Utah Gymnastics Remains Unbeaten, Defeats UCLA 198.075-198.025

The No. 3 Utah Red Rocks went on the road in hostile Pauley Pavilion and beat rival No. 3 UCLA 198.075-198.025. 198.075 is Utah’s highest score since the 2018 season (when they posted a 198.150 to close the regular season at home against Georgia). Posting a score that high on the road against a rival is even more impressive. This marks their second win in a row against UCLA in Pauley Pavilion.

Utah started off the meet with a bang, posting a season-high 49.600 on bars. The five scores Utah counted were all 9.900 or higher. Kim Tessen led Utah and won the event with a 9.950. UCLA was in a hole early after posting a 49.375 on vault.

Utah maintained their lead halfway through the meeting, but they posted their lowest event score on vault with only a 49.225. Utah got a pair of 9.900s from Tessen and Alexia Burch. UCLA gained some ground with a 49.325 on bars, their lowest event score of the meet.

Things began to really heat up in the second half of the meet. Utah went 49.475 on floor, led by a 9.950 from Sydney Soloski. Utah’s lead continued to dwindle though as UCLA posted a 49.525 on beam. Grace Glenn, a beam specialist for UCLA, posted a perfect 10.0 for the Bruins, and Kyla Ross had a 9.975, part of her all-around winning score of 39.825 for the meet.

With Utah’s lead down to less than a tenth of a point, the two teams headed to the final events. Both posted their highest event scores of the meet. Utah posted a 49.775 on beam, while UCLA went 49.800 on floor. Abby Paulson sealed the win for the Red Rocks with a perfect 10.0 to close out Utah’s beam set. Utah counted a 9.900 or higher for every beam routine. Adrienne Randall went 9.975, and Burch and Cristal Isa both had 9.950s for the Red Rocks.

These two teams competed on ESPN2 and showed the nation that the Pac-12 has two of the best teams in the country. Both looked like legitimate national title contenders. Oklahoma is the only team in the nation to top Utah’s 198.075 in a road meet this season.