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2019 Gymnastics Roster

Russ Isabella
Russ Isabella
Russ Isabella
Russ Isabella
Russ Isabella

MaKenna Merrell-Giles

  • Height 5-4
  • Class Senior
  • High School Pleasant Grove HS
  • Hometown Pleasant Grove, Utah

Biography

Career Highlights
* Nine-time All-American (4 NCAA, 5 regular season)
* 2018 Regional floor champion
* 2018 Pac-12 vault champion
* Nine-time All-Pac-12 Conference
* Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week award
* 2019 team co-captain
* 2019 Utah Most Outstanding Senior Female Student-Athlete
* 2019 Greg Marsden Leadership Award
* Two 10.0 scores
* Career high 39.675 all-around score
* 34 career victories
* Hit 183-192 career routines
* WCGA Scholar All-American
* Three-time Pac-12 All-Academic
 
2019 Season (Senior)
* Three-time NCAA All-American (1 NCAA, 2 regular season)
* 8th on vault across both semifinals at NCAA Championships
* 1st (tie) all-around and on vault in Baton Rouge Regional Final
* Utah Most Outstanding Senior Female Student-Athlete
* Greg Marsden Leadership Award
* 13 victories
* Hit 58-60 routines
* Honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic
* Athletic Director’s Honor Roll
 
2018 Season (Junior)
* Three-time regular season All-American (1st team AA, VT, FX)
* Regional floor champion
* Pac-12 vault champion
* Three-time 1st-team All-Pac-12 Conference
* Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 6
* Won Coaches’ Most Improved Award
* Scored a 10.0 on vault and floor
* Triple winner vs. Washington and Arizona
* Career-high 39.675 all-around twice
* 15 victories
* Hit 54-56 routines
* Honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic
* Athletic Director’s Honor Roll
 
2017 Season (Sophomore)
* Three-time NCAA All-American (2nd team AA, BB, FX)
* Two-time 2nd-team All-Pac-12
* 6 victories
* Hit 49-53 routines
* Double winner vs. Cal (vault, beam)
* Honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic
* Athletic Director’s Honor Roll
 
2016 Season (Freshman)
* 3rd on floor at Pac-12 Championship
* Season-high 9.90 on floor, 9.825 on vault and 9.80 on beam
* Competed on floor at regionals (9.875) and nationals (9.8375)
* Hit 22-23 routines
* NACGC Scholar All-American
* Athletic Director’s Honor Roll
 
Prior to Utah
* Four-time J.O. National Championships’ qualifier
* 2015 J.O. runner-up in the all-around, vault and floor (Senior C Division)
* 4th on bars and beam at 2015 J.O. Nationals
* 2nd on vault, 6th all-around at 2015 Nastia Liukin Cup
* 4th on bars and beam; 7th all-around (Senior A Division) at 2014 J.O. Nationals
* Three-time J.O. regional champion (2 floor, 1 bars)
* 2nd all-around at 2013 and 2014 regionals
* Trained at All-American Gymnastics
* Club coaches Jimmy Pratt and Dawn Johnson
* Graduated from Pleasant Grove High School
* Made the honor roll every term and was Student of the Month
 
Personal
* Daughter of Jodi and Paul Merrell
* Mother coaches at All-American Gymnastics
* Sisters Maegan and Mickell Merrell; brothers Mitchell and Mikah
* Sister Mickell was a BYU gymnast (2008-12)
* Married to Matthew Giles
* Won Church Recognition Award
* Parks, recreation and tourism major
* Full name is MaKenna Gayle Merrell-Giles
 
Merrell-Giles’ Career Highs
All-Around 39.675 vs. Washington, Feb. 3, 2018
39.675 vs. Georgia, Mar. 16, 2018
Vault 10.0 vs. Washington, Feb. 3, 2018
Bars   9.925 vs. Georgia, Mar. 16, 2018
Beam   9.95 vs. Georgia, Mar. 16, 2019
Floor  10.0 vs. Georgia, Mar. 16, 2018

Historical Player Information

  • 2016Freshman

    5'4"
  • 2017Sophomore

    5'4"
  • 2018Junior

    5'4"
  • 2019Senior

    5'4"