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SALT LAKE CITY — A week after a rough night on beam and a loss on the road to California, the No. 4 Red Rocks bounced back with authority.
Freshman Amelie Morgan opened up the event with a 9.825 score, and it only got better from there as the Red Rocks built on the momentum to eventually claim a 198.000-197.150 win over the visiting Oregon State Beavers.
It's the first 198 score of the season and the first time in two years the Red Rocks have topped the high mark. It's also the 12th time in program history Utah has scored a 198.
The Red Rocks came into a raucous Huntsman Center with a determination to overcome a loss from last week, with the focus on an improved beam team that struggled to maintain its normally solid composure and high scores.
Following Morgan's leadoff score, Grace McCallum hit a 9.90, Adrienne Randall scored a 9.925 and Abby Paulson recorded a 9.950. In the fifth position, Cristal Isa topped off the momentum and the improved scores with a perfect 10.0.
It took a moment for the judges to show the perfect mark for Isa, but once the scores were released the Huntsman Center erupted in cheers as Isa was surrounded by her teammates hugging and cheering her on. The emotions of the moment overcame Isa, who couldn't help but shed some tears as she recorded her first perfect score of her career on any event.
"She was in a different headspace tonight," Utes coach Tom Farden said about Isa. "She knew she had full confidence, was going to go up there and she was going to knock one out of the park — little grand slam for you."
IT'S A PERFECT 10 FOR CRISTAL ISA!! 😍 First perfect score of her career!!
— Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) February 19, 2022
📺 @Pac12Network
📲 https://t.co/P8Jmjl3FlApic.twitter.com/BxBy0gnp9g
Isa said she wasn't expecting the perfect score, but was happy to overcome a fall off the beam a week prior.
"It was kind of surprising, especially since what happened last week, like it's almost a point difference," Isa said. "So I was just hoping to hit. I wasn't really focused on the 10 at all — like, I think it has crossed my mind the past few weeks and it's really bit me in the butt — and I think just staying grounded on the beam was where it's at. Really exciting."
With Maile O'Keefe in the anchor position and already scoring a 10.0 earlier in the season, the likelihood of back-to-back perfect scores could be felt in the air. Once O'Keefe stuck her landing following what appeared to be another flawless routine, the crowd knew what was coming.
One judge revealed a perfect 10.0, which sent the arena into cheers, before the other judge revealed a 9.90 score to give O'Keefe a 9.950 score. Boos rang down from the 13,030 fans in attendance on a night where there were big disparities between the judges at time.
The score wasn't a perfect 10.0, but it was good enough to record a 49.725, which tied a season-high record by the Red Rocks on beam. It also remains as the highest beam score of the season in the nation.
"The biggest difference that I saw tonight was their determination was better, their aggressiveness was better," Farden said of his beam team.
Utah already led by a significant margin going into the beam, but the high score cemented an already dominant performance Friday night. All that was left was the question if the Red Rocks could cross the 198 threshold. With floor as the final event of the night, the Red Rocks needed a 49.550 score to hit the mark.
Abby Paulson scored a 9.925 in the leadoff position to set the tone as Jaedyn Rucker (9.90), McCallum (9.925), O'Keefe (9.875) and Sydney Soloski (9.925) did everything they needed to hit the mark exactly on the head.
The 198 score came at a perfect time, but it's one where Utah knows it can still improve as the season progresses. The Red Rocks opened the night on vault and struggled to stick every landing and were forced to record a 9.775 from Sage Thompson, who had never thrown a vault this season in competition, after Rucker sat down on her landing.
Fortunately for the Red Rocks, Oregon State recorded a lower team score on bars to give Utah the early 49.225-49.000 lead. As Utah transitioned to bars, it became apparent the Red Rocks were back in business as the team recorded a 49.500 score — just short of a season-high score.
Oregon State gymnast and Olympian Jade Carey won the all-around competition Friday night with a 39.700 score, beating out McCallum's 39.625 all-around score.
Utah has a quick turnaround and will travel to Seattle to take on Washington Monday (7 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Networks).
Team scores:
No. 4 Utah:
- Vault (49.225)
- Bars (98.725, 49.500)
- Beam (148.450, 49.725)
- Floor (198.000, 49.550)
No. 13 Oregon State:
- Bars (49.000)
- Vault (98.325, 49.325)
- Floor (147.725, 49.400)
- Beam (197.150, 49.425)
Individual Red Rocks scores
1st Rotation: Vault (49.225)
- Sage Thompson: 9.775
- Cammy Hall: 9.850
- Lucy Stanhope: 9.950
- Jaedyn Rucker: 9.375
- Alani Sabado: 9.800
- Grace McCallum: 9.850
2nd Rotation: Bars (49.500)
- Amelie Morgan: 9.850
- Grace McCallum: 9.950
- Abby Paulson: 9.850
- Sage Thompson: 9.925
- Maile O'Keefe: 9.900
- Cristal Isa: 9.875
3rd Rotation: Beam (49.725)
- Amelie Morgan: 9.825
- Grace McCallum: 9.900
- Adrienne Randall: 9.925
- Abby Paulson: 9.950
- Cristal Isa: 10.0
- Maile O'Keefe: 9.950
4th Rotation: Floor (49.550)
- Abby Paulson: 9.925
- Lucy Stanhope: 9.875
- Jaedyn Rucker: 9.900
- Grace McCallum: 9.925
- Maile O'Keefe: 9.875
- Sydney Soloski: 9.925
