Dan Ninham
Special for ICT
Being an All-American gymnast at UCLA began with having a dream for Ciena Alipio.
The Filipino and Navajo gymnast had a banner season for the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team this past season. Alipio’s season accolades include scoring a perfect 10 on beam on March 22, 2025 to win the 2025 Big Ten beam title and being named 2025 First-Team All-American on beam.
Additionally, she was 2025 Academic All-Big Ten and 2024 WCGA Scholastic All-American. Alipio was a member of the 2025 Big Ten Championship and NCAA runner-up team, a four-time U.S. National Team member and a Silver medalist on beam at the 2022, 2019 and 2018 U.S. Championships.
Alipio told ICT about her perfect 10 on the beam this past March.
“I was so excited to get a perfect score for the very first time in my career and am looking forward to striving for perfection in my senior year,” she said.
This elite athlete’s Indigenous core values positively influenced how she practiced and competed.
“My Indigenous core values influenced how I practiced and competed because I am always trying to be true to who I am and wholeheartedly love who I have become and what I have done,” said Alipio. “I think that being authentically you is extremely important, especially in such a transformative time, like college.”
From a young age, she was taught to embrace her culture and who she was.
“I think that being Native, especially Navajo, is so important for me to embrace and share with the world, as many young girls do not see Native gymnasts. So, I like to be able to share who I am with the world and with a middle name like, Nizhóní, I am constantly embracing who I am,” Alipio said.
Janelle McDonald is the head coach of the women’s gymnastics team at UCLA. Alipio credits McDonald with helping her become the best student-athlete she could be and allowing her to grow into a leader on the team in her own ways while also pushing her to step outside her comfort zone.
McDonald told ICT Alipio made an immediate impact on the team when she joined as a freshman in 2022. The coach said Alipio “not just an incredibly hard worker but also a reliable competitor and supportive teammate.”
“Shortly after her arrival, she slipped off of the uneven bars in training and injured her hand. Ciena’s preseason suddenly looked much different than she had planned. With an injured hand, Ciena was limited to exercises and skills without use of her hands. This would cause most to take a step back and focus on being a supportive teammate instead of an active competitor. Not Ciena though!,” McDonald said.
“She immediately was determined to not just stay active doing everything she was able to without her hands and approached the coaches about a no handed beam routine,” added McDonald. “This determination showed the entire team how resilient, committed and strong she is. She worked diligently to come up with a fiercely competitive handless balance beam routine and had it ready for the kickoff to season.”
Despite being injured, McDonald said Alipio competed in nearly every competition on balance beam during that season. The resiliency and desire to compete inspired the entire team, McDonald added.
“Even as a freshman, Ciena inspired us all with her determination, loyalty, creativity and passion. She showed that no matter the circumstances, you can use it as an opportunity to grow and learn through it all,” McDonald said. “She has shown up with this same mentality each and every year, solidifying herself as an incredible leader and competitor on our team.”
BJ Das is the Associate Head Coach of UCLA Gymnastics and has been Alipio’s coach for the past three years. Das lauded Alipio for being extremely hardworking and a coachable athlete.
“She leads by example with her integrity, work ethic and confidence in competition,” Das said. “She has always understood what it means to be a team player and a great teammate.”
Das also spoke to the gymnast’s growth as a leader, saying during her first two years on the team, Alipio rarely spoke up or shared her perspective in meetings.
“At our team retreat last fall during rather intense conversation, she surprised us by being the first to raise her hand and share her thoughts. Since that moment last year she has consistently challenged herself to be one of the first to speak up in front of the group and encourages her teammates to share as well,” Das said. “Not only am I amazed by her athletic talent and competitive greatness, but I’m inspired by her commitment to personal growth.”
Facing adversity helped Alipio become a better student-athlete. Looking back on her injury during her freshman year, she said she faced many negative thoughts and recognized she needed to switch her mindset. So she worked with her coaches and teammates to build her confidence.
“Being injured teaches you a lot about yourself and who you are when times get tough. I am extremely grateful for the community I have built around me and the support system that I have gained since coming to college,” Alipio said. “This made me a better student-athlete because I now know that even when times are tough and it does not seem like there is light at the end of a tunnel, there are always people who will have your back and help guide you to where you need to be.”
Although having another season of eligibility, Alipio expressed her plans after college to continue her education and get a master’s degree in either developmental psychology or forensic psychology.
“While they are completely different from one another, I find both extremely fascinating and would be open to whatever comes my way in those fields.” she said. “However, since I do have one year left of undergrad at UCLA, I cannot say with 100 percent certainty that this will be my plan in a year.”
Alipio also plans to work with Indigenous youth.
“In the past, I have worked with Indigenous youth through the Intertribal Friendship House in Oakland, California. I was first brought to IFH when I was little because my mom grew up going to IFH after school and building her own community there,” Alipio said. “So, when the time came, I was able to volunteer and help out when possible.”
For those looking to continue their athletic careers at the next level, Alipio shared words of wisdom with ICT for aspiring student-athletes.
“Never let your dreams scare you. You never know where they could take you. I was not sure that UCLA would be in the cards for me, but I am so grateful that I stuck with it and continued to pursue my dream of being a Bruin. I can positively say that I would not be who I am without the experiences I have had, that all started with a dream.”
