SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 7, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The University of Utah overcame a shaky start Sunday and rallied to secure a record 48th consecutive trip to the NCAA women’s gymnastics championship meet.
The Red Rocks survived three falls — including two on uneven bars in the opening rotation — and rallied to post a 197.575 overall score and finish second to host Florida (198.325) in the Gainsville Regional.
No. 4 Florida and No. 5 Utah both advance to the national championship meet April 18-20 in Fort Worth, Texas. They’ll be joined in the semifinal round by No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 8 Alabama.
The Red Rocks were in fourth place after the opening rotation but overtook Missouri in the final rotation with a 49.500 score on vault. The Tigers closed with a 49.250 on balance beam to finish third at 197.325. Michigan State was fourth (196.625).
“[It was] definitely not the start that we envisioned having,” first-year Utah head coach Carly Dockendorf said on the ESPN+ broadcast. “The thing about this team is they’re fighters. They will not give up on anything. They fought to the very end. … I couldn’t be more proud of this team.”
Despite falls from Makenna Smith (9.500) and Alani Sabado (9.200) on bars, Grace McCallum posted a 9.950 — the day’s top score in the event — and Maile O’Keefe added a 9.875 to help change the momentum for Utah. Amelie Morgan and Ella Zirbes also delivered 9.825 scores on bars for the Red Rocks.
O’Keefe, a Las Vegas native in her fifth year at Utah, tied for the event high with a 9.950 on beam, while Morgan, a junior from Bristol, England, and Smith, a sophomore from Albuquerque, New Mexico, both posted 9.900s.
A 9.875 from Jaylene Gilstrap, a senior from McKinney, Texas, and a 9.850 from Abby Paulson, an Anoka, Minnesota, native now in her fifth year, helped the Red Rocks overcome a fall from McCallum (9.350) on beam.
In the floor exercise, Paulson and Gilstrap joined three rival gymnasts with event-high 9.950 scores, while O’Keefe (9.925), Smith (9.900) and McCallum (9.900), a junior from Isanti, Minnesota, also turned in strong performances.
The Red Rocks finished strong with back-to-back 9.950 vaults from Smith and Jaedyn Rucker, a Mesa, Arizona, native now in her fifth year at Utah.
Ashley Glynn, a sophomore from Hockessin, Delaware, turned in a crucial 9.900 in her lone event of the day, and McCallum and Zirbes both earned 9.850s in the event to help Utah clinch second place overall.
“They’re just such strong women,” Dockendorf said of her team’s comeback. “Obviously, they’re incredible athletes. It just speaks to their character and who they are as people. They believe so much in one another and want to do this for one another and for themselves. That kind of courage and that kind of strength can’t just be taught. It’s something that’s developed over time, and they really had to learn that this year.”
With the win, Utah extends its streak as the only team in the nation to have appeared at every national championship meet.
