Finish in the top two in that meet, a four-team affair that includes No. 5 UCLA, No. 12 Minnesota and Denver, and Utah will advance to nationals for a record 49th time, keeping alive its streak of …
History is ready to be had for Utah gymnastics. A familiar kind of history but significant history nonetheless.
After tying with Denver for first place in the Salt Lake City Regional semifinals Thursday night, the Red Rocks will compete in the regional final Saturday night at 5 p.m. in the Huntsman Center.
Finish in the top two in that meet, a four-team affair that includes No. 5 UCLA, No. 12 Minnesota and Denver, and Utah will advance to nationals for a record 49th time, keeping alive its streak of going to every nationals in women’s collegiate gymnastics history.
The Red Rocks, despite a somewhat rocky performance Thursday night, should still be considered one of the favorites to finish in the two on Saturday and advance. Ranked No. 4 in the country this season and competing at home, Utah has a lot going for it.
So does the competition, though, especially after Thursday’s semifinals.
Here are some things to know about the three teams that stand between Utah and continued history.
What to know about the UCLA Bruins
- Seed — No. 5
- National qualifying score — 197.680.
- Season-high score — 198.450.
Event NQS rankings and season averages
- Balance beam — No. 4 (49.535).
- Floor exercise — No. 1 (49.615).
- Uneven bars — No. 8 (49.425).
- Vault — No. 7 (49.305).
2025 All-Americans
- Jordan Chiles — First-team on vault, bars and floor; Second-team in the all-around.
- Chae Campbell — Second-team on vault and beam.
- Emma Malabuyo — First-team on beam.
- Brooklyn Moors — First-team on floor.
- Frida Esparza — First-team on bars.
- Ciena Alipio — Second-team on beam.
Scores in Thursday’s semifinals
- Overall score — 197.750.
- Bars — 49.3.
- Beam — 49.5.
- Floor — 49.5.
- Vault — 49.45.
The Bruins are the biggest threat, on paper, to upset the Red Rocks and are one of the favorites to advance to nationals. UCLA had the best score of any team in the semifinals of the Salt Lake City Regional and with a NCAA-leading six All-Americans this season the Bruins have plenty of proven talent.
Quotable
“I’m just really proud of the team and how they showed up. Today, we really wanted to be super-efficient with what we did, just locked in and dialed in and really be able to get through four events consistently, and they did exactly that. I couldn’t be more proud of them. I feel they’ve learned a lot this season, and they’ve really been in it together from start to finish, and that’s showing up in these really big moments for us.” — UCLA head coach Janelle McDonald after the Salt Lake City regional semifinals.
What to know about the Minnesota Golden Gophers?
- Seed — No. 12
- National qualifying score — 197.210.
- Season-high score — 197.425.
Event NQS rankings and season averages
- Balance beam — No. 16 (49.305).
- Floor exercise — No. 11 (49.430).
- Uneven bars — No. 16 (49.265).
- Vault — No. 12 (49.275).
2025 All-Americans
- Mya Hooten — Second-team on floor.
Scores in Thursday’s semifinals
- Overall score — 197.200.
- Bars — 49.375.
- Beam — 49.325.
- Floor — 49.350.
- Vault — 49.150.
The Golden Gophers are sold program and have been for years. Not one of the elite in the sport of women’s gymnastics but good enough to upset an elite team now and then. Minnesota shouldn’t upset either Utah or UCLA, but crazier things have happened. Mya Hooten is a star for Minnesota, particularly on floor where she has been one of the best at the NCAA level for years now.
Quotable
“This is a great accomplishment for the team. This day is always a little nerve-wracking because you want to move forward, but you gotta do your job. For us, we did the job and were very consistent. We hit all of our routines and I’m just really proud of the team. They looked calm, relaxed and really confident.” — Minnesota head coach Jenny Hansen after the Salt Lake City regional semifinals.
What to know about the Denver Pioneers?
- Seed — N/A
- National qualifying score — 196.735.
- Season-high score — 197.650
Event NQS rankings and season averages
- Balance beam — No. 21 (49.180).
- Floor exercise — No. 27 (49.225).
- Uneven bars — No. 10 (49.390).
- Vault — No. 13 (49.245).
2025 All-Americans
Scores in Thursday’s semifinals
- Overall score — 197.650.
- Bars — 49.4.
- Beam — 49.4.
- Floor — 49.35.
- Vault — 49.5.
The Pioneers have had a very up-and-down 2025 season, but turned things on at exactly the right time Thursday and upset No. 13 Stanford. Denver’s best two meets this season have come in the Huntsman Center on the campus of the University of Utah. The Pioneers have had a good amount of postseason success over the last five-plus years, but as an un-seeded team would likely need another season-best performance to upset either Utah or UCLA.
Quotable
“I’m so proud of the team. They were firing on all cylinders. They competed with freedom, stayed in the moment and had a focused, relaxed energy. It was a complete performance from start to finish. We’ve known we were capable of this and were just waiting for it to come together. We’re excited to advance to our sixth consecutive regional final on Saturday. Our fans and supporters were incredible. They were loud and brought energy and enthusiasm, just like they have all season long.” Denver head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart after the Salt Lake City regional semifinals.
Source: Utah News