2 weeks Ago By Dana Greene
FORT WORTH, Tex. (ABC4 Sports) - For the fifth straight year, the Utah gymnastics team will compete for the national championship.The Red Rocks won their semifinal meet over UCLA, LSU and Michigan State Thursday night with a score of 197.
7625. The Utes and Bruins move on to the Final Four along with Oklahoma and Missouri on Saturday. After a slow start on the beam, in which freshman Avery Neff was the only Ute to post a score over 9.
90, the Red Rocks got back into the meet on the floor exercise.Red Rocks roll into the NCAA Nationals againGrace McCallum led the way with a 9.950, while Jaylene Gilstrap was also sensational with a score of 9.
925. Makenna Smith (9.9125) and Ella Zirbes (9.
900) helped Utah move into second place after the second rotation.McCallum stuck a 9.950 on the vault, but the rest of the team struggled a bit, as the Utes fell back to third place going into the final rotation.
But that is where the Utes came up with their biggest routine of the season on the bars. Every gymnast scored above a 9.90, led by McCallum's 9.
9625 and Zirbes' 9.9375 as the Utes pulled away for the victory.Utah has finished in third place the last four times making it to the national finals.
Their last national championship came 30 years ago in 1995..
