Completed Event: Gymnastics versus NCAA Championship Final on April 19, 2025 , , 4th of 4 (197.2375)
Final Score
Gymnastics
4th of 4 (197.2375)
vs NCAA Championship Final
Saturday, March 15
Salt Lake City, UT
7:00 PM
University of Utah
vs
UCLA
Photo by: Misty-Jade Carlson
No. 5 Red Rocks Prepare to Celebrate Senior Night Against No. 4 UCLA
3/10/2025 3:21 PM | Gymnastics
Utah gymnastics will honor four out-going seniors against the Bruins
SALT LAKE CITY --Â The fifth-ranked Utah Gymnastics team is back in Salt Lake City this week to take on the No. 4 UCLA Bruins on Saturday, Mar. 15, in the final home meet of the regular season at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The Red Rocks handled their business last week against Big Ten opponent Washington, improving their National Qualifying Score with a 197.225-195.875 victory. Junior Makenna Smith led the way for the Red Rocks, winning the all-around with a 39.600 that featured a 9.95 on vault, and a 9.925 on floor. Senior Grace McCallum took second in the all-around with a 39.525, posting a 9.90 on bars and 9.95 on beam, and freshman Avery Neff placed third with a 39.275 in her first time competing the all-around since her injury against Iowa State on Jan. 17.Â
Saturday's "Senior Night With The Stars" against UCLA will take a prime spot at 7 p.m. MT on FOX, and will feature Connor Onion as play-by-play, Sam Peszek as analyst, and Olivia Karas on the sidelines.
FOR THE FANS
QUICK STICKS Â
CHALK TALK
UP NEXT
Utah will turn their attention to post-season competition starting with the Big 12 Championship Meet at the Maverik Center on Mar. 22.
Saturday's "Senior Night With The Stars" against UCLA will take a prime spot at 7 p.m. MT on FOX, and will feature Connor Onion as play-by-play, Sam Peszek as analyst, and Olivia Karas on the sidelines.
FOR THE FANS
- Doors will open to the public at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for the meet can be purchased at utahtickets.com, or by calling 801-581-8849.
- Light sticks will be available to all fans, and students will receive bracelets.
- Stick around after the meet to honor out-going seniors Jaylene Gilstrap, Amelie Morgan, Grace McCallum, and Jaedyn Rucker.
QUICK STICKS Â
- The Red Rocks improved their NQS last weekend against the Washington Huskies, earning a 197.225-195.875 victory.
- Utah earned the top three spots in the all-around with junior Makenna Smith placing first (39.600), senior Grace McCallum taking second (39.525), and freshman Avery Neff taking third (39.275) in her first time competing all four events since her injury against Iowa State on Jan. 17.Â
- Utah earned a season-high team score of 198.075 against Denver on Friday, Feb. 21, to clinch the Big 12 Regular Season Championship.
- The Red Rocks earned season-high marks against the Pioneers on beam (49.575) and floor (49.600) while tying their second-highest score of the season on bars (49.550).
- McCallum stole the show against Denver, posting three 9.975s on bars, beam, and floor to win the all-around with a 39.800.
- Neff made a comeback to beam on Feb. 21 against Denver earning a 9.90, whille also posting her highest score on bars (9.850) since returning from her injury against Arizona on Feb. 7.
- McCallum earned Utah's first perfect 10 of the season on bars on Friday, Feb. 14, against No. 24 Arizona State that cemented the team's highest score of the season on the event of 49.600.
- Through 11 weeks, Utah ranks among the nation's top 10 in all four events: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â VT: 6th | UB: 4th | BB: 4th | FX: 8th | AA: 5th
- McCallum ranks first on bars, tied 7th on beam, tied 19th on floor and 8th in the all-around.
- Smith is tied 7th on vault, tied 20th on beam, tied for 15th on floor and 9th in the all-around.
- McCallum, a Team USA Tokyo silver medalist, leads the Red Rocks in event wins for 2025 with 21.
- McCallum has earned three Big 12 Gymnast of the Week honors (1/14, 2/11, 2/25), and claims Utah's highest individual score of the year putting up a 10.0 on bars against No. 24 ASU.
- Neff has also earned recognition three times in 2025 from the Big 12, being named Newcomer of the Week (1/14, 1/22, 2/25).
- McCallum is the eighth-ranked gymnast in the country in the all-around.
- Smith currently sits 9th in the country in the all-around race.Â
- Utah faced a stern early-season test on Jan. 11 at the Sprouts Farmer's Market Collegiate Quad vs. No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 LSU and No. 6 Cal, finishing fourth among that top-6 ranked quartet with a 196.800. Grace McCallum shared the win on bars (9.975) and Neff tied for second on vault (9.925) and recorded 9.90s on floor and beam.
- Utah came into the season ranked fifth in the WCGA Preseason Poll. It marked the eighth season in a row that the Red Rocks were ranked in the top five in the preseason poll.
- The Red Rocks had five gymnasts named to the 2025 Big 12 Preseason Team announced Dec. 20, including Grace McCallum (all-around), Ella Zirbes (vault) and Jaylene Gilstrap (floor) earning unanimous selections. Makenna Smith (all-around) and Amelie Morgan (bars) round out the preseason selections for the Utes.
- Utah returns 16 routines from last year's NCAA Championships third-place team, including three NCAA All-America honorees.Â
- The Red Rocks tallied 42 event wins a year ago, earned by Grace McCallum (19), Makenna Smith (7), Jaedyn Rucker (4), Amelie Morgan (3), Jaylene Gilstrap (3), Ashley Glynn (2), Camie Winger (2) and Ella Zirbes (2).
CHALK TALK
- Head coach Carly Dockendorf is in her second season leading the Red Rocks program and her eighth overall with Utah Gymnastics.
- In 2024 Dockendorf became the first head coach in NCAA history to lead a team to the Final Four in her first year in the position, earning the highest finish (3rd-place) by any first-year head coach.
- Utah returned 16-of-24 routines from last year's team, which finished in third place at the NCAA Championships.
- Utah's roster contains five All-Americans: Grace McCallum (8x), Makenna Smith (4x), Ella Zirbes (2x) and Jaylene Gilstrap.
- Makenna Smith seeks to build off her breakout sophomore season, which saw her hit all 61 routines. The Albuquerque native earned NCAA All-America honors in the all-around and vault, and second team on bars in 2024. Â
- Utah closed its 13-year membership in the Pac-12 Conference in 2024 by winning its fourth consecutive Pac-12 Championship meet.Â
- Utah added two new faces to the coaching staff in the offseason, starting with the addition of assistant coach Mike Hunger, who brings more than 50 years of experience to lead the vault squad and assist on floor.Â
- Utah Gymnastics legend Maile O'Keefe returns to the program as a student assistant coach, coming off one of the most decorated college gymnastics careers. She won four NCAA individual titles (bars, floor – 2021; all-around, beam – 2023). O'Keefe collected 19 All-America awards (7 regular season, 12 NCAA) while competing for the Red Rocks.
- Utah has amassed 111 perfect 10.0 scores all-time, with 80 of those performances coming at home in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
- The Red Rocks improved their NQS last weekend against the Washington Huskies, earning a 197.225-195.875 victory.
- Utah earned the top three spots in the all-around with junior Makenna Smith placing first (39.600), senior Grace McCallum taking second (39.525), and freshman Avery Neff taking third (39.275) in her first time competing all four events since her injury against Iowa State on Jan. 17.Â
UP NEXT
Utah will turn their attention to post-season competition starting with the Big 12 Championship Meet at the Maverik Center on Mar. 22.
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