Red Rocks Post National-High Bars Score In Win Over BYU
Feb 13, 2026, 10:03 PM | Updated: Feb 14, 2026, 3:10 pm
Utah’s Makenna Smith reacts to her vault as the Utah Red Rocks compete against Oregon State in a gymnastics meet at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. Utah won. (Photo Cred: Kristen Murphey, Deseret News)
(Photo Cred: Kristen Murphey, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY— On a crisp Friday night at the Huntsman Center, the No. 12 Utah Red Rocks delivered their most electrifying performance of the season, in a victory over fellow in-state program, No. 23 BYU.
Facing the in-state Cougars, Utah delivered across all four events, in a meet that felt like a statement. The victory extended the Red Rocks’ dominance in the series and reinforced the improved vibes around the squad.
After navigating early-season scrutiny and outside noise, Utah delivered its most complete performance of the year in a 198.025–196.025 rivalry win inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The night featured a perfect 10, the highest bars score in the nation this season, and a beam rotation that showed composure under pressure.
Final Team Scores
| Rank | Team | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | 49.225 | 49.750 | 49.500 | 49.550 | 198.025 |
| 2 | BYU | 49.025 | 48.975 | 48.825 | 49.200 | 196.025 |
It was the kind of night that gets fans buzzing and invites you to appreciate gymnastics on its own terms.
A perfect 10.0 and new national high on bars?
If there was a turning point in the meet, it came on uneven bars. Utah didn’t just win the rotation — they, apparently, set quite an elite mark, setting a new national high team score with a 49.750.
The centerpiece of that performance was Avery Neff’s perfect 10.000 — a routine that looked effortless but was anything but. Every swing, handstand, and connection was clean, confident, and technically sharp.
“The women never stopped believing in what they were capable of,” Carly Dockendorf said. “They just kept showing up and putting the work in and making adjustments — and that takes a lot to be able to do that.”
In gymnastics, a perfect 10 is rare; it’s the equivalent of an athlete hitting their absolute ceiling in front of a big crowd. In this case, it helped give Utah an early edge in what turned into a comfortable overall victory.
At the same time, other Red Rocks contributed strong bars scores — including 9.975 from Ella Zirbes and 9.900 from Makenna Smith — showing that this wasn’t a one-routine flash, but rather a deep group performance.
Beam brilliance through calm, controlled routines
Balance beam is often the make-or-break event because one wobble or misstep can swing momentum. During their rotation, Utah looked calm and focused.
Both Neff and Camie Winger posted 9.950s on beam, anchoring a 49.500 team beam score that put Utah in firm control.
Neff’s performance was poised and collected, while Winger’s routine showed the kind of nerve-steadying confidence you come to expect from seasoned competitors. When scores like that come up in a rivalry meet, it says a lot about a team’s preparation and mental toughness under pressure.
Solid across the board
Utah didn’t just shine on bars and beam — they were consistent across vault and floor, too.
- On vault, the team put up solid numbers, led by scoring in the high-9.800s.
- On floor, routines were smooth and expressive, finishing 49.550 as a group.
Neff finished with a strong 39.700 all-around, including solid performances on vault and floor. Smith wasn’t far behind with a 39.600, and the contribution of every routine — from Sage Curtis to Zoe Johnson — reinforced just how solid this Utah lineup is.
Dockendorf: Built in the Gym, Not in the Spotlight
Head coach Carly Dockendorf didn’t describe the night as a breakthrough, rather more along the lines of validation.
“Extremely proud of the team tonight, but this is consistent with what we’ve been seeing in the gym,” Dockendorf said. “They’ve been making really good improvements — making the adjustments we need.”
For Dockendorf, the performance was less about the final number and more about the path it took to get there.
“I think one of the things that makes me so proud of what they did tonight wasn’t necessarily the score,” she said. “Through the start of the season and the adversity that they’ve been going through, it would have been so easy to shut down and just kind of give up and listen to the noise.”
That outside criticism was real and unfortunately, the team heard it all. But the Red Rocks remained firm in their belief in themselves.
“People were saying, ‘this is the worst team in history of Utah Gymnastics,’” Dockendorf said. “No one ever stopped believing in this team. We never stopped believing in this team.”
And, she emphasized, the athletes themselves never wavered. This wasn’t a sudden spike in performance, it was belief meeting preparation and having a good time performing.
Classy Crowd, Electric Atmosphere
One dynamic that truly impressed throughout the night: Red Rocks fans.
They’re loud when it’s earned. They respect big routines — even from the opponent. They know when to hold their breath on beam and when to explode on a stuck landing.
Even in a somewhat-of-a-rivalry setting, it would be easy for things to tilt emotional. Instead, the Huntsman Center crowd was energetic, supportive, and — as always — classy.
Gymnastics culture is built on respect and Utah fans get that. The crowd was:
- Engaged: They watched routines intently, responding to execution and sticking landings with real enthusiasm.
- Respectful: Cheers weren’t blind; they were earned — and deserved.
- Knowledgeable: You could tell they understood the intricacies of the routines and appreciated the difficulty and execution when it happened.
Red Rocks supporters created an atmosphere that felt like a big moment — without interrupting the flow of the competition. That’s a balancing act in itself, and it left a first-time spectator feel how meaningful Red Rocks gymnastics is to the University of Utah, and the culture of the sport.
The Bottom Line
For someone who came expecting a structured, quiet college event, it was anything but. Utah’s gymnastics meet against BYU was a performance — one with national-level execution on bars, controlled excellence on beam, and spirited support from fans who know the sport deeply.
Moments like Neff’s 10.0, Smith’s floor routine, and the Red Rocks’ collective effort felt like a major milestone for the program that had gotten off to a shaky start this season.
If you’ve long followed Utah gymnastics, this wasn’t just a win — it was a reminder of why this team demands attention. And if you’re new to gymnastics the way I was? This performance was a great place to start.
