The No. 5 University of Utah Red Rocks (15-4, 6-1 Pac-12) bounced back after a rocky start — including two falls on the uneven bars — to finish with a 197.575 in the NCAA’s Gainesville regional on Sunday afternoon. Their second-place finish was enough to secure Utah a spot in the National Championship for the 48th year in a row.
After finishing first in the second round of the NCAA regional on Friday, the Red Rocks were set to take on No. 4 Florida (27-4, 6-1 SEC), No. 10 Michigan State (29-7, 9-0 BIG10) and No. 13 Missouri (13-6, 2-5 SEC). The team had not faced any of these opponents so far this year.
Starting the Utes out on bars, sophomore Makenna Smith had an uncharacteristic fall and scored a 9.500. Hoping to drop Smith’s score, freshman Ella Zirbes and junior Amelie Morgan scored twin 9.825s to bring the Utes back on track. Fifth-year senior Maile O’Keefe brought up the average with a 9.875 before junior Grace McCallum‘s near-flawless routine earned a 9.950. Unfortunately, senior Alani Sabado would fall on her routine at the anchor position and score a 9.200, forcing the team to count Smith’s 9.500 and putting them in last at the end of the first rotation with a 48.975, a season-low score. Florida stood in first with a 49.600, Missouri in second with a 49.525 and Michigan State with a 49.425.
Moving to beam, where the Utes are ranked No. 5 in the nation, the team looked to reset. Morgan started with an impressive 9.900, which Smith would match in a great recovery from the first round. McCallum fell during her routine to earn a 9.350 — and this time, the team rallied to be sure it would be dropped. Fifth-year Abby Paulson came through with a 9.850, O’Keefe with a 9.950 and senior anchor Jaylene Gilstrap finished the rotation with a 9.875 to give the Red Rocks at 49.475 and a 98.450 overall. This moved the team ahead of Michigan State (98.425) into third heading into floor, with Florida holding first (99.250) and Missouri second (98.800).
Moving to the floor, where Utah sits at No. 4 after an exceptional showing this year, the Red Rocks made up plenty of lost ground. Smith scored a 9.900 before Paulson brought in a 9.950 with her Taylor Swift-themed routine. Fifth-year Jaedyn Rucker made her first appearance of the day with a 9.850 that ended up being dropped, Gilstrap scored another 9.950 for the team, O’Keefe brought in a 9.925 and McCallum rounded it out with a 9.900. This recovery was enough to bring the team into a second-place tie with Missouri at 148.075, behind Florida’s 148.825 and ahead of Michigan State’s 147.000.
Heading into the last round, the gymnasts knew the details were critical. Vault, where the Utes sit at No. 7, is arguably the team’s most inconsistent event. But a solid performance with three standout scores — a 9.900 from sophomore Ashley Glynn, a 9.950 from Smith and a 9.950 from former NCAA vault champion Rucker gave the Utes a 49.500. That — paired with some falls on beam from the Tigers — was enough to secure a second-place finish, sending the Utes to the NCAA Championship.
In the after-meet press conference, Head Coach Carly Dockendorf said Smith’s fall on bars was “an aggressive mistake,” emphasizing that, as a coach, she’d rather see an athlete go for a big play and falter than play it too safe.
The team’s recovery “speaks to their character … that kind of courage and strength can’t just be taught, it’s something that’s developed,” Dockendorf said.
Florida had a strong showing, finishing first with a 198.325. Missouri ended in third with a 197.325 and Michigan State finished fourth with 196.650. Florida and Utah will join LSU, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Alabama at the National Semifinals in Fort Worth Texas, with the National Championship running from April 18-20, where the Utes look to take home another National Championship.
