WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — After completing the regular season with an undefeated Conference record, UTAH impressed from start-to-finish to secure the 2021 Pac-12 Women’s Gymnastics championship at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah, on Saturday. The Red Rocks, led by stellar all-around performances from sophomore Maile O’Keefe and junior Cristal Isa, edged out CALIFORNIA, UCLA and ARIZONA STATE in session No. 2 of the championship event, for their first Conference title since 2017 and third since 2014.

UCLA took a slight lead after an impressive opening on the vault, only to see UTAH seize control on the beam and grab hold of a lead it would never relinquish. The Red Rocks swept the podium on beam, with O’Keefe, Isa and Abby Paulson sharing the top spot with matching 9.950 scores. O’Keefe’s all-around victory (39.700) was punctuated by a 9.950 score on the floor, a mark she shared with six other gymnasts, including teammates Jaedyn Rucker and Sydney Soloski. On the evening, UTAH captured eight first-place finishes, accentuated by four from O’Keefe and two from Isa. 

The Red Rocks finished with 197.725 points, besting second-place California (197.375), which entered the competition as the top seed in the field. The Bears were led by Nevaeh DeSouza’s third-place 39.550 all-around performance, and as a team took the top spot on the uneven bars (49.475). Kyana George joined Utah’s trio with a 9.950 on the floor, while DeSouza tied for third on vault in a competitive field. Despite finishing in second, CALIFORNIA achieved its highest finish at the Conference championship and set a program-best Pac-12 championship score. 

UCLA and ARIZONA STATE rounded out the top-four with 196.725 and 196.375 points, respectively. UCLA’s Sekai Wright outlasted the field on vault, posting a 9.950 score while ARIZONA STATE’s Anaya Smith took second at 9.925. The Bruins and Sun Devils both posted strong performances in session No. 2, as UCLA placed in the top-two and the Sun Devils top-four in three events. In addition to Wright’s outstanding vault showing, Margzetta Frazier, Chae Campbell and Pauline Tratz tied for first in individual events for the Bruins. 

During the first session of competition, OREGON STATE (195.625) edged ARIZONA (195.275), STANFORD (195.175) and WASHINGTON (194.400), with the Cardinal’s Kyla Bryant earning a 9.95 floor score for the top mark of the early afternoon action. WASHINGTON’S Allie Smith (9.900) led the first session on the vault, while a trio of gymnasts shared the highest scores on bars and beam.

While STANFORD’s floor score of 49.350 stood as the top event after session No. 1, the Beavers’ consistency across the board gave them the early team lead. The Red Rocks, Bears, Bruins, Sun Devils and Beavers entered competition in the top-25 nationally, and will now look forward to NCAA postseason events. 

Regular Season Honors

Following the competition, UCLA’s Pauline Tratz was honored with 2021 Pac-12 Women’s Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year. UTAH’s Maile O’Keefe earned Gymnast of the Year, UTAH’s Alexia Burch won Specialist of the Year and UCLA’s Chae Campbell collected the Freshman/Newcomer of the Year award. CALIFORNIA co-head coaches Justin Howell and Elisabeth Crandall-Howell took home Pac-12 Coaches of the Year honors. 

For a full release of 2021 Pac-12 award winners, click here. 

Individual Results

Vault

1. Sekai Wright, UCLA (9.950)

2. Anaya Smith, Arizona State (9.925)

T3. Nevaeh DeSouza, California (9.900)

T3. Pauline Tratz, UCLA (9.900)

T3. Nia Dennis, UCLA (9.900)

T3. Allie Smith, Washington (9.900)

Bars

T1. Maile O’Keefe, Utah (9.950)

T1. Cristal Isa, Utah (9.950)

T1. Margzetta Frazier, UCLA (9.950)

Beam

T1. Maile O’Keefe, Utah (9.950)

T1. Cristal Isa, Utah (9.950)

T1. Abby Paulson, Utah (9.950)

Floor 

T1. Maile O’Keefe, Utah (9.950)

T1. Kyla Bryant, Stanford (9.950)

T1. Chae Campbell, UCLA (9.950)

T1. Kyana George, California (9.950)

T1. Pauline Tratz, UCLA (9.950)

T1. Jaedyn Rucker, Utah (9.950)

T1. Sydney Soloski, Utah (9.950)

All-Around

1. Maile O’Keefe, Utah (39.700)
2. Cristal Isa, Utah (39.650)
3. Nevaeh DeSouza, California (39.550)

Team Results

1. Utah, 197.725
2. California, 197.375
3. UCLA, 196.725
4. Arizona State, 196.375
5. Oregon State, 195.625
6. Arizona, 195.400
7. Stanford, 195.175
8. Washington, 194.400