Fri Apr 18 02:00:00 UTC 2025: **Utah Red Rocks Aim for National Title After Decades of Near Misses**

FORT WORTH, TX – The University of Utah’s gymnastics team, the Red Rocks, are heading into the NCAA Gymnastics Championships semifinals with a newfound confidence and a clear goal: win their first national title since 1995. This marks their 49th consecutive appearance at nationals.

Head coach Carly Dockendorf revealed a significant shift in the team’s approach. For years, openly discussing the possibility of a championship was considered taboo, almost jinxing their chances. This year, however, the team is fully embracing the conversation and the pressure that comes with it. Dockendorf attributes a noticeable increase in the team’s confidence to this open dialogue.

The Red Rocks’ path to victory requires flawless execution across all four events—beam, floor, vault, and bars—in consecutive meets. Their regional performance lacked consistency, highlighting the need for improvement heading into the higher-stakes national competition.

Competing in the evening semifinal session against LSU, UCLA, and Michigan State, Utah will start on beam, an event where they rank third nationally. While beam has been a high-risk, high-reward event for Utah this season—producing both spectacular high scores and unusually low ones—Dockendorf has made strategic lineup adjustments to maximize their potential without sacrificing the aggressive approach.

Although details remain undisclosed, a revised beam lineup aims to balance risk and reward. The team will continue with their high-scoring routines on floor, vault, and bars, where Grace McCallum recently achieved back-to-back perfect 10s on bars. However, consistent landings on dismounts remain an area for improvement.

Dockendorf emphasized the importance of aggressive execution throughout the competition, urging the team to trust their training and believe in their abilities. The coach believes the team’s consistent practice and high-scoring potential justify this all-out approach. The team’s success hinges on belief in themselves, mutual support, and unwavering determination. The semifinals will air on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. MDT on Thursday, with the top two teams advancing to Saturday’s championship meet on ABC at 2 p.m. MDT.

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