No. 12 Red Rocks Finish Conference Play Undefeated

Utah gymnasts shine in final home meet of the season, clinching Big 12 regular season title.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The No. 12-ranked Utah Red Rocks gymnastics team capped off their conference schedule with a dominant victory over No. 22 BYU and West Virginia at their final home meet of the season. The Red Rocks posted a 197.650 team score, their second-highest of the year, led by standout performances from their senior gymnasts.

Why it matters

Finishing the Big 12 schedule undefeated for the second straight year is a significant accomplishment for the Red Rocks, showcasing the team's consistency and resilience. This victory also clinched the Big 12 regular season title for Utah, a testament to their excellence throughout the conference slate.

The details

The Red Rocks were stellar on vault, bars, and floor, posting scores of 49.500 on each event. However, they struggled a bit on beam, with an uncharacteristic lead-off routine from Liz Gantner resulting in a 9.725. Despite the beam hiccup, Utah was able to keep all four gymnasts on the apparatus and secure the victory.

  • The Red Rocks' final home meet of the 2026 season took place on Saturday, March 8.

The players

Carly Dockendorf

The head coach of the Utah Red Rocks gymnastics team.

Ana Padurariu

A senior gymnast for the Utah Red Rocks who reset her career-high on bars with a 9.975 routine.

Makenna Smith

A senior gymnast for the Utah Red Rocks who earned a 9.975 on floor exercise, amping up the crowd before her routine.

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What they’re saying

“We've kind of done some of our best beam performances when it comes down to that final rotation, and they attack a little more with a fierce mindset, versus just kind of trying to stay on the beam. And I feel like they did that a little bit tonight, more worried about staying on than just trusting their bodies and attacking it.”

— Carly Dockendorf, Head Coach (247sports.com)

“One thing that Mike [Hunger] said in the bar lineup that really stood out to me was to not focus on just hitting a routine, but focus on all the details, on all the intentionality that we focus on during training. Because in training, we're not like, oh, I hope we hit this routine. So just getting out of that timid mindset and more into a confident we got this type of mindset.”

— Ana Padurariu, Senior Gymnast (247sports.com)

“Honestly, I was feeling a little nervous before my floor routine. I think just knowing it was going to be my last one, and I knew exactly what my reaction was going to be at the end. So, pumping up the crowd beforehand, it honestly calmed me down, and it kind of grounded me a bit. And then when I landed my last pass, I just could feel it, that it was one of the best routines I've done.”

— Makenna Smith, Senior Gymnast (247sports.com)

What’s next

The Red Rocks will head to Los Angeles to take on rival No. 5 UCLA on Saturday, March 14 at 8:30 pm MT, with the match being broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

The takeaway

The Red Rocks' undefeated conference record and regular season title showcase the team's exceptional talent, resilience, and commitment to excellence. Their senior gymnasts delivered standout performances in their final home meet, providing a fitting end to the regular season and setting the stage for a strong postseason push.