Loading AI tools
Women's gymnastics team at the University of Utah From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Utah Utes women's gymnastics team, also known as the Red Rocks, represents the University of Utah and competes at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Pac-12 Conference. Home meets are held in the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. As of the end of the 2024 season, the Red Rocks have won 10 national championships, including nine NCAA Gymnastics championships, and been runner-up nine times. The Red Rocks are the only team to have qualified for every NCAA Championships and have never finished lower than 10th.[2] The team was coached from its inception by Greg Marsden until his retirement after the 2015 season. Carly Dockendorf is the current head coach, after the release of Tom Farden in 2023.
Utah Red Rocks | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Founded | 1976 |
University | University of Utah |
Head coach | Carly Dockendorf (1st season) |
Conference | Pac-12 |
Location | Salt Lake City, Utah |
Home arena | Jon M. Huntsman Center (Capacity: 15,000) |
Nickname | Red Rocks, Utes |
Colors | Red and white[1] |
National championships | |
10 (1981*,1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995) (*AIAW National Championship) | |
Four on the Floor appearances | |
4 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | |
Super Six appearances | |
32 (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018) | |
NCAA Regional championships | |
34 | |
NCAA Tournament appearances | |
42 (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) | |
Conference championships | |
6 Pac-12 Conference: 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023,2024 Pac-12 Regular Season: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
The Utah Utes gymnastics team first competed in 1976. The team first appeared on television in 1978 and has appeared every year since then.[2] The NCAA first sponsored women's gymnastics national championships in 1982. Utah is the only team to qualify for every national championship that has been held.[2]
The University of Utah became a member of the newly expanded Pac-12 Conference in 2011, and the Red Rocks became one of eight teams in the conference to compete in women's gymnastics. Utah has taken the Pac-12 Championships seven times since joining the conference, winning in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Red Rocks have won or shared a portion of the Regular Season Pac-12 Championship since its inauguration - the 2020 season is the first time each of the eight Pac-12 teams competed against every other team in the conference.[3] The Red Rocks won outright in 2020 and 2021, and shared the title in a four-way tie in both 2022 and 2023.[4]
Utah gymnasts have won the individual all-around title at the Pac-12 Championship five times:
Year | Gymnast | Score[5] |
---|---|---|
2012 | Corrie Lothrop | 39.625 |
2014 | Tory Wilson | 39.450 |
2015 | Georgia Dabritz | 39.775 |
2016 | Breanna Hughes | 39.550 |
2021 | Maile O'Keefe | 39.700 |
In 2024, the University of Utah was one of ten members of the Pac-12 who announced they would be moving to a different conference. Utah, alongside the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, moved to the Big 12 Conference.[6] They officially started competed in the Big 12 Conference in the 2024–2025 season.
The nickname "Red Rocks" has its origins in the Utah Gymnastics 1992 media guide cover photo.[7][8] At the time, all Utah women's sports teams used the moniker "Lady Utes". The name is a combination of "how rock solid they are, but also the red rock of southern Utah.” [8] The 1992 team won the NCAA championship, with the name sticking.[9]
Name | Height | Year | Hometown | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
Elizabeth Gantner | 4-11 | SO | Indianapolis, IN | JPAC |
Jaylene Gilstrap | 5-4 | SR+ | McKinney, TX | Metroplex |
Ashley Glynn | 5-2 | JR | Hockessin, DE | First State Gymnastics |
Zoe Johnson | FR | Durham, NC | Sonshine Gymnastics | |
Olivia Kennedy | 5-3 | SO | Maryville, TN | Georgia Elite |
Sarah Krump | 4-10 | JR | Las Vegas, NV | Brown's Gymnastics |
Grace McCallum | 5-3 | SR | Isanti, MN | Twin City Twisters |
Amelie Morgan | 5-6 | SR | Bristol, England | The academy |
Avery Neff | FR | South Jordan, UT | Olympus Gymnastics | |
Clara Raposo | FR | Toronto, ON | East York Gymnastics | |
Jaedyn Rucker | 5-3 | SR+ | Mesa, AZ | Desert Devils Gymnastics |
Makenna Smith | 5-3 | JR | Albuquerque, NM | Gold Cup Gymnastics |
Poppy-Grace Stickler | FR | Cardiff, Wales | Cymru Caerdydd | |
Camie Winger | 5-3 | SO | Orem, UT | Bold Gymnastics |
Ella Zirbes | 5-3 | SO | Stillwater, MN | Flips Gymnastics |
Name | Years | Record |
Greg Marsden | 1976 - 2015 | 1048-208-8 |
Megan Marsden | 2000–2019 | 151-54-3 |
Tom Farden | 2016–2023 | 101-33-1 |
Carly Dockendorf | 2024–present |
Greg Marsden was hired in 1976 to begin the gymnastics program. Marsden coached Utah for 40 straight years. He is the only collegiate gymnastics coach to amass 1,000 wins and earn Coach of the Year honors seven times.[10] He has never had a team finish worse than tenth place overall.
In July 2009 Megan Marsden was named co-head coach of the Red Rocks.[13] Megan, in addition to being Greg's wife, is a former member of the squad and has been an assistant coach since 1985.[14]
After the 2015 season, Greg retired and his wife Megan and assistant coach Tom Farden were named co-head coaches.[15] On 22 April 2019, Megan Marsden announced her retirement, and it was confirmed that current co-head coach Tom Farden would continue as the sole head coach.[16] Farden left his position in November 2023 after numerous people came forward with allegations of abuse.[17]
Name | Position |
---|---|
Carly Dockendorf | Head coach |
Jimmy Pratt | Assistant coach |
Myia Hambrick | Assistant coach |
Mike Hunger | Assistant coach |
Maile O'Keefe | Student assistant coach |
|
As of the end of the 2024 season, 16 different Utah gymnasts have won a total of 32 individual event championships.
Event | Winner/Year |
---|---|
Team | 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995 |
All Around | Sue Stednitz 1982 Megan Marsden 1983, 1984 Melissa Marlowe 1992 Theresa Kulikowski 1999 Maile O'Keefe 2023 |
Vault | Elaine Alfano 1982, 1983, 1985 Megan Marsden 1984 Kristen Kenoyer 1992 MyKayla Skinner 2018 Jaedyn Rucker 2022 |
Uneven Bars | Melissa Marlowe 1992 Sandy Woolsey 1992 Angie Leonard 1999 Kristina Baskett 2006 Georgia Dabritz 2015 Maile O'Keefe 2021 |
Balance Beam | Sue Stednitz 1982 Melissa Marlowe 1991, 1992 Summer Reid 1996, 1997 Theresa Kulikowski 1999, 2001 Ashley Postell 2007 Maile O'Keefe 2023 |
Floor Exercise | Lisa Mitzel 1985 Melissa Marlowe 1992 MyKayla Skinner 2017 Maile O'Keefe 2021 |
Top team total[18][5]
Top event totals[18]
Top Individual All-Around[18]
|