Red Rocks edge out Bruins in final Pac 12 regular season matchup

Red Rocks edge out Bruins in final Pac 12 regular season matchup

By Megan Roth

Inside Gymnastics was on the scene for Monday’s  last UCLA vs. Utah dual meet in the Pac-12. Here are some takeaways from the competition!

Rotation 1

The crowd was hyped, ready for the start of a historic meet. Utah fans always travel in numbers supporting their team, and today was no different with Red Rock red dominating a whole section!  UCLA’s student section always brings the energy and did not disappoint here. And with members of past UCLA Men’s and Women’s teams coming out to show support for the team during alumni celebrations, the atmosphere was electric as everyone got ready to roll in historic Pauley Pavilion.

In the first rotation, UCLA recorded a season high 49.525, the second highest score in the past four seasons. The team went crazy for an almost stuck Yurchenko 1.5 from Katelyn Rosen, Chae Campbell’s stuck Yurchenko full, and Selena Harris’s 10.0, making it back to back 10s on the event for the sophomore.. 

Utah fell short of sticking any landings on bars resulting in a lower score of 49.200. Makenna Smith was the only Red Rock to stick, posting a rotation leading 9.9.

Scores after the first rotation:

UCLA – 49.525

Utah – 49.200

Rotation 2

In the second rotation, Utah put up an impressive full lineup of 10.0 start value vaults with great height, that’s especially nice to see in person, but again couldn’t get the sticks they needed, putting up a 49.200. 

UCLA was not able to capitalize off of Utah’s lower scoring rotation here. Sophomore Maddie Anyimi hit a key routine in only her second time in the lineup, stepping in for Emma Malabuyo while she’s competing in the World Cup circuit, recently capturing a silver on floor in Cairo. Head Coach Janelle MacDonald and the whole UCLA team were so happy to cheer for her. 

Scores after the second rotation:

UCLA – 98.825

Utah – 98.400

Rotation 3

At the halfway mark, the fans in Pauley Pavilion were amped up, excited to see their team leading the Red Rocks. But with Utah’s best two events still to come, the Utes were not backing down. 

Utah came back strong on floor, posting a big 49.500. Even among a sea of blue, they performed their routines beautifully, engaging the crowd and the judges. Abby Paulson’s Taylor Swift routine was a crowd pleaser. Once the start of “Look What You Made Me Do” came on, the whole stadium was invested. 

Over on beam, UCLA had a shakier rotation that wasn’t helped by overall tighter scoring on beam that carried through the whole meet. Harris had a great routine going until she hopped backwards on her back 1.5 dismount. The fans in Pauley were ready to chant 10 before the dismount and were disappointed when the 9.775 (9.70/9.85 split) came up. The team’s beam score came out to 48.875. 

Scores after the third rotation:

Utah – 147.900

UCLA – 147.700

Final Rotation

Even though their team was down two tenths going into the final rotation, Pauley Pavillion did not let down their support for the Bruins. The student section and huge crowd were ready for the floor party they came to the meet to see. 

Even with tighter beam judging, Utah was able to put up a strong 49.400, living up to the beam team reputation they’ve gained over the years. As always, 5th years Paulson and Maile O’Keefe hit stunning routines, scoring 9.925 and 9.975. Chants of “10! 10! 10!” coming from Utah’s section in the stands could be heard from anywhere in the arena. 

UCLA’s floor performances did not disappoint. The student section was on their feet, dancing along with the alumni watching from the sidelines. Audible gasps could be heard from the crowd as Rosen performed her creepy, witch-inspired routine.  

Ultimately, two routines with an out of bounds deduction meant that the Bruins were not able to take the lead back from the Red Rocks. While this is the last dual meet between the two teams in the Pac-12, McDonald said in the press conference that UCLA and Utah hope to continue the tradition of competing against each other in coming seasons. 

As two legacy programs with a long-standing rivalry, the two teams become better in competing against each other and both programs want to keep the rivalry tradition moving forward, even if it might look a bit different. 

“We do plan to continue having these competitions,” McDonald said. “It’s two legacy programs with an amazing tradition and history, so when we’re able to get on the floor with them I think it’s a special meet.” 

Final Scores:

Utah –  197.300

UCLA – 196.975

For more on UCLA:

Behind The UCLA Floor Routine 

All photos by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics

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