Utah’s Alexia Burch celebrates after her vault during the 2022 Pac-12 women’s gymnastics championship at the Maverik Center.
Utah’s Alexia Burch celebrates after her vault during the Pac-12 women’s gymnastics championship at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on Saturday, March 19, 2022. Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Trent Wood
By Trent Wood
Trent Wood is a sports writer for the Deseret News.

How do you go about telling a story that was a lifetime in the making? 

Even if the time frame is shortened to an athlete’s four or five years in college, how do you put into words the impact and meaning of a collegiate career? 

That is the challenge every year when it comes to representing the experiences of gymnasts whose time with Utah gymnastics has come to an end. 

Photo Gallery: 1 of 27
1 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch thanks fans during senior night at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 4, 2022. | Mengshin Lin, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 2 of 27
2 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch is pictured during an exhibition on the beam as the Utah Red Rocks compete against Minnesota in a gymnastics meet at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 4, 2022. | Mengshin Lin, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 3 of 27
3 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch competes on the bars during the gymnastics meet with Arizona State University at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 4 of 27
4 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch celebrates her performance on the vault during the gymnastics meet against Arizona State University at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 5 of 27
5 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch competes on vault during the gymnastics meet with Oklahoma at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 6 of 27
6 of 27
The University of Utah’s Alexia Burch competes on the vault against Brigham Young University, Utah State University and Southern Utah University in the Rio Tinto Best of Utah NCAA gymnastics meet at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. Utah won. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 7 of 27
7 of 27
Utah Utes gymnast Alexia Burch performs on the beam during the NCAA regional final round at the Maverik Center on Saturday, April 3, 2021. The Utes are moving on to the next round. | Annie Barker, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 8 of 27
8 of 27
Utah Utes gymnast Alexia Burch performs on the bars during the NCAA regional second round at the Maverik Center on Friday, April 2, 2021. | Annie Barker, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 9 of 27
9 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch performs on the beam as Utah and UCLA compete in a gymnastics meet at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. | Annie Barker, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 10 of 27
10 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch performs on the bars as Utah and UCLA compete in a gymnastics meet at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. | Annie Barker, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 11 of 27
11 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch performs on the Bars as Utah and Washington compete in an NCAA gymnastics match at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. #4 Utah won 197.475 to 193.300. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 12 of 27
12 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch performs on the Bars as Utah and Washington compete in an NCAA gymnastics match at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. #4 Utah won 197.475 to 193.300. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 13 of 27
13 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch competes on the beam during a meet against Arizona at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 14 of 27
14 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch celebrates after her dismount on the beam during a meet against Arizona at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 15 of 27
15 of 27
Alexia Burch smiles after competing on the vault during the annual Red Rocks Preview at the University of Utah’s Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 16 of 27
16 of 27
Alexia Burch performs on the bars during the annual Red Rocks Preview at the University of Utah’s Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 17 of 27
17 of 27
Utah’s Alexia Burch performs on the vault during the Arizona State and University of Utah gymnastics meet at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 24, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 18 of 27
18 of 27
Utah heads coach Tom Farden, left, and assistant coach Garrett Griffeth celebrate Alexia Burch’s vault routine during the Arizona State and University of Utah gymnastics meet at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 24, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 19 of 27
19 of 27
20171216 Alexia Burch, right, cheers on a teammate during the Utah gymnastics Red Rocks Preview at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Dec. 15, 2017. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 20 of 27
20 of 27
Utah gymnast Alexia Burch competes on the beam as Utah hosts Kentucky to kick off the 2020 season in the Huntsman Center at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 21 of 27
21 of 27
Utah gymnast Alexia Burch competes in the floor event against Kentucky as Utah kicks off the 2020 season in the Huntsman Center at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 22 of 27
22 of 27
Utah's Alexia Burch sails through the air on her vault routine during the Penn State versus the University of Utah gymnastics meet at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019. | Steve Griffin, Steve Griffin, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 23 of 27
23 of 27
Utah's Alexia Burch competes on beam during a meet against UCLA at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 24 of 27
24 of 27
Alexia Burch competes on vault during a meet against UCLA at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 25 of 27
25 of 27
Utah's Alexia Burch is congratulated by teammates after competing on the floor during a meet against Arizona at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 1, 2019. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 26 of 27
26 of 27
20190324 University of Utah sophomore Alexia Burch applies chalk to her hands before doing competing in the uneven bars during the Pac-12 gymnastics championship at the Maverick Center in West Valley City on Saturday, March 23, 2019. | Deseret News, Silas Walker, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 27 of 27
27 of 27
Fans cheer for seniors after Alexia Burch performs an exhibition routine on the beam as the Utah Red Rocks compete against Minnesota in a gymnastics meet at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 4, 2022. | Mengshin Lin, Deseret News

Rather than make an ill-fated attempt at it, we’ve let the gymnasts speak for themselves ahead of the final meet of their careers.

Here is what Utah senior Alexia Burch had to say.

“Dear Utah gymnastics,

Thank you for everything. Everything from the moment I stepped on campus as a baby Ute in 2017, to the day I walk across the stage at graduation. You have meant the most and been my world for five years, and I could not be more grateful.

Thank you for being the thing that pushed me the hardest, taught me life lessons and supported me along the entire way. As a freshman, you taught me how to be an adult. To be kind, caring and respectful.

Coming to college as a 17 year old is not easy, but I was always given the support I needed to be here. As a sophomore, you taught me how to push through the hardest of times. It will all be worth it.

Even if it was not my best meet, I was always met with reinforcement on how to get better. As a junior, you taught me what family meant. Family above all else. A team of women and all of the staff being all in on one dream and goal.

View Comments

As a senior, you taught me leadership and showed me why I have loved this sport so much. The pandemic changed what a season looked like, but that did not stop us from achieving everything we wanted.

Finally, as a super senior, you gave me one more chance to be around a group of women I call my sisters, and staff who will always be family. A senior send-off with fans, friends and family all getting to be there for a final salute in the Huntsman Center is something I will never forget.

I cannot be more appreciative of my time spent at the University of Utah and all of the memories I have made along the way in the gymnastics program. You have given me the opportunity of a lifetime to get my degree while also doing the sport I love the most.

Thank you and as always, Go Utes!”

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.