McCallum scores 10 on floor as Red Rocks' Eras Tour leads to first 198 score of season

SALT LAKE CITY — Welcome to the Winning Era.

In a Taylor Swift-themed night dubbed the Red Rocks Eras Tour at the Huntsman Center, the fourth-ranked Red Rocks took care of business at home in front of 13,509 fans and earned a 198.075-196.625 win — the first 198 score of the season for the Red Rocks — over Stanford Friday night.

There's glitter on the floor after the party and there's friendship bracelets all around.

And what better way to celebrate than with a perfect 10.0 score from Grace McCallum on floor in the fifth spot to help the Red Rocks to a season-high 49.700 score on any event. It was also the first perfect score on floor for a Red Rocks gymnast since MyKayla Skinner recorded a perfect score in 2019.

"It was really special to get a 10 on floor," McCallum said. "I knew that Utah hadn't gotten a 10 on floor in years, and so it just made it that much more special. I've been working so hard in the gym every day, and was just really hoping that one of these days it would pay off."

"I think that was the highlight for tonight as an individual for her," Red Rocks coach Carly Dockendorf said. "She's been working so hard on that; she's had to come out of her shell with her dance and her performance. She's always been a great tumbler, but the uncomfortable part is showing off the routine. Just to see Grace out there smiling and enjoying herself and celebrating with the team, it makes me so happy to see that."

But McCallum was far from the only gymnast to have a career night in an all-around dominant performance from the Red Rocks after a short turnaround following a win over UCLA on Monday.

Makenna Smith recorded a career-high on uneven bars with a 9.975 in the leadoff position, and freshman Ella Zirbes broke out on the scene with three scores over a 9.925 on three events for three career highs — a 9.925 on vault and bars, and a 9.950 on floor — in a fearless night for the Red Rocks.

Zirbes said it "felt really great" being able to have a career night, saying the "energy" carried through to bars and then again to floor. But more importantly, it was one of the first times this season the gymnast had simply had fun.

"I was really having fun, which is what helps me compete my best is when I'm having fun, I'm not worried," Zirbes said. "I just didn't worry about anything. I just did what I did in training, and it happened."

Both McCallum and Abby Paulson said it was rewarding to see the freshman come alive Friday night.

"I was just really excited to see her so confident," McCallum said. "She's been working so hard in the gym every day. And every day, I'm just like, 'Oh, she's so close,' like she just needed to get that last bit of confidence, and I saw that today. I mean, she was just stunning out there."

Fellow freshman Camie Winger set the tone to the night with a team-high 9.950 score on vault in the leadoff position to give the Red Rocks an early lead over Stanford. But it was uneven bars where the Red Rocks shined and started to pull away.

Smith's leadoff 9.975 upped the intensity to the night, and Zirbes and Maile O'Keefe added 9.925 scores to leave no doubts who the better team on the floor was Friday night — even with multiple lineup changes after Amelie Morgan left the team for a month to compete in England.

"The first thing that comes to mind is I'm just so proud of the team tonight," Dockerdorf said. "Our goal was to put together four events, it wasn't necessarily a score, but for us to just go out and do our four events, because we haven't done that yet, and that's exactly what we did.

"I think it just talks about the character of this team and how determined they are, and the strength of this program. I think we're just getting started."

The Red Rocks continued to build on that momentum on beam and floor.

In the third position, McCallum earned a 9.975 score that was followed by back-to-back 9.975 scores from Paulson and O'Keefe — all scores where a 10.0 was plausible, and at least one judge thought the routine deserved a perfect score.

But it was floor where the Red Rocks left no doubt.

Swiftie and friendship bracelet-loving Paulson scored a 9.925 in the leadoff spot, and all scores counted on the night were no less than a 9.90. Zirbes followed Paulson with a 9.950 and Jaylene Gilstrap added a 9.90. McCallum then got her perfect score in the fifth spot before O'Keefe finished off the meet with a 9.925.

Team scores

No. 4 Utah

• Vault: 49.400
• Bars: 98.850 (49.450)
• Beam: 148.375 (49.525)
• Floor: 198.075 (49.700)

Stanford

• Bars: 49.300
• Vault: 98.225 (48.925)
• Floor: 147.275 (49.050)
• Beam: 196.625 (49.350)

Red Rocks scores

1st Rotation: Vault (49.400)

• Camie Winger: 9.950
• Ella Zirbes: 9.925
• Ashley Glynn: 9.850
• Makenna Smith: 9.825
• Jaedyn Rucker: 9.850
• Jaylene Gilstrap: 9.825

2nd Rotation: Bars (49.450)

• Makenna Smith: 9.975
• Abby Paulson: 9.775
• Ella Zirbes: 9.925
• Maile O'Keefe: 9.925
• Grace McCallum: 9.800
• Alani Sabado: 9.825

3rd Rotation: Beam (49.525)

• Makenna Smith: 9.825
• Elizabeth Gantner: 9.775
• Grace McCallum: 9.975
• Abby Paulson: 9.975
• Maile O'Keefe: 9.975
• Camie Winger: 9.750

4th Rotation: Floor (49.700)

• Abby Paulson: 9.925
• Ella Zirbes: 9.950
• Jaylene Gilstrap: 9.900
• Jaedyn Rucker: 9.850
• Grace McCallum: 10.0
• Maile O'Keefe: 9.925

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