This title appears to be Utah’s for the taking, especially with Denver coming off a loss to Oregon State. However, while the Utes have been steady throughout February and March, any return of early-season inconsistencies could open the door for both BYU and Denver. The Pioneers last won this title in 2021, when they upset then-No. 1 Oklahoma, and BYU is peaking at the right time after posting a season-high 197.225 in last week’s upset of Clemson.
Denver looked on track to record its second score of 197 or higher last week but was derailed by beam, managing just a 47.400 with two falls. Still, the Pioneers have strong scoring potential, highlighted by a season-high 49.600 on floor.
Utah, the top seed, will compete in Olympic order, starting on vault, where it ranks No. 3 nationally. A strong start there will be key to setting the tone; any struggles could signal an opportunity for challengers. The Utes also boast a season-high 49.750 on bars and will benefit from competing at the Maverik Center, where they typically enjoy strong fan support. Sophomore Avery Neff, currently ranked No. 8 nationally in the all-around, will be central to Utah’s success.
BYU has also shown event strength, with season highs of 49.550 on both beam and floor, reinforcing its ability to contend if Utah falters.
An uneven early season has kept Utah lower in the rankings than expected, making a strong score here important not only for the conference title but also for regional positioning.
Individually, several gymnasts could make an impact. Denver’s Shyla Bhatia and Utah’s Abbi Ryssman—both recently named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team—have each posted career highs above 9.900 on multiple events and could factor into event title races. Arizona’s Emma Strom has been a standout on floor, and the Wildcats will be looking to post a high team score to avoid the regional play-in round.
The meet will be streamed on ESPNU, and scores can be found here.
In the afternoon session, Arizona State prevailed over West Virginia with a 195.225.
Denver is debuting its new Lightning leotard tonight.
Rotation 1: Utah VT, BYU UB, Denver BB, Arizona FX
Winger (Utah) – 1.5 Yurchenko with a step back, knees in the air. 9.800
Kirkham (BYU) – Maloney to overshoot to handstand, some leg separation. Short on final handstand. Double layout with a medium step back. 9.700
Aamold (Denver) – BHS to layout stepout is nice. Switch leap to split jump but this is a terrible angle to judge split positions. Front aerial to beat jump. Gainer pike dismount with a small step forward. 9.800
Zirbes (Utah) – 1.5 Yurchenko with a small hop forward, some knees in the air. 9.850
Glazier (BYU) – Jaeger is good. Good position on overshoot to handstand. Double layout with some leg separation, bounce in place. 9.825
Steeley (Denver) – Front aerial with a small wobble. Big wobble on BHS layout stepout, one leg comes up. Nice head release on the ring jump in her leap series. BHS Gainer full with a small hop back. 9.525
Carman (Arizona) – Double pike with a small slide. Switch half to stag jump. 1.5 twist to front layout, bouncy out of it. Switch half to wolf full x2, lower leg on those. 9.875
Silva (BYU) – Jaeger is good. Clear hip to high Pak with leg separation. FTDT with a small hop. 9.675
Gallen (Denver) – BHS layout stepout is solid. Switch leap to switch half with a small lean to beat jump. Leans coming out of the full turn. Hop forward on the Gainer full. 9.700
Replay of Smith on vault for Utah – stuck the Omelianchik cold. 9.950
LaRusso (Arizona) – Punch front 2/1, solid control on the step out. Cat leap to switch side to Popa x2. 1.5 twist to front layout that’s underrotated. 9.850
Eaquinto (BYU) – Maloney to Pak salto. Double layout with a small hop back. 9.750
Derr (Arizona) – Joining in progress. Front layout front full. Appreciate that attitude turn. 9.925
Glynn (Utah) – 1.5 Yurchenko with a small hop to the side. 9.875
Jorgensen (BYU) – BIG Ray. Great position in overshoot to handstand. Short on final handstand. Double layout with a small hop back. 9.750
Hargraves (Denver) – Front aerial to BHS isn’t the fastest connection, but no balance errors. Gets through leaps. Gainer front full is stuck. 9.850
Martin (Arizona) – Double pike with a bounce back. Switch ring to tour jete 1/2. Front layout to front full is good. Double back has another big bounce back. 9.800
Neff (Utah) – 1.5 Yurchenko, step back and to the side. 9.900
Alvarado (BYU) – Maloney with leg separation to overhsoot to handstand that goes over, but she pulls it back. Double layout with a small hop back.
Mead (Arizona) – FHS to front 2/1 has a bounce forward and her foot goes out of bounds. Tour jete 1/2 to split jump full. Lands the Rudi in a deep squat but avoids falling. Doesn’t do the layout stepout, however. 9.150
AFTER ONE: Utah 49.375, Arizona 49.325, Denver 49.050, BYU 48.775
Although it finished with its drop routine, Arizona shows out on floor, finishing only half a tenth behind Utah. The Utes had a solid rotation, but only showed one stick, keeping the total down. Denver can breathe easy after a comeback beam rotation that didn’t count a fall. BYU nickel and dimed itself with short handstands and small landing errors, leaving it chasing the pack.
Rotation 2: Arizona VT, Utah UB, BYU BB, Denver FX
Wise (Arizona) – A small hop back on her FTY, piked down. 9.725
Sonnenberg (BYU) – Beat jump to straddle half is good. Major wobble on her series, one foot comes just off the beam, takes her a minute to regain her balance. Cat leap to side aerial with a tiny waver. BHS Gainer full is stuck. 9.650
Martin (Arizona) – FTY with a hop back, flexed feet in the air. 9.725
Glynn (Utah) – Maloney with leg separation throughout to overshoot to handstand. Stalder to double back, landed very low and takes two large steps forward. 9.575
Hargraves (Denver) – Front layout to Rudi with a good landing. Leaps looked good. 1.5 twist to layout is solid. 9.900
Ryssman (Utah) – Joining in progress. Pak salto is good. Double layout has some leg separation but is stuck. 9.850
Alvarado (BYU) – Love the interesting chest stand mount. BHS layout stepout with a lean to the side. Switch leap to Rueda, great combination. BHS to Gainer full, looks like just a lean to the side, but couldn’t see her feet to tell if they moved. 9.775
Derr (Arizona) – FTY with a hop back, significant pike down. 9.775
Zirbes (Utah) – HUGE Jaeger to overshoot. Such great handstands and toe point. FTDT is stuck. 9.850
Eaquinto (BYU) – BHS to side aerial has a small wobble, picks one foot up. Beat jump to split 3/4 almost has her off, bends at the waist and picks up one leg. BHS Gainer full is stuck. 9.500
Greever (Arizona) – FTY with a hop back and a tad off center. 9.750
Padurariu (Utah) – Doesn’t catch her Maloney – they’re gonna count Glynn’s score now. Carly comes up and talks to a distressed-appearing Ana. I think she might not go again. Yep, she’s done. 5.200, eesh, that just hurts to see.
Reidenbach (Denver) – Whip half to Rudi with a bit of a bigger step back. Switch side 1/2 to straddle jump is fine. Double back has a good landing. 9.900
Neff (Utah) – Clear hip to Geinger to overshoot looks great. Full-in double layout is stuck. 9.900, lots of boos from the Utah-friendly crowd
Cooley (Denver) – Front layout to Rudi to split jump that travels back significantly. Switch ring half to split jump. 1.5 twist to high front layout, bouncy coming out of it. 9.850
AFTER TWO: Denver 98.475, Utah 98.425, Arizona 98.075, BYU 97.675
We have a change in the leader and surprisingly, it’s not Utah. Denver was leading the Utes before Cooley’s score even came in. That beam performance gave it the confidence that showed in that excellent floor rotation. A real missed opportunity for Utah to capitalize on bars, one of its best events. Neff and Smith are keeping up the momentum, though. Arizona fell behind after not sticking any landings in a vault rotation that lacks 10.000 start values. BYU had too many errors throughout the rotation to make up any ground after the first rotation.
Rotation 3: Denver VT, Arizona UB, Utah BB, BYU FX
Hargraves (Denver) – Sticks the FTY! Chest a bit low. 9.800
Gantner (Utah) – BHS layout stepout is rock solid. Switch half to straddle jump, first element looked under split. 1.5 twist – she has to lean and raise one heel but doesn’t move her feet otherwise. 9.875
Kasparian (Denver) – She sticks her FTY! Denver is coming for it. On replay she did take a tiiiiiny shuffle back. 9.800
Zirbes (Utah) – This split screen with the closeup of the feet on the beam is kind of hilarious. BHS layout stepout and has to take a step back as she’s a bit off. Hitchkick to switch half that’s a tad under split. Gainer tuck full is stuck. 9.875
Stephenson (BYU) – Following Sonnenberg’s opening 9.950, which we didn’t see. Front layout to Rudi very clean. Front layout front full is well controlled. 9.925
Mead (Arizona) – Has to muscle her first cast up. Falls on the piked Jaeger. She repeats the Jaeger even though she touched the bar the first time. Pak Salto and handstand on the low bar look good. FTDT with a small hop back. 7.200? SV issues, I guess.
Andersen-Broekman (BYU) – Switch ring half. Rudi to straddle jump that travels way back. Switch ring to switch half with good extension and control. 1.5 twist to front layout has loose form but a solid landing. 9.900, currently the drop score!
Hewitt (Denver) – FTY with a hop back. 9.775
Martin (Arizona) – Maloney and off on the Pak salto. Misses last handstand. Double layout is good. 9.000
Brusch (Denver) – Great in the air, but medium hop back. 9.800
Derr (Arizona) – Jaeger. Toe on to Pak Salto, some leg separation. FTDT is stuck. Great job getting Arizona back on track. 9.800
Neff (Utah) – Joining in progress, hits her series. Aerial to two feet. Great leap series. Cartwheel Gainer full is stuck. 9.925
Eaquinto (BYU) – I can’t help but enjoy this cheesy baseball routine. Double pike, looks like she kept the front foot down. Switch ring half to wolf full. 1.5 twist to front layout is good. 9.850
Bhatia (Denver) – 1.5 Yurchenko with a step forward. 9.800
Winger (Utah) – Getting a replay. BHS layout stepout x2 is right on. Switch leap to split jump, both looked a tad under split. BHS Gainer full is stuck. 9.975
Hale (BYU) – Her career debut on floor, wow. Double back and has to take a step back but just avoids the out of bounds. Leap series had good extension, but take off and landing positions were unclear. Rudi to layout stepout, had trouble with the punch in between but managed it. 9.750
AFTER THREE: Utah 147.950, Denver 147.475, BYU 147.150, Arizona 145.475
Utah pulled away with that display of prowess on beam. Padurariu came out of the lineup after her mishap on bars, but the Utes weren’t affected. Even with two sticks, Denver fell behind with hops on the other routines and only one 10.000 start value vault. BYU had an excellent go on floor, posting three scores of 9.9+, to bring them within striking distance of Denver. Arizona struggled on bars, ultimately counting two falls that put them out of contention. Utah is firmly in the driver’s seat now. The Pioneers have to nail bars and hope that the Utes will falter while also fending off BYU from behind.
Rotation 4: BYU VT, Denver UB, Arizona BB, Utah FX
Stephenson (BYU) – FTY is nice in the air, hop back. 9.750
Kastl (Denver) – Maloney to high Pak salto. Giant full to double back with a tiny hop forward. 9.750
Glynn (Utah) – I thank her and Sullivan for feeding my lifelong Britney Spears obsession this year. She’s well short of rotation on the front 2/1 and puts her hands down. Great extension on her leaps. 1.5 twist to front layout is solid. 9.150
Reidenbach (Denver) – Falls on her Jaeger. Neither of the top teams sharp in this last rotation so far. She restarts and catches it this time. Overshoot to handstand. Sticks the double layout. 9.175
Krohnfeldt (Arizona) – BHS layout stepout. Split jump is under split, but double stag ring is nice. Front toss with a small lean. A correction on her full turn. BHS 1.5 twist with a tiny adjustment on the landing. 9.725
Johnson (Utah) – Double layout has usual leg separation but stuck on two feet! Front through to double back with a bounce backward. 9.900
Jorgensen (BYU) – Yurchenko full on, pike off, small hop back. 9.825
Rorich (Denver) – Great Jaeger. Overshoot to handstand is right on. Double layout with a hop back. 9.850
Neff (Utah) – Front 2/1 to layout half to split jump. Great height on her leap series. 1.5 twist to front full is good. 9.975
Bhatia (Denver) – Maloney to Pak. Great handstand on the half turn on low. Short on last handstand. Double layout looks like a stick, but ultimately she has to take a step back. 9.800
Zirbes (Utah) – Sticks her front 2/1 on two feet, great. Switch half to Popa. 1.5 twist to front full is good. 9.950
Brusch (Denver) – Maloney to Pak salto with great form. Double layout with a bounce back. 9.850
Smith (Utah) – Showing the crowd the U as she waits to go. Front 2/1 to front tuck, sticks on two feet. Rudi to layout stepout is lovely and floaty. 9.950, Utah clinches the win with that.
Hale (BYU) – FTY with a big hop back. 9.775
Curtis (Utah) – Essentially an encore performance for her. Double pike with a good landing. Switch side half to straddle jump. Front full to front full, a bit bouncy on the step out. 9.950
FINAL: Utah 197.675, Denver 196.575, BYU 196.175, Arizona 194.725
VT: Makenna Smith (Utah), 9.950
UB: Avery Neff (Utath), 9.900
BB: Camie Winger (Utah), 9.975
FX: Avery Neff (Utah), 9.975
AA: Avery Neff (Utah), 39.700
Utah took the momentum during the third rotation and didn’t relinquish it. The Utes easily win their second Big 12 title despite a few hiccups. Denver lost its momentum with the fall on bars in the final rotation, but still put together a solid meet that it can build on going into the postseason. BYU posted close to their season high on floor but had too many small errors on the other events to ever be competitive. Arizona suffered from their lack of difficulty on vault and a nightmare bars rotation, but finished strong on beam with two 9.900s. Arizona State beat out their in-state rival for fourth place overall today.
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Live blog by Diana Scroggins
