Utah Gymnastics Storms Back to Clinch Fifth Straight NCAA Gymnastics Finals Meet
Apr 17, 2025, 11:33 PM | Updated: 11:42 pm
Apr 17, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Utah Utes gymnast Grace McCallum performs on floor exercise during the 2025 Women's National Gymnastics Semifinal at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
SALT LAKE CITY—With a fifth consecutive NCAA championship finals meet berth on the line, the pressure was mounting, and Utah was clinging to hope.
Thanks to the dynamic final rotation, Utah Gymnastics punched its ticket to the NCAA gymnastics finals meet.
Now, the chase for that long-awaited 11th national title is on.
5TH STRAIGHT FINAL FOUR! 🔥#RedRocks pic.twitter.com/i2dBRbggUh
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) April 18, 2025
It’s been nearly three decades since the Red Rocks last held the crown in 1995, but after a rock-solid performance at Dickies Arena, they’re back in the championship round.
Utah secured the top spot in the semifinals with a 197.7625, leading the field. The Red Rocks impressed on bars (49.650) and floor (49.5625), while vault (49.3375) and beam (49.2125) held strong. Joining them in the finals are UCLA (197.7375), Oklahoma (197.550), and Missouri (197.300).
Utah gymnastics’ final rotation was the stuff of legends
Heading into the final rotation, the No. 4 Red Rocks sat in third place, trailing defending national champion LSU and longtime nemesis UCLA by less than a tenth of a point. The margin for error? Essentially nonexistent.
Their fate came down to one thing: the uneven bars.
And Utah delivered like a team that had no interest in watching the finals from the sidelines. Utah was absolutely exceptional, with all counting scores going 9.9+, highlighted by Grace McCallum’s 9.9625 in the anchor spot.
“I just think it takes a lot to be here and be part of this program,” Utah head coach Carly Dockendorf said. “To stand in front of 15,000 fans week after week and carry the weight of that legacy—it’s not for the faint of heart. These women didn’t just carry it. They owned it.”
SEE YA SATURDAY! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/CGc3ykoFuu
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) April 18, 2025
Led by senior Grace McCallum’s 9.965, sophomore Ella Zirbes’ 9.9375, and a statement-making 9.925 from freshman Avery Neff, Utah posted a massive 49.650 in its final event.
That lights-out performance flipped the leaderboard and vaulted the Red Rocks into first place with a 197.7625—enough to edge past UCLA.
Grace McCallum: Led the whole way
Grace McCallum stepped up in a big way on Thursday night.
She shrugged off a rocky start on beam, where balance checks capped her at 9.8125. And she bounced back hard: a 9.95 on floor, 9.95 on vault, and a team- and meet-high 9.9625 on bars sealed her elite showing.
ELLA COMING IN HOT! 🥵#RedRocks | #DROP pic.twitter.com/UOOrz0hOIQ
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) April 18, 2025
Her vault, in particular, turned heads.
“It felt electric,” McCallum said, cracking a smile. “Honestly, I surprised myself a bit when I stuck that landing. That’s one of those moments where all the reps, all the grind—it just clicks.”
Her mindset all night? Simple: fight to the end.
“From the first routine to the last, we battled,” she said. “We didn’t back down. We did what our coaches told us to do—and we fought for every single landing.”
The Red Rocks dug deep, executed, and rallied
The start was anything but pretty. Utah stumbled out of the gate on beam, scoring just 49.2125 in its opening rotation—the second-lowest team score of that round. A fall from Camie Winger resulted in an 8.975, and even McCallum struggled with visible balance checks.
The lone bright spot? Freshman Avery Neff, whose poised 9.9125 helped steady the ship.
Still, Utah was staring up from the bottom.
But panic? That wasn’t part of the plan. The Red Rocks roared back with a scorching 49.5625 on floor, followed by a 49.3375 on vault, and finally, the clutch 49.650 on bars that sealed their semifinal victory.
LET’S GO BIG MAK! 🔥 #RedRocks | @maksmith04 pic.twitter.com/ydd8xrJa8I
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) April 18, 2025
“Scoring’s been wild this season,” Dockendorf said. “But honestly, it’s not about chasing a number—it’s about execution. We’ve got room to grow, especially on the beam. We just need to breathe, trust the process, and not overthink it.”
Now, Utah’s push for an 11th national title—and its first since 1995—is still alive. The championship round kicks off Saturday at 2:30 p.m. MT.
And if the Red Rocks can clean up their beam work? Watch out.
“We know we have to go big,” Dockendorf said. “No one’s holding back in the final. It’s going to come down to who wants it more—and who hits when it counts.”
Utah punched its ticket to the NCAA finals with a meet-leading total of 197.7625—the highest score of the semifinal session. The Red Rocks were locked in from start to finish. They lit up the bars with a 49.650, delivered on floor with a 49.5625, and held their own on vault (49.3375) and beam (49.2125).
Joining them in the championship showdown? UCLA, which posted a 197.7375. Oklahoma is also back in the finals spotlight with a 197.550. Lastly, Missouri, earned a 197.300 to round out the finals.
With all four teams scoring within half a point of each other, this final looks to be a slugfest.
