Utah’s gymnastics crew opened its season final Friday with a win over Minnesota and Iowa at house. The meet had shiny spots and areas for enchancment the No. 3 Red Rocks might want to overcome as they compete against three of the best groups in the nation in Oklahoma, LSU and UCLA this Saturday.
The Sprouts Quad meet will characteristic two classes at the Maverik Center, with Utah’s grouping beginning at 2 p.m. and Cal, Kentucky, Michigan and Michigan State competing at 6 p.m.
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Meet notes
Oklahoma has been a pressure to be reckoned with since KJ Kindler took over the program in 2006. The Sooners have received seven championships, together with the 2025 title, and likewise received in 2022 and 2023, with LSU sandwiched in between with the 2024 title.
This is the first meet of the season for each the Sooners and Tigers, whereas Utah and top-ranked UCLA every have one underneath their belts.
All 4 groups ought to sit atop or close to the prime of the rankings this season and count on to see one another once more in the postseason, with all 4 looking for one other nationwide title.
“It’s always super exciting to get to compete against the best,” mentioned Utah coach Carly Dockendorf. “For us, it really is a big measuring stick to see where we’re at and where we need to improve — where we’re going to need to go from here to continue to grow throughout the season.”
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While the competitors might be of the highest high quality, it’s going to additionally present groups with early publicity to the podium platform, which is utilized in the postseason.
The Sprouts meet is the first leg of a stretch of schedule for Utah that mimics the postseason. After resting Sunday, the Red Rocks might be again at it Monday for an additional quad meet at the Maverik Center, however this time the opponents might be instate foes BYU, SUU and Utah State in the Best of Utah meet, which can begin at 7 p.m.
“For us to do a practice of competing, recovering and then competing again is huge,” Dockendorf mentioned. “On top of that, this is the NCAA national equipment that is here this weekend, so we’ll get the chance to compete on that for two comps, and that’s huge for us.”
Although Utah followers love their Red Rocks, the expertise throughout classes in Saturday’s meet is arguably the best featured at an occasion till the postseason.
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Highlighting the lineups is Olympic medalist Jordan Chiles (UCLA), who’s the reigning NCAA bars champion, and LSU’s Kailin Chio, who’s the reigning vault champion.
Comeback hits
While expertise is a should, so is resiliency. Utah has three gymnasts who skilled loads of highs and lows final season however got here again fiercely to assist Utah win its opening meet final week.
Junior Ella Zirbes overtly mentioned her psychological well being struggles with the sport final season, and took a step again from some lineups to handle the anxiousness and search help.
Sophomore Poppy-Grace Stickler got here to compete at Utah all the method from Wales however didn’t get to final yr because of a lingering foot harm.
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Zoe Johnson, in the meantime had a gradual begin to her debut season in 2024 after dealing with a minor harm, however she turned on the jets at regionals, hitting two enormous vault scores together with a career-best 9.95 to assist Utah advance earlier than the merciless curler coaster of gymnastics got here as she landed on her again in the championship meet.
Last Friday, Zirbes debuted on beam and in the all-around. She ended up successful or tying for the win on each occasions and added in a title on flooring for good measure.
Stickler carried out a flooring routine that had followers out of their seats dancing along with her and the remainder of the Red Rocks, and Johnson roared again and landed a phenomenal vault to win the occasion after incomes a 9.925.
All three had been so good that when sophomore standout Avery Neff was requested at follow this week what her favourite second in Friday’s win was, she proceeded to reel off all three of her teammates’ efforts as a result of she couldn’t simply choose one.
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Plenty of followers would have answered the similar as Neff, with the Huntsman Center trustworthy applauding Zirbes, Stickler and Johnson for his or her efforts as a result of they know what all three have been via.
Now, the focus for all three is to proceed transferring ahead.
“I really tried not to think about it too much,” mentioned Johnson about ending final season with a fall. “But obviously, it was in the back of my mind a bit.
“I was just trying to trust my training knowing that my coaches and my teammates believed in me. They wouldn’t have put me back in the lineup if I wasn’t ready. I was so happy to hit that first vault.”
All three might be key to Utah’s success this weekend.