On Friday night in Utah’s final regular-season meet, seniors Maile O’Keefe, Abby Paulson, Jaedyn Rucker and Alani Sabado will be honored for their years spent with Utah gymnastics.
Not Jaylene Gilstrap, however.
The senior instead will return to Utah next season to compete a fifth year for the Red Rocks, she announced Tuesday.
“I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to spend another year alongside the most incredible fans in the nation, and my exceptional teammates, coaches and support staff,” Gilstrap said in a statement. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given this opportunity and can’t wait to return next year for one final season as a Red Rock. I’d like to give a huge thank you to our extraordinary fans and supporters for your unwavering encouragement and support. Go Utes!”
Gilstrap will be the final Utah gymnast to take advantage of a fifth year of eligibility provided by the NCAA in 2021 because of the pandemic. Fans were prohibited from attending meets that season and the campaign was competed in a sanitized setting. Gymnasts including O’Keefe, Paulson, Rucker, Abby Brenner, Alexia Burch and Sydney Soloski have all previously taken advantage of the extra year to Utah’s benefit.
Gilstrap has become a key part of Utah’s floor exercise lineup over the course of her career, after breaking into the lineup as a sophomore in 2022. Against Arizona last Friday, she recorded a career-high 9.95 on the event and earned her first-ever event win, the culmination of a steady rise in performance over years.
An occasional competitor on balance beam and floor, Gilstrap’s return should be a boon for a Red Rocks team that will be fairly young next season.
Grace McCallum and Amelie Morgan were the only gymnasts slated to be seniors for Utah in 2025, and eight of the team’s projected 13-women roster were going to be underclassmen. Now Utah will boast a roster of 14 (barring offseason defections) with a little more experience.
And Gilstrap will get one final round of NCAA women’s gymnastics.
“I think it is phenomenal that she is going to come back,” Utah head coach Carly Dockendorf said. “She provides great leadership, especially to the younger girls on this team. Obviously her beam and floor, but especially her floor this year has been outstanding. To be able to bring that routine back strengthens our entire team for next year. She brings such great personality and character. And is such an excellent student in the classroom and adds that academic element to the team. Expectations in all areas.”