(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Grace McCallum on bars at the Pac-12 gymnastics championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on Saturday, March 19, 2022.
Minutes after Utah’s gymnastics team took a slight lead in the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships, there was a sense the Utes were tensing up. First, Grace McCallum faltered on the balance beam, scoring a 9.85, then Alexia Burch also balked, scoring 9.8.
Up next was Abby Paulson, a gymnast who has had an unpredictable season. Utah fans who have followed the team this year must have known her routine might determine the outcome of the conference meet.
Paulson didn’t let the moment get to her as the junior delivered her best balance beam routine of the year.
The near-flawless performance earned a 9.975, but in reality it was worth so much more.
It was just the routine the Utes needed to lessen the nerves and let them roll to the 2022 Pac-12 Championship at the Maverik Center Saturday.
The Utes also won the championship in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2021, but this one was particularly sweet since Utah shared the regular-season title with the other teams competing in their session after they all tied with 5-2 records. The Utes lost to Cal and Arizona in the regular season.
“Let’s settle this,” fifth-year Sydney Soloski said of the meet. “All three of those teams are amazing teams, even in the first session they are amazing and it was cool to have a second chance. We always love the Pac-12s, it’s a fun meet, but this was a little more special, no co-champs.”
Utah’s McCallum won the uneven bars title with a 10.0, Paulson won the beam with her effort and Burch won the vault with a 9.925. Oregon State’s Jade Carey won the floor with a 9.975 and the all-around with a 39.725.
Earlier in the day the Maile O’Keefe was named the Pac-12 Specialist of the Year.
Paulson’s beam routine sparked the Utes to a 49.65 on the event, with Cristal Isa and Maile O’Keefe scoring 9.95s and Amelie Morgan a 9.925.
Pac-12 Championships
Event winners
Vault: Alexia Burch (Utah) 9.925
Uneven bars: Grace McCallum (Utah) 10.0
Balance beam: Abby Paulson (Utah) 9.975
Floor: Jade Carey (Oregon State) 9.95
All-around: Jade Carey (Oregon State) 39.725
Team scores
1. Utah 198; 2. Cal 197.425; 3. Oregon State 197.25; 4. UCLA 196.95; 5. Arizona State 196.675; 6. Washington 196.4; 7. Arizona 196.362; 8. Stanford 196.0
That effort gave Utah a 148.475 going into the final rotation with Oregon State in second (148.075), Cal in third (148.025) and Arizona State in fourth (147.45).
Utah closed out the meet on the floor, scoring 49.525 with McCallum scoring 9.95 and O’Keefe and Soloski scoring 9.925.
The last two events were so dominating for the Utes, it was easy to forget they started in a hole with vault, scoring only 49.275 with Burch being the only gymnast breaking the 9.9 mark with a 9.925.
That put the Utes behind Oregon State (49.45) and Cal (49.425).
Utah made a big move on the uneven bars where McCallum earned her second 10.0 of the season on the event, pacing Utah to a 49.55.
Isa had a 9.925 and Sage Thompson and Amelie Morgan had 9.9s.
Utah coach Tom Farden said he could feel things shifting with McCallum’s bars routine.
“She was in her element today,” Farden said. “She dropped that dismount and it was cool to see.”
The big effort pushed the Utes into the lead, setting up the Utes for their dominating efforts in the final two events.
“We were focused on the fight,” O’Keefe said. “We knew one set can’t determine the ending and we just kept going.”
The Utes will find out Tuesday in the 10.am., selection show where they will go for the NCAA regional championships March 30-April 2.
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