Utah Gymnastics Coach Criticizes Scoring At Premier Collegiate Meet

In Saturday’s Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate quad, a meet considered a “preview of the National Championship,” the 10-time National Champion Utah Red Rocks finished a disappointing fourth. Though competing with the best in the nation in No. 1 Oklahoma, defending National Champions LSU, and National Runner-Up California, Utah’s final score was the only sub-197 score of the day.

Their tally marked an underwhelming result for the highly talented squad led by two Olympic medalists and the No. 1 freshman. While few questioned Utah’s fourth place finish in the standings, the scoring that led to their final result raised eyebrows. In the eyes of the Utah fans and coaches, their scores were too low.

Head Coach Carly Dockendorf voiced her frustration with the scoring in a post-meet press conference reported by The Salt Lake Tribune, marking a surprising departure from the typically impartial comments from NCAA coaches.

“The scoring was interesting today,” Dockendorf said. “There were just some routines that we were shaking our head a little,” she said, adding that she understands they “can’t control what the judges do.” She continued, “I’m not going to lie, though. It is really hard to do a beautiful routine, and then not feel like you’re getting rewarded.”

ForbesNCAA Gymnastics’ Perfect 10 Streak Ends After Nearly Four YearsBy Caroline Price

Fans also took to social media to express frustration, with one expressing their desire to see the scores reviewed by the new judging review board. “I hope the new SCORE board reevaluates this entire meet,” they said. “I’m thrilled the judges are taking deductions, but they have to be taken equally across all conferences and divisions.” Another fan accused the judges of showing “favoritism” towards SEC teams.

While opinions differed on Dockendorf’s reaction, she and her staff can take action. New in 2025, coaching staff can now submit specific routines to the newly appointed judging SCORE board. If an egregious score is detected, the judges responsible could be demoted as the season progresses. Dockendorf plans to do just that.

Dockendorf reported that Utah “used all six of [their] routine summaries” – the maximum amount allotted to each institution per-competition. “We just felt that there were some routines that I had no idea how we got those (scores),” she added.

Moving Forward

While she maintains that the scoring was discouraging at times, Dockendorf insists that her team will focus on their “improvements from last week” instead of “focusing on the actual number” they received.

Though Dockendorf’s statements were unusual, they are likely to be the first of many as the season progresses. In a year marked by significant change in the sport’s evaluation process, growing pains are to be expected. While the more stringent week one scoring and SCORE Board are positive developments, the changes are detrimental if inconsistently applied.

Stay tuned to follow the NCAA judging saga as the season pushes on into week 3. For the comprehensive schedule from Road To Nationals, click here.

ForbesNCAA Gymnastics’ Perfect 10 Streak Ends After Nearly Four YearsBy Caroline Price