It wasn’t easy, but Utah gymnastics is going to nationals for a 49th time

At the end of the first rotation, McCallum’s perfection on bars seemed the most important routine for Utah. It was shortly replaced, however, by another McCallum routine — this one on beam.

Another rough rotation that included a routine that did not start from a 10.0-value which led to a score in the 9.6 range, left Utah reeling but McCallum dropped a 9.95 on beam to keep Utah within striking distance of both Denver and UCLA.

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It wasn’t until floor, though, that the meet changed. When Utah stopped just staying alive and took over the competition.

It wasn’t immediate, however. Both Ashley Glynn and Ella Zirbes competed solid floor routines, but neither was their best and both gymnasts received 9.85s for their efforts. Good scores, but not what Utah needed.

It was then that the meet changed.

First it was Neff, who competed her remade floor routine about as well as she had in any competition since returning from injury. She scored a 9.925. Then came Gilstrap. The fifth year senior delivered her highest score routine of the season — a 9.95 — that brought the fans in the Huntsman Center to their feet.

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Smith followed with a 9.925, not her norm but still good enough, and then McCallum closed things out with a 9.975.

In almost an instant Utah went from the being the hunters, an unusual and uncomfortable position for the Red Rocks, to being the hunted, much more of the usual.

McCallum and Smith both believed that Utah used the nerves, the threat of the streak ending, to their advantage.

“I think we really were able to channel our nerves and turn them into energy,” Smith said. “I think that that showed and we pushed through very well.

“I feel like the mindset was different,” McCallum added. “Instead of going into doubt and worry and fighting tooth and nail (to stay alive), we got excited and we let our competitive spirits out.”

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The meet wasn’t over after floor, Utah still had to compete vault, but in reality it was over. The Red Rocks turnaround on floor changed everything for them.

“That event has definitely kind of been an energy bus for us,” Dockendorf said. “At the start of the meet (the regional semifinal) on Thursday and then today. We absolutely needed that. We needed that energy mid-meet for us to carry momentum through the last rotation.”

Needs work

Utah didn’t compete close to its best Saturday. On any of the events.

For the second straight meet, more really, stuck landings were hard to find. On bars, on beam on vault and even on floor.

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Utah left tenths of a point on the floor on every event, points that weren’t ultimately needed but points available to be had.

On bars, mistakes included but were not limited to:

• Steps on landings.

• Short handstands.

• Leg separation.

• Bent elbows.

• Release moves too close to the bar.

The list could go on.

On beam there were significant balance checks, missed elements and steps on dismounts again and again. On floor, leaps were short and the landings of tumbling passes were often not under control. And on vault, only Johnson stuck her effort, though Glynn came close. There were major steps forward and backward, in addition to more controlled steps.

Nerves were a clear and obvious issue early in the meet. Regionals is a pressure-cooker for all team but especially Utah given the on-going streak. But once the nerves were overcome Utah still wasn’t as sharp as it can be, as it has proven capable of being. The Red Rocks benefitted from a home crowd that provided much needed encouragement and energy. Dockendorf admitted as much.

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“They (the fans) showed up tonight and they brought the extra energy that we needed,” she said.

Utah was also helped out by both UCLA and Denver struggling with the details too. UCLA head coach Janelle McDonald noted that her team didn’t compete close to its potential either.

“It wasn’t a perfect day for us,” she said, before later adding, “We know what we need to do to really lock in and have a cleaner performance at nationals and to be able to hit our events like we want to there. So great experience for us today, we’re going to learn from it. We’re going to grow from it.”

Utah did what it needed to do to survive and advance. That much is true. But the Red Rocks have considerable room for improvement and will need to do so in a hurry as the competition gets even more stiff.

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Utah will compete against No. 1 LSU and No, 8 Michigan State in the national semifinals, along with another matchup with UCLA.

That’s encouraging

There were good moments, good routines by Utah as well. Glynn had one of her best nights as a Red Rock and both her bar routine and her vault were close to the best she’s ever done.