Big Ten Announces 2026 Women’s Gymnastics Individual Awards
Bruins’ Jordan Chiles named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced its 2026 women’s gymnastics individual awards as voted upon by the conference’s 12 head coaches on Monday.
UCLA’s Jordan Chiles was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, while Michigan’s Carly Bauman was selected as the Big Ten Event Specialist of the Year. Minnesota’s Arianna Ostrum was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and UCLA’s Janelle McDonald was tabbed as the Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Chiles captured the all-around crown at the 2026 Big Ten Women’s Gymnastics Championships with a 39.825, the highest all-around score ever at the Big Ten Championships. It was her 11th all-around title of the season as she became only the second gymnast in Big Ten history to tally at least a 39.800 at the event. The senior won balance beam outright with a 9.950 and scored a 10 on floor exercise for the second year in a row to take home the victory. Chiles, a first team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Championships Team honoree, set the single-season record for most Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors with 10 this year. She is the first Bruin in program history to win gymnast of the year.
Bauman, who earned a spot on the all-championships team for her second-place finish on floor exercise (9.950), is the first Wolverine to be recognized as the Big Ten Event Specialist of the Year. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native was a first team All-Big Ten performer and was twice selected as the Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week this season.
Ostrum is the fourth Minnesota gymnast to be honored as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first since 2018. She was the Big Ten Co-Champion on vault with a score of 9.950 and picked up all-championships team laurels for her performances on vault, floor exercise and all-around. Ostrum was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this year, was an All-Big Ten first teamer and claimed all-freshman team placement.
For the second straight season, McDonald garnered coach of the year distinction after UCLA repeated as the Big Ten’s regular season and conference champions. The Bruins once again had a spotless 9-0 record in league meets and have not lost to a Big Ten opponent in non-conference or postseason action since joining the conference. UCLA was just the fifth team in Big Ten Championships history to surpass 198 with a team score of 198.100 and had three gymnasts win individual titles – Jordan Chiles (all-around, uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise), Riley Jenkins (vault) and Sydney Barros (uneven bars). Under McDonald’s guidance, four Bruins earned All-Big Ten honors in 2026 with Chiles, Ashlee Sullivan and Tiana Sumanasekera on the first team and Ciena Alipio on the second team. UCLA was the only school with multiple all-freshman team selections in Sullivan and Sumanasekera.
2026 Big Ten Women’s Gymnastics Individual Awards
Gymnast of the Year: Jordan Chiles, UCLA
Event Specialist of the Year: Carly Bauman, Michigan
Freshman of the Year: Arianna Ostrum, Minnesota
Coach of the Year: Janelle McDonald, UCLA