Utah v UCLA - Source: Getty — Grace McCallum during Utah vs UCLA. Source: Getty

"One last opportunity"- Grace McCallum drops sentimental message for Utah Red Rocks before NCAA Championships Final

Modified Apr 19, 2025 19:09 GMT

Utah Red Rocks' Grace McCallum penned a sentimental message for her team ahead of the 2025 NCAA Gymnastics Championships Final. The team is set to face Oklahoma, Missouri, and UCLA for the ultimate crown.

McCallum’s team advanced to the stage after defeating one of the major favorites and defending champions, the LSU Tigers. In Session II of the NCAA Championships semifinals, Utah (197.7625) and UCLA (197.7375) came ahead of LSU (197.5250) to secure their positions in the Final Four of the championships.

Ahead of the much-anticipated finals on April 19 in Fort Worth, Utah senior McCallum posted a sentimental message on her Instagram handle, captioning the post:

“Feeling blessed for one last opportunity to go out there with this team🤍”

Notably, Utah had earlier qualified for this year’s NCAA Championships with a strong performance from Grace McCallum during the finals of the 2025 NCAA Regional. However, it wasn’t easy for the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist as she was initially shaken during the first two rotations while competing in the regionals. However, she reflected on the mindset that helped her in their historic qualification, adding via Salt Lake Tribune:

“I was feeling a little stressed…I kind of set those nerves aside and just went up and did what I know how to do. I really trusted my training and the practice I’ve put in, and just let it go.”

She further emphasized during the same interview how the team’s mindset during the floor exercise changed the meet’s situation, turning it in their favor.

Grace McCallum’s Utah coach reflects on team’s historic 49th consecutive NCAA Gymnastics Championships qualification

Grace McCallum at 2025 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships - Source: Getty

Utah Red Rocks’ coach Carly Dockendorf reflected on after the team qualified for the 49th successive NCAA Gymnastics Championships in a row with their remarkable show at the Regional Finals. Dockendorf, who has been Utah’s head coach since 2024, said via The Daily Utah Chronicle, adding:

“Well, 49 years straight, I guess we can officially say that now, so it’s pretty exciting for us. Firstly, a big congratulations to all of the teams that were here this weekend. That was a competitive regional, like always, and I also want to thank our fans because they showed up tonight, and they brought the extra energy that we needed.”

Grace McCallum played a crucial role in the team’s qualification, posting an overall 39.725 in the all-around with scores of 9.800 on vault, 10.000 on uneven bars, 9.950 on balance beam, and 9.975 on floor exercise.

This helped Utah come from behind to top their Regional Finals, securing a score of 197.825, ahead of UCLA, who collected 197.625, thus both qualifying for the 2025 NCAA Gymnastics Championships.

About the author

Abhiruchi is a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda, specializing in Athletics, Swimming, Gymnastics, and Wrestling among other sports. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has over 2 years of prior experience in the sports journalism sector.

Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy are Abhiruchi’s favorite Olympians. She began following them in 2018, and seeing their transformation from initially not wanting to play together to becoming the world's top-ranked men's doubles pair inspires her.

Track & Field excites Abhiruchi the most because of the diverse range of events involved in it. Neeraj Chopra's historic performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics stands as her favorite Olympic moment as it was India’s first gold in track and field events. She feels that focus should be placed on up-and-coming athletes to increase the coverage of Olympic sports during the off-season.

Abhiruchi applies journalistic principles learnt while pursuing her Bachelor’s degree by prioritizing first-hand information, cross-checking via multiple reliable sources, and fact-checking for accuracy. She follows reputed sources and numerous established athletes on social media platforms to remain updated.

When not reporting, Abhiruchi enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.

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