After winning a fourth-straight Pac-12 title, the No. 5 Utah Red Rocks traveled to Gainesville to take on the NCAA Regional Second Round. Facing Towson, Maryland and No. 10 Michigan State, the Red Rocks started on vault.
Jaylene Gilstrap got things started, replacing Camie Winger in the lineup. Gilstrap scored 9.800, followed by Ella Zirbes with 9.875. Ashley Glynn tallied another score above 9.800, scoring 9.850. Glynn was soon matched by Makenna Smith, also scoring 9.850. Jaedyn Rucker scored an unfortunate 9.325 that would be dropped. Grace McCallum came in at the anchor spot, scoring 9.850 to give the Red Rocks 49.225 on vault, sitting just behind Michigan State.
Moving to bars, the Red Rocks saw a huge momentum boost. Smith and Zirbes started, scoring back-to-back 9.900’s. Amelie Morgan made her first appearance, topping the already strong scores and tallying 9.950. Maile O’Keefe stepped up next, scoring the third 9.900 of the rotation for the Red Rocks. McCallum continued the streak, scoring 9.900 of her own and setting Utah up in a great position. Alani Sabado delivered a 9.925 at the anchor spot, giving the Red Rocks a season-high 49.575 on bars and 98.800 through two events, creeping closer to Michigan State’s 98.825.
With half of the meet done, the Red Rocks moved to beam. Morgan started things with 9.900, matched by Smith immediately after. McCallum delivered a 9.925, followed by a team-high 9.975 from Abby Paulson. O’Keefe tallied another 9.900 for Utah, and Jaylene Gilstrap finished at the anchor with 9.700. The Red Rocks totaled 49.600 on beam, scoring 148.400 through three events, jumping into first place.
With just floor to go, Utah held a lead but needed to finish strong to secure the win. With the top two teams advancing, the Red Rocks seemed guaranteed to move on to the Regional Final. Smith started on floor, scoring 9.850 and tallying 39.500 in all-around competition. Zirbes followed with a strong 9.900 and Paulson added 9.850 of her own. Rucker scored 9.875, and the Red Rocks all but secured their spot in the next round. Gilstrap hit a team-high 9.950, and McCallum finished strong with 9.850.
The Red Rocks finished with 49.425 on floor, good for a total of 197.825. It wasn’t Utah’s strongest showing, but they got the job done. Michigan State finished second with 197.475, Maryland finished third with 196.350 and Towson finished fourth with 195.050.
McCallum finished second in all-around competition, scoring 39.525. Michigan State’s Nikki Smith took first with 39.675.
With the win, the Red Rocks, along with Michigan State, advance to the Regional Final. Utah will once again face the Spartans, along with the top two teams from the second session, where Florida, Georgia, Missouri and Iowa State battle it out. The Red Rocks met the Florida Gators last postseason, finishing just behind them in the NCAA National Championship.
With just the Regional Final standing in their way, the Red Rocks are on the verge of advancing to their 48th consecutive national championship appearance.
