Utah’s gymnastics crew promised it might be fantastic with out Olympian Grace McCallum. Then the Utes misplaced a shocker meet at Arizona State on Monday.
Learn how to erase that disappointment? With an enormous, historic win.
These fortunate sufficient to be among the many 13,556 within the Huntsman Area had been handled to a report efficiency by the Utes Friday as they downed No. 6 Cal 198.55-197.55.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Vault: Jaedyn Rucker (Utah) 10.0
Uneven bars: Maile O’Keefe (Utah), Abby Brenner (Utah), Andi Li (Cal), Madelyn Williams (Cal) 9.95
Steadiness beam: Maile O’Keefe (Utah) 10.0
Flooring: Abby Paulson (Utah), Maile O’Keefe (Utah) 9.95
All-around: Maile O’Keefe (Utah) 39.75
The Utes’ rating was the third-highest in class historical past with only a 198.6 in 2004 and a 198.575 in 2022 being the one marks greater.
As well as, senior Maile O’Keefe grew to become the varsity report holder with a ten.0 on the stability beam, giving her seven for her profession.
She beforehand was tied with Theresa Kulikowski (1999-2003). O’Keefe hasn’t scored lower than 9.925 this season on the beam and hinted she had a bead on breaking that longstanding report, a mark that stood so lengthy that O’Keefe made those that remembered Kulikowski’s routines really feel moderately outdated.
“I used to be one,” she stated of her age throughout Kulikowski’s time at Utah. “It’s wonderful to work onerous and have my identify within the report guide. She was clearly an incredible athlete and it’s cool to be there.”
Utah was so dominant, it was onerous to recollect the Utes had been in a must-win state of affairs towards the Bears, who had been the final remaining undefeated crew within the league.
The Utes now have an opportunity to win at the least a share of the regular-season title with a house meet towards Arizona on March 3, and a street meet at Oregon State on March 11 remaining earlier than the Pac-12 Championships on March 18.
Utah coach Tom Farden was thrilled with the way in which his crew responded to the loss at Arizona State, which snapped a 33-meet profitable streak towards the Solar Devils.
“They weren’t blissful on Monday,” Farden stated. “It was like kicking a hornets’ nest they usually got here out and also you noticed what they did.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Jaedyn Rucker celebrates a ten on the vault as Utah hosts California, NCAA gymnastics in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.
O’Keefe’s 10.0 wasn’t the one one of many evening as senior Jaedyn Rucker earned one on the vault. The rating was just a little redemption for Rucker, who sat her vault at Arizona State on Monday.
“I didn’t do something totally different,” Rucker stated. “Each week I am going in realizing the bottom of the vault must be good.”
Not like the final two meets, when the Utes failed to interrupt 49.0 on the vault, the Utes opened robust tying their season excessive on vault with a 49.525.
Cal nonetheless managed to have the lead because it opened with a 49.575 on the uneven bars.
Nonetheless, the vibe felt a lot totally different for the Utes than on Monday as they had been total extra crisp and assured on the vault. That perspective carried over to the bars the place they earned the lead with a season-high 49.6, led by 9.95s from Abby Brenner and Maile O’Keefe.
Cal had a 49.575 on the vault to path Utah 99.125-98.725 on the midway mark.
The Utes’ 49.75 on the beam, their second-highest mark of the yr on that occasion, elevated the hole on the Bears who had a 49.325 on the ground.
Utah capped off the meet with a season-high 49.675 on flooring paced by 9.95s from O’Keefe and Abby Paulson.
Utah’s dominance confirmed that the Utes may simply be fantastic with out McCallum in spite of everything, particularly with O’Keefe and Co., popping off the excessive scores.
“It speaks to our crew this yr that with each step again there’s a come up,” O’Keefe stated.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) An injured Grace McCallum cheers on her teammates as Utah hosts California, NCAA gymnastics in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.
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