News Summary
In a thrilling Senior Night meet, the Utah Red Rocks defeated the fourth-ranked UCLA Bruins with a season-high score of 198.100 to 197.425. The evening featured impressive performances across all apparatus, with standout athletes achieving personal bests, including McCallum’s perfect 10 on beam. Coach Carly Dockendorf praised the team’s achievements and the fans’ support as they look forward to the upcoming Conference Championship.
Salt Lake City Celebrates as Utah Red Rocks Take Down No. 4 UCLA Bruins on Senior Night!
What a thrilling evening it was at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on March 15, 2025, when the fifth-ranked Utah Red Rocks hosted the impressive No. 4 UCLA Bruins for a meet that left fans on the edge of their seats! As the stands filled with an electrifying crowd of 15,558, excitement buzzed in the air with everyone eager to witness the grand spectacle on this special Senior Night.
Utah Rises to New Heights
The Red Rocks didn’t just put on a good show—they shone like stars with a season-high score of 198.100 against the Bruins’ respectable score of 197.425. Right from the start, the team laid down an impressive performance on vault, where they matched their season-high score with a solid 49.425. This came as no surprise to fans, as Utah was ready to roll with Ella Zirbes and senior Grace McCallum both kicking off the night’s vault with commendable scores of 9.850.
Avery Neff truly stole the spotlight, as she hit a new season and career high on vault with an amazing 9.950. Other notable performances included Ashley Glynn, who scored 9.800, Makenna Smith with 9.925, and a remarkable debut from freshman Zoe Johnson, who earned 9.850.
Bars Bring More Success
The excitement continued to grow as Utah transitioned to the bars, where they not only maintained their momentum but also achieved another season best with a score of 49.525, which left UCLA trailing with 98.600 on bars. Leading the charge for Utah on this equipment was Makenna Smith, who dazzled the crowd with her score of 9.950.
Glynn and Neff also joined the celebration with scores of 9.850 and a fabulous new career high of 9.925 respectively. Rounding out the bars performances were senior Amelie Morgan at 9.875, Zirbes at 9.850, and McCallum contributing a solid 9.925.
Beam Dreams Come True
As Utah made their way onto the beam, it became apparent that the Red Rocks were not slowing down. They executed a breathtaking routine, coming away with another season-high score of 49.600, taking their overall lead to 148.550 against UCLA’s 147.975.
Morgan kicked things off with a score of 9.875, while Camie Winger matched her career best with an electrifying 9.950. McCallum wouldn’t let the night end without making it memorable; she earned the first perfect 10.000 on beam of her career during her emotional senior night! Neff matched her season high with a 9.925, while Ana Padurariu returned to beam action with a score of 9.850.
Ending with a Flourish!
Utah sealed their victorious night with a fabulous outing on floor, achieving a score of 49.550. Starting strong with Glynn at 9.825, the energy only intensified with Zirbes scoring 9.900, followed by Neff at 9.875. Senior Jaylene Gilstrap bid farewell with a score of 9.900, while Smith wowed everyone with a score of 9.975 and McCallum capped the night with another fantastic score of 9.900.
In individual performances, Makenna Smith emerged with the second-highest all-around score of 39.700, while McCallum and Neff tied for second with both athletes scoring 39.675.
Looking Ahead
As fans celebrated the Red Rocks’ achievement, head coach Carly Dockendorf shared her pride in the team for making it a night to remember for seniors and expressed immense gratitude to the loyal followers. With the regular season behind them, the Red Rocks will next head to the Maverik Center for the Conference Championship on March 22, 2025, as they set their sights on the postseason! What a remarkable night for Utah gymnastics, and we can’t wait to see what they’ll do next!
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Additional Resources
- Utah Utes: Red Rocks vs. UCLA
- Salt Lake Tribune: New Arena Impact
- Deseret News: Utah Gymnastics Community Support
- Daily Bruin: Utah Ends UCLA’s Win Streak
- Daily News: UCLA vs. Utah Gymnastics Rivalry
- Wikipedia: Utah Red Rocks
- Google Search: Utah Gymnastics
- Google Scholar: Utah Gymnastics
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Utah Red Rocks
- Google News: Utah Gymnastics
