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FORT WORTH, Texas — With a national championship on the line, the Red Rocks had everything in place to win going into the final rotation.
Utah held a narrow lead over LSU after three rotations going into an event that has been one of the Red Rocks' most inconsistent event of the season. But with the pressure of the moment mounting, it became too much.
Freshman Camie Winger led off vault with a sit down, leaving little room for error for the remaining five gymnasts. Fellow freshman Ella Zirbes then narrowly avoided a sit down of her own and scored a 9.6750 that had to be counted.
It was a rough start to a pivotal closing event.
But even with the less-than-desirable start to the final event, it was LSU that was unbeatable. The Tigers had four gymnasts score 9.950 scores and Konnor McClain topped the event with a 9.9625 to leave no doubt en route to a 2024 national championship with a 198.2250 team score.
The Red Rocks finished in third with a 197.8000 score — the fourth consecutive season with a third-place finish — and just behind fellow Pac-12 opponent California, who finished with a 197.8500 team score. Florida rounded out the scores with a 197.4375.
Utah opened up the national championship meet on bars with a 9.850 by Makenna Smith, and the scores gradually improved from there before Maile O'Keefe earned a 9.90 in the fourth spot and Grace McCallum topped the scores with a 9.950.
It was enough to land the Red Rocks in third place and room to improve as LSU took an early lead.
But the Red Rocks used the middle two events — beam and floor — to make their run toward a championship title. Utah had three gymnasts score a 9.90 or higher on beam — with McCallum earning a team-high 9.9375 — to slowly inch up the leaderboard and close the gap on the Tigers.
It was floor, though, where the Red Rocks shined.
Makenna Smith led off the event with a 9.90, and the scores improved from there with a 9.9125 from Zirbes, and back-to-back-to-back 9.9250 scores by Abby Paulson, Jaylene Gilstrap and Maile O'Keefe. McCallum closed out the event with a 9.90 score to give all six gymnasts a 9.90 score of higher.
It was enough for the Red Rocks to pull ahead on the leaderboard, narrowly eclipsing LSU with a 148.50-148.4625 lead.
From there, LSU went to work to claim the crown with a meet-high 49.7625 on beam.
When Aleah Finnegan stuck her landing in the anchor position for the Tigers, the emotions and tears suddenly came as the team realized it would win the meet.
Team scores
No. 2 LSU (SEC)
- Floor: 49.6125
- Vault: 99.0125 (49.4000)
- Bars: 148.4625 (49.4500)
- Beam: 198.2250 (49.7625)
No. 3 California (Pac-12)
- Beam: 49.4750
- Floor: 98.8500 (49.3750)
- Vault: 148.3500 (49.5000)
- Bars: 197.8500 (49.5000)
No. 4 Florida (SEC)
- Vault: 49.2500
- Bars: 98.7250 (49.4750)
- Beam: 147.9625 (49.2375)
- Floor: 197.4375 (49.4750)
No. 5 Utah (Pac-12)
- Bars: 49.4375
- Beam: 98.9125 (49.4750)
- Floor: 148.5000 (49.5875)
- Vault: 197.8000 (49.3000)
Red Rocks team scores
1st Rotation: Bars (49.4375)
- Makenna Smith: 9.8500
- Ella Zirbes: 9.8625
- Amelie Morgan: 9.8750
- Maile O'Keefe: 9.9000
- Grace McCallum: 9.9500
- Alani Sabado: 9.8375
2nd Rotation: Beam (49.4750)
- Amelie Morgan: 9.9125
- Makenna Smith: 9.8375
- Grace McCallum: 9.9375
- Abby Paulson: 9.8500
- Maile O'Keefe: 9.9000
- Elizabeth Gantner: 9.8750
3rd Rotation: Floor (49.5875)
- Makenna Smith: 9.9000
- Ella Zirbes: 9.9125
- Abby Paulson: 9.9250
- Jaylene Gilstrap: 9.9250
- Maile O'Keefe: 9.9250
- Grace McCallum: 9.9000
4th Rotation: Vault (49.3000)
- Camie Winger: 9.2875
- Ella Zirbes: 9.6750
- Ashley Glynn: 9.9125
- Makenna Smith: 9.9125
- Jaedyn Rucker: 9.9000
- Grace McCallum: 9.9000
