirada
Cypress at Harvard-Westlake
DIVISION 2
Ganesha at Elsinore
Aquinas at Newport Harbor
Foothill at Yucaipa
Loyola at Alemany
DIVISION 3
Mira Costa at Dos Pueblos
St. Francis at Warren
Fullerton at Agoura
Summit at Millikan
DIVISION 4
Saugus at Rio Mesa
Glendora / Katella vs. Anaheim Canyon
Marina at Grand Terrace
Laguna Beach at Moorpark
DIVISION 5
Irvine at Cathedral
Santa Barbara at Kaiser
Temescal Canyon at Long Beach Wilson
Culver City at St. Bernard
DIVISION 6
Foothill Tech at Brentwood
El Rancho at Trinity Classical Academy
Covina at Western Christian
Lakewood vs. Muir /Santa Ana Calvary Chapel
DIVISION 7
Carpinteria at North Torrance
Santa Paula at Patriot
South El Monte at Golden Valley
Norwalk at Arroyo
DIVISION 8
Chadwick at Rancho Alamitos
Oxford Academy at Wildomar Cornerstone Christian
Duarte at Nuview Bridge
Schurr at Artesia
DIVISION 9
Crossroads Christian at Lennox Academy
HajI Valley at Webb
Riverside Bethel Christian at Rolling Hills Prep
Temecula Prep at Garden Grove Santiago
Note: Semifinals in all divisions May 26; Finals in all divisions May 29-30.
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