It’s Friday night and time for another preview looking toward the 2025 season in just a few short weeks! Tonight, Utah will be in the Huntsman Center for its first showing as a Big 12 team. The Utes come into this preview with the No. 1 overall recruiting class that includes four incredibly talented incoming freshmen. Plus, there’s UCLA transfer Ana Padurariu and fifth-year Jaylene Gilstrap for one final season.
Unfortunately, it was announced late Thursday night that sixth-year Jaedyn Rucker tore her Achilles and will be out for the season, thus ending her gymnastics career. Our hearts go out to her.
Losing Maile O’Keefe, Abby Paulson, and Alani Sabado will take a toll on some of the experience and confidence this team has had for the past five years, but with other strong returning veterans and new faces, this has the potential to be a really wonderful season for the Utes.
Follow along on ESPN+ tonight for Utah’s first official look at the 2025 roster, along with some other special surprises the team has shared for what’s in store tonight!
Okay intro video! Wow! I’m locked in.
Little different from last week, there won’t be any scores shown tonight.
Rotation 1: Vault
Zirbes: Huge Yurchenko 1.5, small step forward, really nice potential lead off vault!
McCallum: New vault from last season, a nice Yurchenko full with a good sized hop out of the lines, most likely will be upgrading to a 1.5 in the season to come!
Winger: Yurchenko 1.5, a little ‘smushed’ on the table but a nice landing with just a small hop forward with a little form break in the twist.
Neff: Debut for Neff here! So exciting! A HUGE Yurchenko 1.5, STUCK. Are we kidding, wow! What a first vault! Just this much more exciting heading towards season.
Smith: Yurchenko half on, pike off, with just a small step forward. Really nice, she’s always so consistent!
Glynn: Yurchenko 1.5, (pretty much) stuck! She fought for that one! But such a beautiful vault for her to start off her second year in Huntsman!
Morgan: Yurchenko 1.5, big step to the right but keeps it on her feet for another 10.0 start value to add to this lineup.
Raposo: Freshman debut! Yurchenko 1.5, big hop forward with just a little chest down on that landing.
After 1:
With the exception of McCallum who is likely to upgrade to 1.5 in the year to come, an entire lineup of 10.0 start value vaults! The potential and depth for the specific event lineup looks extremely promising, and, if this was the first event at Utah’s first official meet, they’d be pretty pleased! With a stuck vault from Neff that probably would’ve gone into that upper 9.9 region, as well as a handful of other really well executed and clean vaults, this event is a great start for the Utes in this preview!
Rotation 2: Bars
Eleven athletes up tonight on bars!
Smith: Starting off with a huge Pak, to a Maloney half, really nice. Toe on, front pike half to a stick! Really nice for on this routine throughout.
Raposo: The 2024 Elite Canada bars champion with her first routine on bars in Huntsman. Starting off with a Stalder to Maloney, Pak down, big leg spearation. Maloney half back up, and a double layout dismount with a small hop to end. Huge routine, with a LOT of difficulty.
Padurariu: First routine as a Ute! Starting off with a huge Maloney to shoot over, nailed the handstand. Dismounts with a beautiful full in dismount, small step back. First routine for her in the books!
Stickler: Another freshman debut! Stickler starting off with a Maloney to immediate Pak, a little close but keeps in on. Maloney half back up, a little leg separation on the catch, blind to double front to end! Another really difficult bar routine for the Utes!
Winger: Maloney to start, to immediate Pak, almost looses the pirouette but keeps in on and ends with a blind full to full in dismount, small step back. Nice routine for her, really controlled it and stayed in the moment.
Kennedy: Starts off with a blind to huge straddle Jaeger, to Pak, super high on both releases. Ends with a STUCK full in dismount! Love this for her!
Glynn: Maloney to start off, really nice to shoot over. Ends with a stalder double tuck, small hop back. Really nice, really clean routine!
Neff: Opens with a beautiful Geinger to shoot over, really nice and clean on that transition. Ends with a HUGE full twisting double layout, flairs it out wow and just a small step back!
Morgan: Maloney to full twisiting Pak, LOVE. Maloney half back up, and a stalder, toe on tuck half, small scoot back to end. Another really unique routine with a lot of difficulty packed into that set.
Zirbes: The HIGHEST Jaeger, WOW to immediate shoot over, basically hits that handstand, and ends with a big full in, small hop back. Beautiful routine!
McCallum: To end this rotation, McCallum starts with a clean Maloney right down to a Pak. Maloney half up and a stuck full in dismount. Wow, what a clean, beautiful routine!
After 2: Another solid rotation for Utah! Being able to put up 11 in a rotation is amazing in itself, but to have eleven athletes competition ready this early, no misses, all looking extremely confident says even more! The highlight of this rotation for me personally was getting out first look at Olivia Kennedy, Utah sophomore, as well as incoming freshman Poppy Stickler, and the routines they are able to potentially bring into this lineup! Having three freshman, UCLA transfer Ana Paduriau and other returning veterans now being able to work their way into these lineups, this is bound to be another strong event for the Utes as it has been for many seasons!
Rotation 3: Beam & Floor
12 up tonight on beam! So exciting tonight, all beam songs are being played by a live pianist, Toby Scott! What a special moment for these athletes.
Padurariu (BB): Double wolf to start, beautiful. Front aerial to BHS, a little off but keeps it connected and on the beam. Split jump to sheep jump, really good. Throws up her first ‘U’ yay! A Gainer pike with a small hop forward and a chest down landing but wow what a nice routine for her in her first time up on beam in Huntsman!
Gilstrap (BB): Candle mount up and immediately into sharp dance. New flight series, solid BHS LOSO. Switch half, little off but stays on. Split jump to split ring, small wobble. Dismounts with a Gainer pike dismount, another new addition to this routine with just the smallest step forward.
Stickler (FX): First floor tonight! Already beyond fun wow! HUGE double layout to open up, small step out of bounds, but nice landing. Switch half to split full split full, gets everything around, nice. Second pass, just a front layout, eventually adding in a front full to get that second pass to be in combination. Overall a really fun routine that is definitely going to be a favorite.
Smith (BB): Okay beam song! 60s vibe we love it. Candle mount to start, BHS LOSO, solid. Front aerial to split jump to straddle 1/4, good connection on these three. Ends with a Gainer pike, stuck!
Glynn (FX): The ponytail is out and ready for the Britney Spears routine!! Front double full to stag jump, a little too much power but keeps it in bounds. Nice leaps down to the floor, and ends with a 1.5 to front layout, really good landing.
Neff (BB): Side aerial BHS series, right on top. Side aerial to toe feet landing, perfect. Shushunova down to the beam, love this unique skill and ends cartwheel to Gainer full, step back but wow what a big routine!
Zirbes (FX): Big front double full to start. Really nice leaps right to choreo and ends with a 1.5 to front full, almost out of bounds but takes a small hop back and keeps it in to end the routine!
Morgan (BB): A little deeper in the lineup for her, but she looks just as confident and strong on this event! BHS BHS LOSO small adjustment. Switch leap to switch half, little short of 180 but good connection. Ends with front Gainer full, stuck!
Winger (FX): Double worm!! Back 1.5 to front full to start, nice landing. Switch ring to Torjete half, nice leaps. Second leap struggled a little to get it around fully, but ends strong with a huge 2.5 twist, a little weird on the landing and steps out of bounds but keeps it on her feet.
Raposo (BB): Side aerial to straddle jump, a little hesitant on the connection. BHS LOSO, solid on that series. Side facing straddle half, really nice. Ends with Gainer full of the side to a stick, really clean routine!
McCallum (FX): Starts with a HUGE, perfectly landed full in. Double wolf turn right into choreo and her signature back dive! Back up for switch leap to Torjete half, and ends with a front thru to a double tuck with just the smallest under rotation on that landing. Otherwise, a beautiful routine!
Krump (BB): BHS BHS LOSO to open the routine, and so solid. Straddle jump to straddle half, a little hesitant on that connection. Ends strong with a stuck Gainer pike!
After 3: Such a fun rotation! Every time routine on both beam and floor were hit for the Utes with several new faces making their debuts! Beam looked strong and confident and floor was exciting with no major signs of lacking that endurance, even though it’s only December! With more beam and floor in this final rotation, we will also see Jaylene Gilstrap’s floor routine accompanied by Toby Scott on the piano that has been amazing so far for this preview!
Rotation 4: Beam & Floor
Zirbes (BB): BHS LOSO, a little off and is off. Gets back up with a nice hitch kick to switch half. Fun tik tok to show off such unique artistry and ends with a Gainer full of the end, stuck! Definitely a routine with so so much potential.
Smith (FX): Sets up with a huge front double full to front tuck right into fun dance! Really unique leaps into choreo, and ends with a beautiful rudi to LOSO. That routine was so entertaining and done so clean! Really had me locked in the whole time!
Stickler (BB): Switch leap up to mount and a really solid BHS LOSO. Double wolf turn, really nice. Gainer pike, smallest hop to end!
Raposo (FX): First pass front thru to double tuck, nice landing just a little low chest. Side pass 1.5 punch front, little under-rotated. Ends with strong double pike, just a little low, but wow! What a routine! So much fun!
Winger (BB): BHS LOSO LOSO, is off on that series. Back up and into a switch leap to split jump, good. BHS Gainer full, small hop forward, but a good recovery after that fall.
Krump (FX): Back layout first pass but will soon be a 2.5. Bice leaps down the middle, and goes into front layout to front full really nice. Whip half to front full, good landing and ends strong!
Gantner (BB): First appearance tonight for her! Opens with a strong BHS LOSO. Switch half to straddle jump, nice connection and rotation on that. Looks so comfortable and confident on this event, and ends a new dismount, a 1.5, small step forward.
Morgan (FX): Not competing on floor this season, so this is just for fun! Yay!
Glynn (BB): Side split half, really nice. Sets up for a front aerial and is off. Sets up again and redoes the front aerial to BHS BHS and is solid in this that triple nice. Nice jump connection in the middle and ends with a Gainer BHS into a Gainer full, stuck!
Neff (FX): Super difficult front full to front double full, really nice. Brings it back with a huge 2.5 twist. Switch side to wolf full, really nice and ends with a rudi to big LOSO. Definitely going to be a big routine for the Utes this season!
McCallum (BB): Last up for the Utes tonight on beam, McCallum opens with her candle mount into a triple wolf turn, perfect, right to double wolf turn. BHS LOSO, little adjustment. Switch leap to split leap, nice. Beam back dive!!! Ends with Gainer full off the end, stuck!
Gilstrap (FX): LIVE PIANO FLOOR! Piano Man! WOW! Tears. Front layout to front rudi, really ncie heaight. Beautiful leaps right into choreo. Ends with perfect front layout to full. Wow, what an honor for her.
Final:
This was an AMAZING way to make a statement for the Utah Utes in its first appearance of the year! The depth and strength already shown by this team is truly remarkable and it is clear how much work has been put in! Vault started the meet on a high note, and the live piano on floor to close out was such a special moment. Being this is only December, I’m sure the next couple of weeks will be small tweaks, but, overall, this is a fierce, strong, determined Utah team, and will undoubtedly be one to watch this coming season.
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Live blog by Julianna Roland
