It’s not gymnastics season without a UCLA-Utah rivalry meet — and not even conference realignment can stop this one. This year, it’s a top-five showdown as No. 4 Utah hosts No. 5 UCLA in what promises to be a postseason-level clash.
Utah comes in with momentum, especially after the return of freshman phenom Avery Neff to the all-around last week, just weeks after a double ankle sprain on January 17. Her rapid comeback is a huge boost for the Red Rocks as they gear up for the postseason. Adding to the atmosphere, it’s senior night at the Huntsman Center — always one of the most emotional meets of the year — and the final home appearance for a stacked senior class, including Olympians Grace McCallum and Amelie Morgan, plus fan-favorite Jaylene Gilstrap.
For UCLA, this is the last shot to crack the elusive 198 mark before conference championships — the only team in the top five yet to do so. With Utah’s typical home scoring advantage, the Bruins will need to be at their absolute best to take this one and make a statement. Keep an eye on Chae Campbell’s soaring Yurchenko full and whether Brooklyn Moors can finally earn the perfect 10 fans have been begging for on floor.
With two powerhouse teams so evenly matched, expect this meet to come down to the very last routine — and possibly set the tone for the postseason ahead.
Took some clicking back and forth on Fox Sports but I have found the stream!
Rotation 1: Utah VT, UCLA UB
Zirbes (UU): Y1.5 with a big step forward. 9.85
Campbell (UCLA): Maloney, bail, slightly low on the handstand and the blind half. Double front with a hop forward. 9.775
McCallum (UU): Y1.5, anticipates the stick a little too early and takes a step back and another step in place to keep her balance. 9.85
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Maloney with leg separation, better form on the pak. Short on the handstand into clear hip, full twisting double back with a hop. 9.775
Neff (UU): Y1.5, STUCK. As a reminder she sprained both ankles on January 17. She is not human. 9.95
Malabuyo (UCLA): Maloney, pak with the tiniest bit of leg separation but the judges probably won’t see it. Full in with a slide back. 9.875
Glynn (UU): Y1.5, lands with straight knees and takes a big, bouncy step forward.
McGowan (UCLA): Clear hip to straddle Tkatchev to overshoot. Double lay, really nice in the air and looked stuck, on replay you can see she took the tiniest bounce in place. 9.9
Smith (UU): Omelianchik, stuck on her toes. 9.925
Esparza (UCLA): Maloney to Bhardwaj, good form, same on the Van Leeuwen. Shy on her last handstand, double lay stuck! 9.950
Johnson (UU): First competitive vault and she’s in the anchor spot! Y1.5, lots of distance and a big step forward. 9.850
Chiles (UCLA): Her usual big piked Tkatchev to pak. Double lay dismount, lots of height but lands with some chest down and takes a small scootch forward. 9.925
So…are we going to see the exhibitions???
I guess not. Oh well.
After 1: Utah 49.425, UCLA 49.425
We are TIED after one rotation! This rivalry meet is definitely not disappointing so far. Both teams improved their event totals from last week, with big scores from Avery Neff’s stuck vault and Frida Esparza’s standout bars routine. Let’s see if this meet stays close!
Rotation 2: UCLA VT, Utah UB
Jenkins (UCLA): Y1.5, a little flat and underrotated with a hop back. 9.75
Smith (UU): Gets good air time on her pak. Nice form on the Van Leeuwen. Toe on front pike half, again sticks it on her toes! 9.95
Moors (UCLA): Front handspring pike half, stuck with her chest down. 9.875
Glynn (UU): Maloney, bail, really quick, aggressive bars work. Double tuck with a big step. 9.85
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Y1.5, very underrotated and has to takes a few steps back. 9.75
Neff (UU): Big Gienger to overshoot. FULL TWISTING DOUBLE LAYOUT STUCK! It’s back!! How is this possible??? 9.925
McGowan (UCLA): Y1.5, really quick in the air and a hop forward. 9.875
Morgan (UU): Maloney to Bhardwaj to Vah Leeuwen. Sticks her stalder front tuck half with her feet apart. 9.875
Campbell (UCLA): Yfull, almost identical to last week with height/flare/small slide back. 9.9
Zirbes (UU): Straddle jaeger to a loose overshoot. Full in with a step back, maybe rushed the dismount a tad. 9.85
Chiles (UCLA): Ydouble, underrotates and lands a bit crunched and has to hop and step forward. Not sure why she decided to bring back this vault at a high pressure rivalry meet but hey, what’s life without a bit of risk? 9.775
McCallum (UU): Maloney, pak, no leg separation on either. The same with the Van Leeuwen. Full in with a hop back. 9.925
After 2: Utah 98.950, UCLA 98.600
Utah had a fantastic bars rotation, with a 9.95 in the lead off from Smith and the return of Neff’s full twisting double layout. UCLA had underrotation problems throughout that vault rotation, and it’ll be interesting to see if Chiles sticks with her Yurchenko double next week. Utah has the lead going to beam, but UCLA is more than capable of making up the difference on floor.
Rotation 3: Utah BB, UCLA FX
Morgan (UU): Bhs bhs loso, small adjustment. Switch half to beat jump. Gainer front full and hangs onto the stick. 9.875
Webster-Longin (UCLA): Opens with a front double full, keeps control of the lunge. I love how much she uses facial expressions in her choreography! Back 1.5 to front lay, dances out of it. Closes with a Rudi and hops back in the lunge. 9.85
Winger (UU): Bhs loso loso, solid. Switch leap to switch jump, confident. Finishes her full turn on releve and kicks it out. Bhs gainer full, stuck. 9.95
McGowan (UCLA): OOB on the full in. Good height on her leap pass. Back 1.5 to front full, good control out of it. 9.65, UCLA will want to drop that.
Smith (UU): Starts off with a candle mount. Bhs loso, has to take a step back but minimizes wobbles. Front aerial to split jump to straddle quarter, arguably there was a small adjustment before the split jump but I doubt the judges will break the connection. Gainer pike with a small step. 9.85
Malabuyo (UCLA): Double pike, a bit too much juice and bounces back in the lunge. Great precision in her leaps. This dance in this routine always makes me smile. Clean double wolf turn. Back 1.5 to front lay, a little flat but she muscles out the lunge. Probably won’t be last week’s 9.9 but still a good bounce back routine for the Bruins. 9.85
McCallum (UU): Candle mount. Her signature triple wolf turn to double wolf turn, perfect. Bhs loso, rock solid. Switch leap to leap is good. Something about the seniors flashing the U for the last time in the Huntsman Center during regular season is making me emotional. Gainer tuck full dismount, stuck. Could it be a 10? And it is! Aww I love that Jordan is clapping for her too. What a moment for McCallum! The emotions are really coming out now.
Campbell (UCLA): The Black Panther routine is back! It goes with the leotard theme as well. Opens with a huge full in. Front lay to front full, gets good airtime. Closes with a double back, nails the landing. 9.9
Neff (UU): Side aerial to bhs, difficult and really well executed. Cat leap to side aerial, pauses before the straddle down. Cartwheel gainer full, stuck. 9.925
Moors (UCLA): Opens with her usual high front double full to punch front. Her musicality is just so good. One of the highest LOSOs I’ve seen her do. Rudi to close. The team (and I presume the fans at home) are all cheering for a 10. But it’s a 9.95
Padurariu (UU): I very nearly typed UCLA instead of UU, you’d think I’d be used to it by now. Starts the routine with a double wolf turn. Front aerial to bhs, off on the front aerial but hides it and makes the connection. Split jump to sheep jump, I couldn’t judge the position in the air from this camera angle. Gainer pike with a hop forward and then a quick step into the salute. 9.85
“The last time [Chiles] was on FOX was against Michigan State” … have we forgotten about the meet literally last week?
Chiles (UCLA): Double layout, perfect lunge out of it. Shoutout Sam for pointing out how Chiles and Moors are equal in performance quality. Stumbles a bit out of her Wonder Woman jump. Punch front to double tuck, lands short and has to lunge forward. 9.825
I can hear Gilstrap’s beam music playing but do we get to see that routine? No. Sigh…
After 3: Utah 148.550, UCLA 147.975
That was a great beam rotation for Utah, with the obvious highlight being McCallum’s 10.0. She still has floor to go, but what a story for senior night! UCLA managed to avoid counting a 9.650, but the absence of Chiles’ usual 9.9+ score means that they have over a half point deficit to make up with just one rotation to go. It’s a tall order, but UCLA proved last week that it can score big on beam when it matters.
Rotation 4: UCLA BB, Utah FX
Lee (UCLA): Front aerial to split jump, solid. Bhs loso, tiny foot adjustment. Switch leap to straddle jump, good. Bhs gainer full, stuck. 9.9
Glynn (UU): Opens with a front double full, slightly wild lunge but doesn’t slide her foot. Switch leap, straddle quarter, Popa, good precision. Back 1.5 to front lay, dances out of it. 9.825
Webster-Longin (UCLA): In for Chiles. Great mount, really shows off her strength and balance. Calm and controlled full turn. Bhs bhs loso, small hip check but hangs on to it. Beat jump to side aerial, no problems. Switch leap, switch jump, good. RO 1.5 twist with a medium hop forward. Freshman performing like a veteran there. 9.8
Zirbes (UU): Front double full, good control in the lunge. Good split position in her leaps. Back 1.5 to front full, that pass can give her trouble but she got through it with no problems tonight! 9.9
Campbell (UCLA): Bhs flick lay to two feet, solid. Leap to switch half to beat jump, no wobbles. Cartwheel gainer full, stuck. 9.95
Neff (UU): Front double twist to punch front, slightly wild lunge out of it. Has a back tuck in the middle of the choreography to get the back tumbling requirement. Front full to front full, nice and floaty. I still cannot believe how fast her comeback has been. 9.875
Moors (UCLA): Front aerial to bhs, a tiny bit off but covers well. Bobble on the full turn but turns it into a pivot. Cat leap to side aerial, good. Major hip break on her switch half. Front tuck full dismount with a step. 9.650
Gilstrap (UU): Get your tissues, it’s time for Jaylene Gilstrap’s last floor routine in the Huntsman. Front lay to Rudi, gorgeous. I love how much of the floor she uses in her leap pass. Front lay to front full, pauses to show the landing before dancing out of it. The crowd is giving that routine a standing ovation! 9.9, 9.95/9.85 split
Alipio (UCLA): Bhs bhs loso, snaps the arms back and no wobbles. Side aerial, similar technique with her arms. Leap to switch leap to beat jump, solid. Tuck full off the end of the beam, stuck. 9.9
Smith (UU): Front double full to punch front, stuck cold. I love her performance quality in this routine, it’s so much fun! Finishes with a Rudi to loso. And it’s another standing ovation for her! 9.975, the crowd is NOT happy with that, but she is.
Utah has broken 198 for the second time this season!
Malabuyo (UCLA): Clean full wolf turn. Bhs loso, no problem. Front aerial to beat jump to bhs swingdown, great. Split jump to split ring, super aggressive and no wobbles. Doesn’t quite hit 180 on the scale. Bhs gainer full with a hop back. 9.9
McCallum (UU): Tucked full in with a big bounce on the landing. Punch front to double back, slides back in the lunge. More controlled in her switch leap to split leap full. 9.9 feels verrry generous but it’s Utah senior night so I don’t know why I’m surprised.
FINAL: Utah 198.100, UCLA 197.425
What a senior night for Utah! Scoring was a bit loose for some routines, but the Red Rocks still showed amazing gymnastics, and a 198+ score is a huge boost going into postseason. UCLA would have been hoping for a bigger number, and gave away several tenths on landings, but showed it can perform in a high pressure environment, which bodes well for postseason.
If you’ll need me, I’ll be contemplating how Avery Neff managed to score 39.675 in the all-around and claim the vault title in just her second meet back in the all-around, just two months after what looked like a season-ending injury.
VT: Neff (Utah) – 9.950
UB: Esparza (UCLA) – 9.950
BB: McCallum (Utah) – 10.000
FX: Smith (Utah) – 9.975
AA: Smith (Utah) – 39.700
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