Two Utah Gymnasts Receive Pac-12 Weekly Awards
Feb 27, 2024, 2:09 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – The Red Rocks had themselves a meet last Friday earning their season high score against Stanford through several key performances that received Pac-12 Weekly Honors.
Super senior Abby Paulson and freshman Ella Zirbes were just two remarkable contributors for the Utes that caught the Conference of Champions’ eyes.
Paulson was named Pac-12 Specialist of the Week for the second time in her career, while Zirbes who earned Pac-12 Newcomer of the Week earned what will likely be the first of many recognitions.
In 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 now,⁰𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 it,
𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 it.@UtahGymnastics | #RedRocks pic.twitter.com/QVpgdjmfjT— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) February 27, 2024
Abby Paulson Has A Near Flawless Night
Paulson has been a keystone in Utah’s success since she came on campus back in 2020 as a freshman with clutch performance after clutch performance.
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In her final season, Paulson may be having her best overall year yet as demonstrated by her performance Friday night that yielded 9.775 on bars (the first time she’s competed the event since 2022), a 9.975 on beam, and a 9.925 for floor.
Paulson has gone seven straight meets in 2024 with a score of 9.9 or higher, and four straight meets with a 9.95 or higher on beam alone.
The @pac12 Specialist of the Week! 🙌@AbbyPaulson earned her second Pac-12 Specialist of the Week award of her career after a near perfect beam routine & season-high scores on bars + floor!
🔗 https://t.co/KOgeCsXCxK#WeOverMe | #RedRocks pic.twitter.com/6XMXL5dtSt
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) February 27, 2024
Ella Zirbes Comes Into Her Own
Zirbes on the other hand is just getting started as a Red Rock.
The freshman got off to a bit of an inconsistent start (to be expected) but has quickly become a steady contributor for Utah.
In last Friday’s meet, the talented gymnast recorded career high scores in all three events she competed in going 9.925 on vault and bars, and 9.950 on floor.
The @pac12 Newcomer of the Week! 🙌@ellazirbess earns her first Pac-12 honor after scoring personal bests on vault, bars & floor!
🔗 https://t.co/KOgeCsXCxK#WeOverMe | #RedRocks pic.twitter.com/Q0sgGgvRtW
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) February 27, 2024
Zirbes is the second freshman to receive Pac-12 weekly honors for the Utes in 2024 following up a stellar performance from Camie Winger on January 16.
This was the first time the Red Rocks have had two Pac-12 Gymnasts of the Week since last year when Maile O’Keefe and Makenna Smith were recognized in the same week.
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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