How’s this for a throwback to the Pac-12 days?
Utah comes into this matchup fresh off a bye week, following a season-high 198.075 in Week 8—headlined by a massive 39.800 all-around performance from Grace McCallum. Freshman Avery Neff also made her return to beam after an early-season injury, earning a strong 9.900. This should be a comfortable win for the Red Rocks, but securing a solid away score in the 197s would be a valuable boost for their NQS.
Washington, meanwhile, has been building momentum after a shaky start to the season. The Huskies put up a respectable 195.650 at Big Fours last week, but they’ll need to improve on that total if they want to avoid being left out of their own regional competition. Consistency is key, and every tenth matters as they fight to stay in the postseason conversation.
It’s worth noting that Neff is slated to compete in the all-around tonight – that’s great news for the Red Rocks.
Rotation 1: Washington vault, Utah bars
McWilliams (UW): Yurchenko full with some form on the table, good distance and a small hop in place. 9.725
Smith (UU): Clean pak to start. Toe on to van Leeuwen, lovely. Toe on front pike half dismount, super clean with a stick but doesn’t quite hold the landing position. 9.850
Lin (UW): Yurchenko full is cleaner than the first with a hop back. 9.725
Glynn (UU): Big leg separation on her Maloney, clean mail. Blind full with a good handstand to double tuck dismount with a big step. 9.725
Innes (UW): Yurchenko full, pikes down and takes a lunge forward. 9.700
Neff (UU): Clear hip to massive Gienger to overshoot – nicely done. Double layout dismount is huge and stuck cold. 9.825
Bolden (UW): Good height on her yurchenko full, hop back. 9.800
Morgan (UU): Maloney to Bhardwaj, very clean. Van Leeuwen with some bent arms. Great handstands throughout. Stalder front tuck half dismount, doesn’t quite get the twist around. 9.825
Mouyenga (UW): Yurchenko full with a big leg separation on the table and some bent knees but good distance, hop back. 9.675
Zirbes (UU): Blind change to Jaeger with excellent height to overshoot. Great height on the full in dismount with a stuck landing. She has such nice lines on this event. 9.900
McDonough (UW): Yurchenko full with the best form in the lineup, lands well with a hop in place. 9.725
McCallum (UU): Chow to Pak. Good handstand on the low bar. Clean van Leeuwen, short handstand on the high bar. Big full in with a small hop. 9.900
After 1: Utah 49.300, Washington 48.675
That was a slower start than the Red Rocks would have liked, but stellar routines from Zirbes and McCallum made for a solid team score. It was a solid rotation for Washington with good landings and nothing out of the ordinary.
Rotation 2: Utah vault, Washington bars
McWilliams (UW): Blind change to Jaeger to overshoot, some foot form throughout but great height on the releases. Finishes with a double layout, big leg separation and a small hop back. 9.650
Zirbes (UU): Yurchenko 1.5, some bent knees and a small step forward. 9.800
Mouyenga (UW): Clean pak. Short handstand on the low bar before her van Leeuwen, big leg separation. Blind full to double tuck dismount, great handstand and a solid stick. 9.650
McCallum (UU): Yurchenko 1.5, deep squat and a step back. That landing makes me so nervous for her knees every time. 9.825 – I’m surprised that number was higher than Zirbes’.
Lin (UW): Clear hip to Gienger to overshoot, great height but some leg form. Dismounts with a full in, leans forward with a shuffle.
Winger (UU): Good distance on her 1.5 with a small hop forward. 9.775
Oppegard (UW): Blind change to Jaeger, very clean. Bail to a great handstand. Double layout, lands a bit deep with a step forward. Good toepoint throughout. 9.750
Neff (UU): Her first vault back – 1.5 is good in the air but underrotated and takes two or three steps backwards. Still so impressive to see her vaulting so soon after that injury. 9.675
McDonough (UW): Blind change to Jaeger to overshoot, very nice. Blind full to double tuck, late handstand but lands very well. 9.825
Smith (UU): Yurchenko half on front pike off, super clean in the air. Squats and swings her arms to hold the stick. 9.950
Russon (UW): Blind change to Jaeger to overshoot – the Huskies really like that series, don’t they? Double layout, gets the stick but doesn’t quite hold it. 9.800
Glynn (UU): Big Yurchenko 1.5, opens up early lands a little short with a big lunge back. 9.800
After 2: Utah 98.450, Washington 48.800
Another okay rotation for Utah – nothing bad, but not a standout performance heading into the postseason. It’s good to see Neff back, and I’m sure that landing will get better with time. Washington was solid again and McDonough is lovely to watch as always.
Rotation 3: Washington beam, Utah floor
Innes (UW): Front aerial to BHS, tiny bobble. Cat leap to side aerial with a hip break but holds on. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, good splits. Round off to 1.5 dismount with a stick – a little nervy but a solid leadoff for the Huskies. 9.800
Glynn (UU): Front double twist, clean and controlled. Switch ring through to to switch side to straddle full, nicely done. 1.5 to front layout, lacking height in the second salto. 9.825
Lin (UW): BHS LOSO with a lean. Switch leap to switch half to beat jump, solid. Round off to 1.5 dismount with bent knees and a small hop. 9.900 – okay, sure.
Zirbes (UU): Front double twist, holds the stick. Switch half to straddle full, a little underrotated. 1.5 to front full, good rise. 9.900
Oppegard (UW): BHS LOSO, solid. Switch leap to switch half to beat jump. Side aerial, low chest with a small lean. Gainer full off the side, sticks but does not hold the landing position. 9.850
Neff (UU): Her first floor routine back! Front double twist to front tuck, nails the landing. Switch side to straddle full, a little under. Front full to front full, nicely done. Great comeback. 9.850
McDonough (UW): BHS LOSO, big wobble and she comes off. Cat leap to side aerial, good. Switch leap to split leap, a little tentative on the split positions. Round off to double twist dismount, good with a small hop. Well done after the fall. 9.200
Gilstrap (UU): Front layout to Rudi, excellent height. Switch full to sissone, underrotated but great splits. Front layout to front full, good control. 9.900
Hallinan (UW): Front toss to back tuck, very nice and good speed on a tricky connection. Switch leap to split jump, good splits. Front aerial to beat jump, solid. Round off to 1.5 dismount, some leg form with a small hop. Super solid routine, especially going up after a fall! 9.900
Smith (UU): Front double twist to front tuck, great height. Split ring to cat leap 1.5 to wolf full, rotations a little questionable. Rudi to LOSO to finish, super. 9.925
Russon (UW): Front aerial to BHS to BHS, super solid. Switch leap to ring jump with a lean but good splits. Round off to 1.5 dismount with a step back. They’ll be happy to drop McDonough’s score and put up a strong beam total. 9.800
McCallum (UU): Full in, a little overpowered with a slide back. Front tuck through to double tuck, much better on the landing there. Double wolf turn, loses her balance but saves it. Switch leap to split leap full, good. 9.850
After 3: Utah 147.875, Washington 146.725
That was a great one for the Huskies (maybe with the help of some enthusiastic judging), with 49.250 being their second-highest beam total this season. They’ll be looking to drop the 194.875 from their NQS, and they’ll manage that in the next rotation with just a 48.150. Floor was a return to form for Utah led by Smith’s 9.925 – she’s their MVP tonight in my book.
Rotation 4: Utah beam, Washington floor
Morgan (UU): BHS BHS LOSO, small wobble but holds on. Switch half to beat jump. Front gainer full dismount with a step forward. 9.825
McWilliams (UW): Opens with a big Rudi to LOSO, good height. Switch side half to straddle to straddle, good. Double pike, great landing. Nice start to Washington’s final rotation! 9.825
Winger (UU): BHS LOSO LOSO, big hip break but stays on. Switch leap to split jump. BHS to gainer full dismount with a stick. 9.700
Oppegard (UW): Rudi to straddle jump with some leg form. 1.5 to front layout, solid. Switch ring half, couldn’t see the position at this camera angle but looked decent. Switch ring to switch half, nice. Missed her last pass but it was a solid landing. 9.825
Smith (UU): Has not one but two wobbles on her opening choreography? BHS LOSO, solid. Clean front aerial to split jump to straddle 1/4. Gainer pike off the end, great height and a stuck landing. 9.875
Russon (UW): Ring jump full was not even close to ring position. Double pike, drills the landing, really nice. Front layout to front full, solid. Switch ring through to split leap full to split jump full, precision was not quite there. Really nice tumbling in that routine but I can’t get behind the choice of dance elements. 9.775
McCallum (UU): Triple wolf turn, then her double wolf turn – both super solid. BHS LOSO, good. Good split positions in her dance series. Gainer tuck full off the end, nice stuck landing. Great set for her! 9.950
Lin (UW): Front double twist, clean and controlled. Switch half to straddle full, good splits. Rudi, a little underrotated with a stumble. 1.5 to front layout, a little leg form but good height. 9.850
Neff (UU): Side aerial to BHS, very good. Cat leap to side aerial to Shushunova, good. Cartwheel gainer full off the side with a stick. Clean and efficient routine for her. 9.925
McDonough (UW): Rudi to LOSO, clean but not as much height as the others we’ve seen tonight. Split leap full to straddle jump full, good splits. Front double full, a touch underrotated but lands well. Great toepoint throughout the whole routine. 9.875
Gantner (UU): BHS LOSO with a wobble. Switch half to straddle jump, small lean. Round off to 1.5 dismount, deep squat and a small hop back. 9.775
Innes (UW): The Huskies already have a good one going, and they can add a big score from Innes here. Front double twist, clean and high. Split leap full to split jump full, good splits. 1.5 to front layout, great rise on the second salto. Finishes with a Rudi, pikes down but lands well. 9.875
FINAL: Utah 197.225, Washington 195.875
That was a pretty solid meet overall with just one fall in the entire competition. Utah was good, but will want to be better heading into the postseason – this team has hit 198.000 and will want to do it again. Washington is steadily working its way towards a regionals spot, posting its second-highest score of the season here. The Huskies will have to keep this positive momentum to secure their place in the top 36.
VT: Makenna Smith (Utah) – 9.950
UB: Ella Zirbes and Grace McCallum (Utah) – 9.900
BB: Grace McCallum (Utah) – 9.950
FX: Makenna Smith (Utah) – 9.925
AA: Makenna Smith (Utah) – 39.600
READ THIS NEXT: A Day in the Life of a College Gymnast: Leotards
Live blog by Sophie Poirier
