Grace McCallum scores 10.0 on bars, Red Rocks earn best road meet score of season

TUCSON, Ariz. — Grace McCallum was back in the all-around competition for just the third time this season for the No. 5 Red Rocks on Friday night.

And it didn't take long for the Olympian to leave her mark on the night in the Red Rocks' final road meet of the regular season. In the fifth spot of the opening lineup on uneven bars, McCallum executed her gymnastics flawlessly.

By the time McCallum's feet planted on the mat below her, her fellow gymnasts were calling for the perfect score in hostile territory.

The judges obliged, and McCallum earned her third perfect 10.0 on bars in her career, giving the Red Rocks an early decisive lead against Arizona that the team never relinquished.

The Red Rocks used that early momentum to come away with the team's second-best score of the season and best road score with a 197.875, improving the team's score in the all-important NQS just weeks before regionals will be announced.

McCallum recorded two other scores over a 9.90 on beam (9.90) and floor (9.950) to pull away with a comfortable all-around win with a score of 39.675, besting fellow teammate Makenna Smith (39.375) and Arizona's Alysen Fears (39.300).

"It means a lot to me to be back in the all around," McCallum said. "I just love competing, and I'm a very competitive person, which is a good and a bad thing sometimes. But I just love to keep the momentum going throughout the meet. It's just been really fun and exciting to go back out there and do vault. I missed it a lot."

McCallum's return to the all-around competition helped stabilize a Red Rocks team that continues to move around lineups late in the season.

It was a meet that Red Rocks head coach Carly Dockendorf said she was pleased with given the high road score, but she said her team "gave away some tenths" throughout the night, including on the final event of beam — a recent staple for the Red Rocks.

The biggest improvement in Dockendorf's eyes, though, was on vault, where her gymnasts had more confidence.

"I really believe that the athletes looked a lot more confident doing their vaults tonight, even though we did take some steps," Dockendorf said. "I think some athletes were pressing a little hard for the stick, but it's gonna take consistent training days and practice days in making those adjustments for it to continue to appear at a meet."

Vault was the Red Rocks' lowest-scored event (49.350) of the night, but Dockendorf is confident based where the team is at late in the season. The biggest area holding the team back is pushing for sticks.

It's a Red Rocks team peaking at the right time, she said, with still plenty of room to grow.

"I think the team has a lot more in them," McCallum added. "And I think we're just slowly getting more confident and really getting those details, fine-tuning things, and it's just coming out more and more. I think the more we practice those things that you'll see it in our competition more, but I definitely think that this team has so much more left in them and this is just the start."

Team scores

No. 5 Red Rocks

• Bars: 49.525
• Vault: 98.875 (49.350)
• Floor: 148.450 (49.575)
• Beam: 197.875 (49.425)

Arizona

• Vault: 49.150
• Bars: 97.100 (47.950)
• Beam: 146.350 (49.250)
• Floor: 195.725 (49.375)

Red Rocks scores

1st Rotation: Bars (49.525)

• Makenna Smith: 9.850
• Alani Sabado: 9.125
• Ella Zirbes: 9.925
• Maile O'Keefe: 9.875
• Grace McCallum: 10.0
• Camie Winger: 9.875

2nd Rotation: Vault (49.350)

• Camie Winger: 9.850
• Ella Zirbes: 9.900
• Ashley Glynn: 9.825
• Makenna Smith: 9.850
• Jaedyn Rucker: 9.925
• Grace McCallum: 9.825

3rd Rotation: Floor (49.575)

• Makenna Smith: 9.850
• Ella Zirbes: 9.875
• Abby Paulson: 9.925
• Jaylene Gilstrap: 9.950
• Jaedyn Rucker: 9.875
• Grace McCallum: 9.950

4th Rotation: Beam (49.425)

• Camie Winger: 9.825
• Makenna Smith: 9.825
• Elizabeth Gantner: 9.850
• Grace McCallum: 9.900
• Abby Paulson: 9.875
• Maile O'Keefe: 9.975

Related topics