While Utah may appear poised to dominate this meet, the competition could be closer than expected.
No. 4 Utah enters as the favorite after securing its first regular-season title in the Big 12. A win tonight would mark the Red Rocks’ fifth consecutive conference championship, following four straight Pac-12 titles. Utah leads the conference with eight gymnasts named to the All-Big 12 team, and standout freshman Avery Neff earned a spot on the inaugural All-Freshman team—an impressive feat after overcoming what was initially thought to be a season-ending injury.
Despite Utah’s frontrunner status, the rest of the field won’t go down without a fight. Denver has rebounded from early-season struggles on beam and gained momentum behind the emergence of Madison Ulrich as a steady all-arounder. If Utah falters, the Pioneers have the potential to capitalize. Arizona and Arizona State, both in their first seasons in the Big 12, have fought hard to earn their spots at this meet. The Wildcats’ dynamic duo of Abigayle Martin and Alysen Fears helped lead them to their first undefeated home season since 2004, while the Sun Devils are peaking at the right time, fueled by Jada Mangahas’ return from injury. If all four teams hit, this could turn into a thrilling battle…
