University of Utah’s Grace McCallum concentrates
University of Utah’s Grace McCallum concentrates before performing on the bars at the fourth annual Rio Tinto Best of Utah Meet at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Trent Wood
By Trent Wood
Trent Wood is a sports writer for the Deseret News.

Saturday night at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah gymnastics made history, winning a third consecutive Pac-12 championship, something no team had ever managed before.

Watching the Red Rocks do it, up close and personal, were Grace McCallum and Jillian Hoffman.

The pair of Utah gymnasts were unable to compete Saturday due to injury and their absences were felt, even as their team pulled off a remarkable victory.

McCallum is currently sidelined with a hyperextended right knee — she was seen sporting a large brace — while Hoffman has now missed back-to-back meets with a foot injury (she wore a boot on her right foot at the Pac-12 championships).

Related
Utah makes Pac-12 history, 3-peats as conference champions

Will either gymnast be able to compete for Utah in the postseason?

That remains to be seen, but there is optimism.

Per Utah head coach Tom Farden, Hoffman is expected to be available in the postseason, though he did not specify whether that was both NCAA regionals and nationals or just the later.

“My gut tells me we will have her back in the postseason,” Farden said. “Nobody wants it more than Jill. All of these athletes are great, but that kid is driven.”

Photo Gallery: 1 of 43
1 of 43
Utah’s head coach Tom Farden leads the team in a chant after winning the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 2 of 43
2 of 43
Utah reacts after winning the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 3 of 43
3 of 43
Utah’s Abby Brenner reacts after winning the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 4 of 43
4 of 43
Utah’s Abby Brenner performs her bars routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 5 of 43
5 of 43
Utah’s Amelie Morgan reacts after winning the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 6 of 43
6 of 43
Utah takes a selfie after winning the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 7 of 43
7 of 43
Arizona State’s Jada Mangahas celebrates after completing her bars routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 8 of 43
8 of 43
Arizona’s Emma Strom performs her floor routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 9 of 43
9 of 43
Washington’s Taylor Russon celebrates after her bar routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 10 of 43
10 of 43
Arizona State’s Hannah Scharf performs her floor routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 11 of 43
11 of 43
Gymnasts warm up on the beam during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 12 of 43
12 of 43
Stanford’s Katya Sander performs her floor routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 13 of 43
13 of 43
Stanford’s Claire Dean prepares for her floor routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 14 of 43
14 of 43
Washington’s Amara Cunningham celebrates after her floor routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 15 of 43
15 of 43
Washington’s Lana Navarro performs her beam routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 16 of 43
16 of 43
Arizona’s Jessica Castles celebrates after completing her vault routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 17 of 43
17 of 43
Arizona State cheers during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 18 of 43
18 of 43
Arizona’s Sirena Linton celebrates after her bar routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 19 of 43
19 of 43
Arizona State’s Sarah Clark celebrates after completing her beam routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 20 of 43
20 of 43
Arizona State’s Skye Harper performs her beam routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 21 of 43
21 of 43
Utah’s Maile O’Keefe celebrates after her beam routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 22 of 43
22 of 43
Utah’s Jaedyn Rucker is seen performing her floor routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 23 of 43
23 of 43
Oregon State’s Jade Carey performs her vault routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 24 of 43
24 of 43
Oregon State’s Madi Dagen celebrates after completing her vault routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 25 of 43
25 of 43
Utah’s Jaylene Gilstrap performs her floor routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 26 of 43
26 of 43
Utah’s Abby Brenner performs her floor routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 27 of 43
27 of 43
Utah’s Maile O’Keefe performs her beam routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 28 of 43
28 of 43
Oregon State’s Jade Carey performs her floor routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 29 of 43
29 of 43
Utah’s Kara Eaker performs her beam routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 30 of 43
30 of 43
Utah’s Abby Paulson performs her beam routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 31 of 43
31 of 43
Utah’s Cristal Isa performs her beam routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 32 of 43
32 of 43
Utah’s Amelie Morgan performs her beam routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 33 of 43
33 of 43
Oregon State’s Jade Carey performs her beam routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 34 of 43
34 of 43
Utah’s Maile O’Keefe is seen from between her legs as she performs her bars routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 35 of 43
35 of 43
Utah’s Amelie Morgan holds up a “U” during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 36 of 43
36 of 43
Utah’s Abby Brenner performs her bars routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 37 of 43
37 of 43
Utah reacts after winning the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 38 of 43
38 of 43
UCLA’s Jordan Chiles reacts during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 39 of 43
39 of 43
Utah reacts after winning the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 40 of 43
40 of 43
Utah’s Maile O’Keefe performs her vault routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 41 of 43
41 of 43
Utah’s Maile O’Keefe celebrates after her vault routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 42 of 43
42 of 43
Utah’s Makenna Smith performs her beam routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News
Photo Gallery: 43 of 43
43 of 43
Utah’s Maile O’Keefe celebrates after performing her bars routine during the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships at Maverik Center in West Valley City on March 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News

As for McCallum, she was walking around the arena without crutches for the first time in public and Farden revealed that she has been training.

View Comments

“Before I did this, before I coached these kids (tonight), I coached Grace,” Farden said. “She is doing great. She is doing fantastic on bars.

“A lot of it is how she continues to progress. As you guys can see she is walking around. She is doing great. She really really is.”

Utah will not compete again for two weeks, until the weekend of March 29, at the Los Angeles Regional at Pauley Pavilion.

If the Red Rocks proceed to qualify for nationals, they would then be off until April 13, when they would compete in the semifinals of the NCAA gymnastics championships at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

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.