The fourth-ranked Red Rocks punched their ticket to the NCAA Championship with a 197.825 score after a dramatic come-from-behind win in the NCAA Regional Final, Saturday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
The championship streak continues for Utah, making it a historic 49 in a row.
“Well, 49 years straight, I guess we can officially say that now, so it’s pretty exciting for us,” said Head Coach Carly Dockendorf. “Firstly, a big congratulations to all of the teams that were here this weekend. That was a competitive regional, like always, and I also want to thank our fans because they showed up tonight, and they brought the extra energy that we needed.”
Utah scored a 49.400 to open the first rotation on the bars. Makenna Smith scored a 9.80, followed by an Ashley Glynn 9.90. Amelie Morgan scored 9.80, then Ella Zirbes with a 9.875. Grace McCallum scored her second 10.0 on bars in as many meets to anchor the bars for Utah one last time at the Huntsman. Despite the perfect score, Utah was in third place after the first rotation with (49.425), behind Denver (49.550) and UCLA (49.450), while Minnesota finished the first rotation in fourth place (49.125).
Head Coach Dockendorf discussed McCallum’s final meeting in front of the home crowd.
“I know that her first 10 in the Huntsman was the other night, so I guess that wasn’t enough, so she got another one tonight. She’s really wanted to soak up these last routines in the Huntsman,” Dockendorf said. “That just gave us what we needed going into the beam rotation. She did such a great job, and we needed her to be at her best on that event tonight. She enjoyed the moment being in the Huntsman for the last time. I know our fans enjoy watching her.”
The Red Rocks scored a 49.400 on the beam in the second rotation. Both Morgan and Smith scored a pair of 9.875, while Ana Padurariu and Camie Winger each scored 9.80. Avery Neff immediately bounced back from a fall on bars to score a 9.90, and anchor McCallum continued to dominate with a 9.95. Utah still trailed in third place with a (98.825), Denver remained in first with a (99.050), UCLA in second with a (98.925), and Minnesota in fourth with a (98.300).
The Red Rocks exploded in the third rotation, scoring a 49.625 on the floor. Glynn and Zirbes opened with a pair of 9.85s. Utah then got four consecutive 9.9+ scores to close out the rotation; Neff scored a 9.925, Jaylene Gilstrap a 9.95, Smith a 9.925 and McCallum a 9.975. After the third rotation, Utah miraculously moved into first place with a 148.450, UCLA was in second place (148.200), Denver was in third (147.950), and Minnesota was in fourth (147.425).
Utah scored a 49.375 in the fourth and final rotation on the vault. Leading off for the Red Rocks was Zirbes with a 9.85, followed by McCallum with a 9.80. Neff scored a 9.85 and was then followed by a Glynn stick that scored 9.925. Smith scored a 9.80, and then Zoe Johnson added the cherry on top, with a stick to score a 9.925 and help punch the ticket for the Red Rocks to nationals.
Utah scored a 197.825 to secure their trip to the NCAA Championship along with UCLA, who scored a 197.625. Coach Dockendorf is proud to be part of the history and excellence that is Utah gymnastics.
“We don’t want to lose that tradition of excellence; we don’t want to be the team that doesn’t make it and end the streak. There is always something extra riding for this program, and it is definitely a privilege,” Dockendorf said. “Talk to any of the alumni with what their least favorite meet of the year is; it would be this one right here. It just feels so good, but we definitely recognize that we’re here because of the people that have come before us and the tradition of excellence that they brought.”
Utah will have a week off before they travel to Fort Worth, Texas, for the NCAA Championship from April 17-19.
