SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah gymnastics team is one step closer to the NCAA Championships after delivering a strong showing on the opening night of the NCAA Regionals at the Huntsman Center.
The Red Rocks posted a score of 197.625, finishing in a tie with the University of Denver. Both squads earned their spots in Saturday’s regional finals, where they’ll be joined by UCLA and Minnesota. The top two teams from that meet will punch their tickets to the NCAA Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas, set for two weeks from now. Utah is aiming to extend its incredible streak of 48 consecutive appearances at Nationals.
Senior standout Grace McCallum dazzled the home crowd by earning a perfect 10 on the uneven bars — the second of her collegiate career. Meanwhile, freshman Avery Neff impressed in her postseason debut by capturing the all-around title with a score of 39.650.
Utah began the night on the floor exercise and quickly set the tone. McCallum and Makenna Smith each earned 9.950s, while Neff and Jaylene Gilstrap followed closely behind with 9.900s, sweeping the top four scores in the event.
On vault, Neff once again led the charge with a 9.950, and Zoe Johnson contributed a strong 9.925 to help maintain momentum.
McCallum’s perfect 10 on bars electrified the crowd and marked her second flawless routine of the season — her previous came on beam during a March meet against UCLA.
The beam, however, proved to be Utah’s toughest rotation of the night. Neff and Amelie Morgan posted the team’s highest scores in the event, each with a 9.900.
Stanford and BYU rounded out the session, finishing third (196.500) and fourth (196.000), respectively.
The regional finals are scheduled for Saturday at 5:00 p.m. at the Huntsman Center — the venue’s first time hosting NCAA Regionals since 2018.
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