Crimson Club Magazine - April 2023

Championship Celebration

Utah Gymnastics with a Three-Peat to win Pac-12 Championship Fifth-year senior Abby Brenner claims the Pac-12 vault title, Jaedyn Rucker and Maile O’Keefe post 10.0 scores at Regionals to help send Red Rocks off to NCAAs

O’Keefe picked up All- Pac-12 honors on bars and beam, as well as All-America honors on beam. Joining O’Keefe with two All-Pac-12 awards was Cristal Isa, who also was a bars and beam selection. Kara Eaker earned conference and national honors on beam as well, while Jaedyn Rucker earned All-Pac-12 and All- America honors on vault for Utah. The quest for an NCAA title begins Thursday, April 13 in Fort Worth, Texas. During the evening semifinals session, No. 5 Utah will compete against No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 UCLA and No. 9 Kentucky at 7 p.m. MDT. The Final Four takes place Saturday, April 15 at 2 p.m. MDT. Nationals Preview

By The Numbers

47 National championship meet appearances by Utah. The Red Rocks remain the only team in the nation to have appeared at every championship meet. 34 Regional titles won by Utah in its history. 10 Pac-12 regular-season and post- season titles captured by the Red Rocks. 4 Maile O’Keefe’s 10.0s on beam this season, setting a school record. 3 Jaedyn Rucker’s 10.0 scores on vault in 2003, tying her with Kristen Kenoyer (1993) for the single-season record. She is also tied for the school record of three Perfect 10s on vault in a career.

Utah gymnastics became the first team to win three-straight Pac-12 Championships since the conference expanded in 2012, winning the 2023 post-season meet on March 18 at the Maverik Center. Utah outlasted the competition with a 197.925 to win its third straight Pac-12 Championship and sixth overall. UCLA finished second with a 197.850. With the four Pac-12 Regular Season Championships as well, Utah now holds 10 Pac- 12 titles. Abby Brenner won the 2023 Pac-12 vault title with a

meet-high 9.925. Maile O’Keefe finished second in the all-around with a 39.675, while she finished tied for third overall on beam and floor. Makenna Smith and Jaedyn Rucker also tied as the Pac-12 vault runner-ups. Utah’s 49.525 on beam pushed the team into second place at the halfway point with a 98.900, trailing Oregon State’s 99.000. UCLA and California followed behind tied at 98.750. On floor, Jaylene Gilstrap had a career high tying 9.925 before Abby Paulson added a 9.90. Smith bounced back after struggling on beam with a big 9.925 to continue momentum. Rucker added another 9.90, while O’Keefe upped the rotation with a 9.95. With one rotation to go, Utah’s 49.600 on floor pushed the team ahead by two-and-a-half tenths. Utah punched its ticket to a record 47th consecutive national championship last Saturday night, winning the Los Angeles Regional. Utah posted its second- straight score of 198-plus to finish in first place with a 198.050 over No. 4 UCLA (197.925), No. 13 Missouri (197.600) and Washington (195.650). NCAA Regionals

Utah could not have asked for a better start on Saturday night after collecting three scores of a 9.90 or better in three routines on vault. Maile O’Keefe led off the team with a career-high 9.925. Jaedyn Rucker exploded for her second-straight Perfect 10 on vault at the regional competition. The Red Rocks were able to begin building momentum on beam. O’Keefe continued the hot start with another 9.95 for the group. With the lead sitting at just 0.025 over UCLA and 0.075 over Missouri, the meet would come down to floor for Utah, vault for UCLA and bars for Missouri. Smith posted a career high 9.95 in the fourth spot to get Utah even closer to the finish line, while Rucker clinched Utah’s spot in the NCAA Championships with a 9.925. O’Keefe ended the night with another 9.925 for the floor squad, putting the exclamation point on the evening and pushing Utah to the regional win. Utah advanced to the NCAA Regional Final after winning its session of the second round with a 198.125 at Pauley Pavilion. The Red Rocks led from start to finish, highlighted by season- high scores on vault and bars, and a pair of Perfect 10s. O’Keefe

Maile O’Keefe was named the Pac-12 Specialist of the Year

recorded her fourth 10.0 of the season on beam, improving her school record for most perfect scores on beam in a single season. Later on, Rucker recorded the second perfect score of her career after scoring a 10.0 on vault to lead the rotation. Four Utes collected honors for their efforts in the regular season with each earning All- Pac-12 Conference honors and WCGA Regular Season All- America honors on at least one event. Highlighting the awards, Postseason Honors Maile O’Keefe was named the Pac-12 Specialist of the Year for the second season in a row.

Jaedyn Rucker recorded 10.0s on vault back-to-back days at NCAA Regionals.

Abby Brenner won the Pac-12 vault title at the Maverik Center.

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CRIMSON CLUB MAGAZINE APRIL 2023

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