Gymnastics is arguably one of the toughest sports to play. It requires so much of the body that most gymnasts retire in their 20s. The amount of dedication it takes to make it to college level gymnastics requires thousands of hours hard at work. Women’s sports have historically always been behind men’s — the popularity and attention women’s sports get are incredibly low in comparison. In spite of this fact, our gymnastics team the Red Rocks, is the most dominant sports team the U has. They give women’s sports a whole new definition of how athletic and successful a women’s team can be.
The program started in 1976. The history behind this incredible organization includes nine current NCAA records, and 10 national championships. They are the only team that have qualified for every NCAA championship. The several generations of women that have competed for the U have never finished lower than 10th, but usually rank second or third. They currently have 304 all-American gymnastics awards, higher than any other school. This sport holds multiple attendance records, and has beat their own record 25 times. The meet against Michigan in 2015 holds the highest attendance in the country at 16,019.
Currently the Red Rocks are ranked number five in the country, but are a favorite to possibly take another championship. The team has shown again and again how they can defeat the highest ranking teams. The uniqueness that comes with being a competitor is easy to see, and is one of the most competitive sports programs to be accepted by at the U.
The atmosphere of a Red Rocks gymnastics meet is incredible. They never disappoint their audience. There’s nothing like seeing one of our Utes get a perfect 10 on an event. My family have been season ticket holders since I was young, and we always look forward to when the season starts. I remember watching one of Utah’s greats, Theresa Kulikowski, and wanting to be just like her someday. Other students who love watching this team perform are not hard to find. One student I talked to whose family goes to every meet said, “Even my brother who has never been one for sports loves to go to every meet. It’s crazy what those women can do, it’s like they bend the rules of physics.”
Football may be the biggest form of revenue for the U, and have the most popularity, but I would argue that the Red Rocks have just as much love from their fans. Although our football team is an amazing team we all love, the Red Rocks hold more national records and are consistently more successful. They prove women can dominate in athletics as much as (or more than) men.
Anyone who has not seen the Red Rocks compete is missing out. This team is only going up, and nothing can get in their way. Shoutout to the people who’ve gotten this program to where it is now, and to the currently spectacular team we have competing in 2017.