For yet another season, the Red Rocks fell short of winning their 11th national championship.
No. 4 Utah finished in fourth place in the the NCAA championship finals on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas, with a 197.2375 score. No. 2 Oklahoma claimed its seventh national championship with a first-place finish, while No. 5 UCLA took second and No. 7 Missouri took third.
Utah started off the match in third place following the first rotation, scoring a 49.45 on uneven bars. Senior Grace McCallum led the way in the routine with a 9.95.
From there, however, the Red Rocks lost momentum. On balance beam, Amelie Morgan suffered several balance-check deductions during her routine, which ultimately rendered her with a 9.6875.
The Red Rocks weren’t able to drop Morgan’s score because McCallum later took a fall in the same event. The senior and former Olympic silver medalist finished with a 9.2875 due to her mistake.
The pair of errors left Utah with a 49.1875 overall score on balance beam to conclude the second rotation.
Ultimately, Red Rocks couldn’t get back in the race for the national championship after their errors on beam.
Utah scored 49.475 on floor in the third event, led by a trio of 9.9s from Jaylene Gilstrap, Ella Zirbes and Avery Neff, who had the best score in the event, clocking a 9.9125.
The Red Rocks finished the meet with a 49.125 on vault, ending their hopes for a comeback finish.
Utah’s chase for an 11th national title — its first since 1995 — will have now have to wait until 2026, when it begins a new season.
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