Since 2011, Utah and UCLA have offered among the best and best rivalries in school gymnastics. The 2 groups, who mix for 16 NCAA staff titles, have battled for Pac-12 supremacy, and no different college has gained the convention championship since 2013.
It has been a rivalry for the ages. However all issues should come to an finish, apparently. Or at the very least in line with the principles of convention realignment. The 2024 season marks the ultimate season of the Pac-12 — Utah can be competing within the Large 12 subsequent yr, and UCLA can be becoming a member of the Large Ten.
All of that historical past made Utah and UCLA’s meet on Monday notably bittersweet. Competing at Pauley Pavilion in Westwood, the Purple Rocks and the Bruins met for the ultimate time in a regular-season meet as convention rivals.
Each groups entered the meet undefeated in Pac-12 competitors, and 4 of their earlier six conferences had been determined by 0.150 or much less. However, regardless of an enormous day for Bruins sophomore Selena Harris, it was in the end the Purple Rocks who gained the ultimate chapter.
Trailing on the midway mark, Utah took management on ground, its third occasion of the evening, following 4 routines of 9.90 or higher by Abby Paulson, Jaylene Gilstrap, Grace McCallum and Maile O’Keefe.
Grace McCallum retains the momentum rolling with the rotation excessive of 9.925‼️
📺 ESPN2#WeOverMe | #RedRocks pic.twitter.com/Dzi2JfvOH4
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) February 19, 2024
With Utah holding a slim lead coming into the ultimate rotation, and UCLA closing out the day on ground, its signature occasion, the meet got here right down to the ultimate few gymnasts. Harris earned a 9.95, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to hold UCLA. O’Keefe in the end clinched the 197.300-196.975 victory with a 9.975 within the anchor spot on beam.
Maile O’Keefe’s 9.975 clinches the WIN‼️
📺 ESPN2#WeOverMe | #RedRocks pic.twitter.com/nY4KDIPlnz
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) February 20, 2024
Whereas technically Utah’s win counts in the direction of the Week 8 rankings as a result of it befell on Monday, it nonetheless marked the conclusion of a dramatic vacation weekend of gymnastics. This is what else you missed:
Metroplex Problem
Offering followers in Fort Value, Texas, a sneak preview of a number of the gymnastics they’ll get to see in April on the NCAA championships, the 2 highest-ranked groups within the nation, Oklahoma and California, in addition to Arkansas and Washington, squared off on the Metroplex Problem on Saturday.
Competing on the Fort Value Conference Middle, the Sooners gained the meet and remained undefeated, with a 198.300 remaining rating. California (197.4000) completed in second, with Arkansas (196.850) in third and Washington (196.450) in fourth.
It was a dominant evening in a season filled with them for Oklahoma. Fifth-year senior and the Sooners’ reigning beam queen Ragan Smith earned an ideal 10.0 on the occasion — her first of 2024 and sixth general — and is now only one away from tying Maggie Nichols’ report at Oklahoma of probably the most ever on beam. Jordan Bowers gained the all-around title (39.675) and the staff earned at the very least a share of each occasion title. Bowers, Smith and Religion Torrez all earned 9.95s on ground and tied for the occasion’s high honors.
𝙁𝙪𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 in Fort Value 🤠 pic.twitter.com/GONvNWCRPl
— Oklahoma Ladies’s Fitness center (@OU_WGymnastics) February 18, 2024
Oklahoma stays within the No. 1 spot within the rankings on the finish of Week 7, with California dropping to No. 3 behind LSU. Utah and Florida spherical out the highest 5.
Good 10.0s
Smith wasn’t the one gymnast who earned a ten over the weekend. Listed below are the six others who joined her on the elusive checklist:
Selena Harris, UCLA: The sophomore gained the all-around title (39.675) throughout Monday’s loss towards Utah, along with taking dwelling high honors on bars (9.95), ground (9.95) and on vault, which she did along with her perfect-scoring Yurchenko 1.5. It marked the second straight week Harris earned a ten.0 on the occasion, and the third time in her profession.
PERFECTION IN PAULEY for @selena_harriss!!
📺: ESPN2
📲: https://t.co/FeVELS0h5O pic.twitter.com/DORpK2euTO— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) February 19, 2024
Mara Titarsolej, Missouri: What’s higher than incomes an ideal 10.0? How about turning into the primary gymnast to report the rating on bars in class historical past? That is what Titarsolej did in the course of the Tigers’ highest-scoring evening of the season on Friday. With a routine within the anchor spot described by ESPN’s Sam Peszek as “textbook” and “beautiful,” Titarsolej had her teammates calling for a ten.0 nearly instantly after sticking her double tuck dismount.
Mara Titarsolej is PERFECT 🤩
It is the FIRST 10 on bars in Mizzou historical past!!#ThatsaW pic.twitter.com/kFImdYNelm
— ESPN (@espn) February 17, 2024
Gabby Wilson, Michigan: Throughout Friday evening’s victory over Rutgers, Wilson recorded her second excellent rating of the season on ground, and the fourth of her profession, along with her newest flawless efficiency. Nailing each second and step of her choreography, and with sky-high tumbling and leaps, Wilson stays one of the dynamic performers on the occasion.
It is a 10 for Gabby Wilson!! @UMichWGym pic.twitter.com/JQVA9dFWeJ
— All Issues Gymnastics Podcast (@AllThingsGymPod) February 17, 2024
Raena Worley, Kentucky: Till final month, the Wildcats’ fifth-year senior had by no means scored a ten.0, regardless of a extremely adorned résumé. Nonetheless, Worley has now earned not one, not two, however three in her profession. After incomes excellent scores twice on ground over the previous month, she recorded her first 10.0 mark on bars in the course of the staff’s win over BYU on Friday. Worley had already been ranked No. 2 on the occasion within the nationwide rankings, however now she has the elusive rating she had been looking for as properly and strikes right into a tie for the No. 1 spot with Oklahoma’s Bowers.
THE 🔟s WON’T STOP COMING FOR RAENA WORLEY 🔥 #ThatsaW pic.twitter.com/pqZQmMvaYn
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 17, 2024
Aleah Finnegan, LSU: There was a sold-out crowd available in Baton Rouge for the Tigers’ 198.300-197.100 victory over Auburn on Friday evening — and maybe nobody was extra impressed by what she was seeing than LSU basketball star Angel Reese, who helped lead her staff to the NCAA title in 2023. Reese referred to as for all of them to will get 10.0s — and shortly after Finnegan did on ground. The junior earned the third excellent mark of her profession on the occasion and her fifth general, and he or she almost introduced the home down within the course of.
THE GIRLS ARE EATING RIGHT NOW!!!! GIVE THEM ALL 10sssss🔥 @LSUgym
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) February 17, 2024
IT’S FINN’S FLOOR & IT’S PERFECT
That is @aleahfinn third profession excellent 🔟 on ground!
📺 SEC Community pic.twitter.com/TaUEIM8jeW
— LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) February 17, 2024
Gigi Mastellone, Southern Connecticut State: Throughout Monday’s All-American Problem, not solely did the freshman assist lead her staff to its greatest rating of the season (194.150) and a victory over New Hampshire, LIU and Yale, however she earned the primary excellent 10.0 in program historical past along with her bar routine. She had her teammates cheering wildly from her very first handstand.
Carey retains it 100
It is no secret Jade Carey is de facto, actually good at gymnastics. She’s an Olympic gold medalist, a world champion and the reigning two-time Pac-12 gymnast of the yr in any case. On Saturday, the Oregon State junior achieved her newest milestone as she gained her one centesimal NCAA occasion title in the course of the staff’s victory over Stanford. (Technically, she gained her 98th, 99th, one centesimal and one hundred and first however none of these different numbers fairly have the identical ring to it.)
Carey, who had been competing on simply bars and beam for many of the season to relaxation as she trains to hopefully be named to this summer season’s Olympic staff, took dwelling the titles within the all-around (39.650), bars (9.95), ground (9.925) and beam (9.925). Carey has now gained 101 occasion titles — 15 behind this system report of 116 set by Chari Knight.
Whereas sadly nobody Photoshopped Carey into the long-lasting Wilt Chamberlain “100” signal picture — but, anyway — Oregon State did put collectively a commemorative video to have fun her achievement.
𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆. #GoBeavs pic.twitter.com/XXd8wDzZBj
— Oregon State Gymnastics (@BeaverGym) February 17, 2024
Welcome, Wilberforce College
On Thursday, Wilberforce College, a traditionally Black college in Ohio, introduced it could be beginning a gymnastics staff and turn into the third HBCU to take action. The staff is predicted to make its aggressive debut in the course of the 2026 season, and is being developed in partnership with Brown Women Do Gymnastics and the HBCU Gymnastics Alliance.
Wilberforce joins Fisk, which had its inaugural season in 2023, and Talladega, which is presently in its first season.
“The introduction of a gymnastics staff aligns with our dedication to offer inclusive athletic packages and highlights our perception within the energy of range in sports activities and empowering future generations of gymnasts,” college president Dr. Vann R. Newkirk stated in a press release.
Better of the remaining
Isabella Minervini, Towson: It was a banner evening on Friday for Towson. The staff earned its highest highway rating in program historical past, and a season excessive, throughout a meet at George Washington. Minervini, a sophomore, recorded the staff’s greatest particular person occasion rating since 2012 with a 9.975 on bars. Her double format dismount serves as the proper exclamation mark for a career-best routine.
BARS. QUEEN. 👑🔥💅
Bella posts a CAREER HIGH 9.975!!!#GohTigers x #team56 pic.twitter.com/NbOXVqn7ks
— Towson Gymnastics (@Towson_GYM) February 17, 2024
Lauren Williams, Arkansas: Competing within the anchor spot on the Razorbacks’ remaining occasion of the evening on the Metroplex Problem, Williams gave followers and her teammates one thing to recollect with a formidable Yurchenko 1.5 that earned a 9.925, and a share of the vault title.
It is @laurengwill‘s world and we’re simply dwelling in it 💁♀️ pic.twitter.com/z4ETKNhI4N
— Arkansas Gymnastics 🐗 (@RazorbackGym) February 18, 2024
Emily Shepard, North Carolina State: The Wolfpack clinched the first-ever ACC regular-season title on Friday throughout its win over Clemson due largely to Shepard’s heroics. The graduate pupil earned the college’s highest-ever all-around rating (39.750) — and the best by a gymnast from an ACC college — and have become the primary to ever earn a 9.90 or higher on all 4 occasions in a single meet. Whereas we may justifiably present any of Shepard’s routines from the evening, she earned a brand new excessive rating of 9.95 on beam with this fantastically executed and assured efficiency.
SHE. IS. 𝐇𝐄𝐑.
After a career-high 9.975 on bars, Emily follows it up with a personal-best 9.950 on beam! pic.twitter.com/Fb600VGfRd
— NC State Gymnastics 🐺🐾 (@Pack_Gymnastics) February 17, 2024
Emma Malabuyo, UCLA: Malabuyo’s routine was not from UCLA’s meet towards Utah on Monday. As a substitute, it was from the day earlier than and over 7,500 miles away in Cairo, Egypt. Hoping to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Video games for the Philippines, Malabuyo was competing at a FIG Equipment World Cup meet — her first of three over the subsequent a number of weeks — and ended up ending in second place on ground. The end result earned her 30 factors, and he or she now could be presently in first place within the standings on the occasion. The highest two on every occasion on the finish of the World Cup sequence in the end punch their ticket to Paris.
So, sure, whereas this routine wasn’t at an NCAA meet, Malabuyo’s triumph as she will get one step nearer to her final objective nonetheless very a lot deserves to be seen by school gymnastics followers.
.@EmmaMalabuyo desires a ticket to #Paris2024 to affix @aleahfinn. To date so good. pic.twitter.com/Rr0FgTxnBk
— PHSports LiveScores (@LiveScoresPH) February 19, 2024
Key meets for this weekend
Friday: Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State and Rutgers; 6 p.m. ET on Large Ten Community
Friday: LSU at Florida; 7 p.m. ET ON ESPN2
Friday: Missouri at Auburn; 7 p.m. ET on SEC Community
Friday: West Virginia at Oklahoma; 7:45 p.m. ET on ESPN+
Friday: Georgia at Alabama; 8 p.m. ET on SECN+
Friday: Stanford at Utah; 8 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Networks
Friday: Washington at Arizona State; 8 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Networks
Friday: Kentucky at Arkansas; 8:30 p.m. ET
Friday: Denver at BYU; 9 p.m. ET
Saturday: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland and Michigan at Penn State; 4:30 p.m. ET
Sunday: California at UCLA; 5 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Networks
Sunday: Oregon State at Arizona; 5 p.m. ET on Pac-12 Networks