After a top-three finish in 2024, the Red Rocks are coming in hot this season thanks to the addition of former No. 1 recruit Avery Neff, two additional former five-star recruits in Zoe Johnson and Clara Raposo, and blossoming returners. Although the Red Rocks have graduated notable contributors in Abby Paulson, Maile O’Keefe and lost Jaedyn Rucker to injury, they showed incredible depth during their preview with upwards of eight solid routines on every event, with standout all-around performances by Neff and Makenna Smith. Vault was a place of noticeable improvement following the hiring of Mike Hunger. Johnson was notably absent, reportedly nursing a sore back. While she is back training, it’s unclear whether she will be ready to compete today. The Red Rocks plan to play with their depth this season, so it is very possible to see unexpected lineup choices early in the season.
Following a 45th-place finish last season, the Aggies will be looking to move up the rankings back into the top 36 where they lived before 2023. With three graduate students returning for their fifth years and a stellar freshman class, the Aggies are looking to make a statement at this season opener and allow the freshman to get some valuable competition experience in an arena as big as the Huntsman Center. According to head coach Kristin White, one-third of the Aggies’ lineups tomorrow will be filled by freshmen.
Rotation 1: Utah VT Utah State UB
Zirbes (Utah): Big 1.5 with a decent hop. A little bit of knee bend as she prepares to land
Orengo (Utah State): Nice blind Jeager to overshoot. Ends with a double lay with a slide back. Good start.
McCallum (Utah): Yurchenko full. Opens very early and lands short with her chest down. Must have stung her calves a bit.
Jelen (Utah State): Toe hand to a maloney to pak. Leg separation throughout, but ends with stunning double layout with a hop back.
Winger (Utah): Bounds forward out of her yurchenko 1.5. Doesn’t quite get a pop off the table and a little bit of soft knees.
VanderToolen (Utah State): Maloney to pak with a little bit of legs apart. Stalder into an open double tuck. Love her lines
Neff (Utah):: Biiiggg 1.5 with a nice hop forward. Would like to see a little more distance from the table. Hopefully this will get the vault rotation back on track
Bibey (Utah State): Off on the Tkatchev. Finishes with a clear hip to a bail handstand and nice double layout with a step back. Great potential there.
Smith (Utah): Half on, front pike off. Great pop off the table and just a step forward. Little bit straight legged, but consistent as always.
Brooks (Utah State): Big ray to a nice bail. Solid. Nice double layout with a hop in place. Best routine I’ve seen from them so far.
Glynn (Utah): STUCK 1.5. Little bit of soft knees, but great pop off the table and open hips in the air. Solid.
Medrano (Utah State): Toe hand to maloney to pak. Some leg separation throughout, but adds an exclamation point to the routine with a stuck double layout. Some great collegiate debuts tonight.
Johnson and Raposo having a rough time on vault in the exhibition spots for Utah. Vater with a solid exhibition for Utah State.
After 1: 48.925 Utah 48.875 Utah State
Definitely not how Utah wanted to start on vault, but still has time to turn things around. Steady start for Utah State on bars. Those Utah State freshman absolutely came to play!
Rotation 2: Utah UB Utah State VT
Brooks (Utah State): Very crunched on the table and bailed to land safely. Looks like she punched on the vault safety. 8.375.
Smith (Utah): Great handstands. Wow. Maloney half with feet GLUED together. Ends with another hit handstand. Toe hand to front pike half dismount. Great start. 9.875
Vandertoolen (Utah State): Pikes down her yurchenko full, but gets it to her feet with a hop back. 9.675
Padurariu (Utah): Maloney to great bail handtsand to toe hand. Full out dismount with her chest a bit low. Handstands were the highlight of this routine. 9.850
Vater (Utah State): Full on tuck off. Very crooked onto the spring board and steps outside the lines, but love to see the 10.0 start values. 9.450
Neff (Utah): Clear hip to gieger to shoot over. Feet are glued and shapes are ever so solid. Ends with a flared out, STUCK full twisting double lay out. Avery Neff, the gymnast that you are! 9.850
Gatzlaff (Utah State): Another Yurchenko full, with a bit of a pike down and a hop back. 9.650
Morgan (Utah): Maloeny to a pak full. Little bit of crossed feet in the air. Toe hand to a Celestine dismount! (Stalder toe front half). Stuck! Good handstands! 9.900. Nice
Medrano (Utah State): Big full! Flares out the arms and nice flat hips. Just a hop back. Great! 9.800
Zirbes (Utah): HUGE jeager, but struggles to control the bail. Almost off on the squat on but saves it. Ends with a full out. Can’t wait to see this routine come together. 9.775…? ok…
Morabito (Utah State): Another solid yurchenko full. Good distance and a big hop back. 9.750
McCallum (Utah): Chow to a nice pak. Maloney half up to the high bar. Last handstand right on top of the bar. Almost sticks the full-out distance, but takes a step back. 9.900.
Beautiful exhibition from Glynn on bars, would not be suprised to see that in the lineup next week. 9.900
After 2: 98.300 Utah 97.200 Utah State
Vault was a struggle for both teams, but Utah pulls out a strong performance on bars. Utah State missing power on vault, but its still early in the season.
Rotation 3: Utah BB Utah State FX
Padurariu (Utah): Double wolf turn. Split jump to sheep jump. Missed the series. A tiny bit underrotated gainer pike at the end and takes a step forward. 9.850. Solid.
Eagles (Utah State): Front lay to rudi to split jump. Travels back and steps out, but good power. Switch side to a popa. Missing a bit of precision. Very high double tuck to close, but chest a tiiiny bit down. 9.575
Winger (Utah): Handspring layout layout with a tiny balance check, but covers it well. Switch leap to split jump. Good splits. Handspring to a stuck gainer full. Great work. 9.950!!!!
Orengo (Utah State) : Double pike to open. Little bit of flexed feet. Slides back into her lunge. Back 1.5 to front layout with a controlled step. Great double tuck to end. Absorbs that landing. 3 passes yay!!!!
Smith (Utah): Nelly Furtado beam song. Queen things. Handspring layout and doesnt move. Front arial to jumps. Tries to cover her balance check. Sticks her gainer pike of the end. Little miss consistency queen Makenna Smith!! 9.900
Stuart (Utah State): Tokyo Drifting for music. Front through to a double tuck and is a little short. Switch ring to switch ring half was a little bit crazy. Whip half to a front full and was a bit short. Most dynamic dancer so far. 9.650
Neff (Utah): Side arial to backhandspring. Picture perfect. Side arial to two feet. Stuck. Shushanova. Love. Sticks the cartwheel to gainer full off the side. Obsessed. Obsessed. Obsessed. 9.875
Medrano (Utah State): Nice double pike with a small slide back. Back 1.5 to front layout. A little low. Ends with a double tuck. Get the chest up and absorbs her landing . Great recovery from the freshman. 9.675
Morgan (Utah): Handspring Handpring layout step out. Ever so solid. Switch leap to switch half. Great split on both. No wobbles yet. Front gainer full off the side. Goes onto her toes to hold her stick. 9.850
Utah beam is Utah beaming.
Morabito (Utah State): HUGE full in to open. Stunning random sissone. Tour jete half to split full. Beautiful extension and big splits. Front full to front tuck. Opens right up to a controlled step. Best routine of the floor rotation. 9.850.
McCallum (Utah): Triple wolf to double wolf. Makes it look so darn easy. Backhandspring layout step. with a small check. Switch leap to a split leap. Love the back dive. Tuck gainer full off the end. Big amplitude and chest straight up and down. 9.900
RIP to the Utah side arial layout step out era.
Vater (Utah State): Short on the front double full to start, but keeps it to her feet. Switch leap to a Johnson. Back 1.5 to front layout with a great controlled lung. Beautiful long lines. 9.575
After 3: Utah 147.775 Utah State 145.600
Utah having a great night following their rough start on vault. Utah State hasn’t quite had the start they would’ve wanted on floor.
Rotation 4: Utah FX Utah State BB
Jelen (Utah State): Beautful side arial to backhandspring. Doesn’t move. Nice switch leap. Backhandspring into gainer full off the side with a small step back. 9.775
Smith (Utah): Oh wow. Front double full to front tuck. Opens right up to a stick. 60s themed choreo. So. Much. Fun. Rudi to a layout step out and sticks. Oh yes!! 9.875. Great potential here.
Eagles (Utah State): Handspring layout step out with a tiny check. Side arial to jumo series. Switch leap to split jump. Round off to 1.5 to finish. Small hop. Clean. Possibly missing a dance series. 9.725
Glynn (Utah): Clean front double full to open. Britney spears music. Switch leap to switch side to popa. Great extension on all three. Back 1.5 to a front lay. A little long, but gets it around. Would love to see a bit more control on that. 9.800
Orengo (Utah State): Cat leap to front toss to backhandspring. Maybe the smallest break in connection, but I bet they will give it to her. Switch to a split jump. Sticks her roundoff 1.5. Solid. 9.775
Krump (Utah): In for Zirbes. Rudi to open. Chest maybe a tiny bit down. Johnson, maybe a tiny bit under rotated. Front lay to front full to a floaty front tuck. Dynamic. Whip half to a front full with just a step. What a debut for Krump!! 9.825
Medrano (Utah State): Off on the handspring layout step out. Split jump to split 3/4. Good split positions. Nice gainer full off the side. Just a hop back. 9.075
Neff (Utah): Front full to front double full and doesn’t get it to her feet. Risk versues reward. Back 2.5. So controlled. Switch side to a wolf full. Ends with a rudi to a floaty layout step out. Still smiling though! 9.225
Witte (Utah State): Stunning handspring handspring layout. Absolutely beautiful. Front arial with the tiniest check. Sticks her gainer full off the side. Definitely the highlight of this beam rotation so far. Gorgeous, gorgeous gymnastics. 9.700. ??
Gilstrap (Utah): Beautiful dance. Front lay to a rudi, Gets her chest up to land. Switch half to a sissone half. Great positions. Tour jete half to her knee. Front lay to a front half. Will miss out on her some bonus here. 9.700
Brooks (Utah State): Front arial to one armed backhandspring. The most beautiful lines. Korbut to some unique on the beam choreo. Back handspring to gainer full off the side. Small slide back. What a beam worker. 9.775
McCallum (Utah): Big full in and jumps to a lunge. Chest is up. Double wolf turn. Great artistry. Switch leap to a switch full. Nice Splits. Front tuck through to a double tuck. A little high in her back handspring and struggles to get it around. Walks off looking winded. 9.800.
FINAL: UTAH 196.775 UTAH STATE 194.450
VT: Glynn 9.925
UB: Morgan 9.900
BB: Winger 9.950
FX: Smith 9.875
AA: Smith 39.500
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Live blog by Mary Collier
Why was Neff SO underscored on UB and BB? i really don’t get it. Especially beam deserved more…
Do you have any idea what the Judge, Carl, saw to deduct on Avery’s beam? He may have thought that her feet brushed the mat on the Shushunova, but it is clear that they didn’t from replays. Fun fact: this is the first time that Avery has fallen on floor in competition since the 2019 level ten Nationals, other than that this was her first fall on floor EVER in competition. I don’t blame you for being obsessed with her!