This post was updated March 23 at 9:23 p.m.

Each week of the regular season leads to the postseason – when the scores truly matter.

To win in the final stages, you have to be at your best when it counts.

And with No. 2 California and No. 5 Utah scoring uncharacteristically low in early rotations Saturday, No. 11 UCLA gymnastics soared, using a 49.625 floor rotation to leapfrog its Pac-12 championships competition at the halfway point in West Valley City, Utah. But after the Red Rocks bested the Bruins on floor with a 49.700 themselves, Utah defeated UCLA 198.000-197.875 to secure the Pac-12 title for the fourth consecutive year. 

“We all wanted to win so, so bad,” said freshman Katelyn Rosen. “But we really took that pressure and flipped it into motivation. It was all about love and joy for the sport and for each other.”

Cal finished in third place, while No. 17 Oregon State ended the night session in fourth.

UCLA and Utah went blow for blow in the fourth rotation, but a 9.900 vault from Red Rocks gymnast Grace McCallum secured the championship win and rendered sophomore Selena Harris’ meet-closing 9.950 bars routine – and 49.400 team score – all for naught.

Harris finished the meet with a Pac-12 championships record-tying 39.825, claiming the all-around title ahead of Oregon State’s Jade Carey and McCallum. 

“That was a full-circle moment,” Harris said. “I idolized these girls, and I did just as good as them. I’m just super proud of myself. I was jumping and screaming. I was looking at them, (and) I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’”

Rosen, who also competed in the all-around, notched a career-high 39.550 overall score.

On floor, all six Bruins scored above 9.900 – spearheaded by junior Brooklyn Moors and Harris’ 9.950 marks. UCLA scored at or above 49.625 on the event for the fourth time this season.

Heading into the third rotation and up by .300 over the Red Rocks, the Bruins needed to at least hit their season average of 49.320 on vault as Utah headed to floor in front of the home state faithful. 

But after senior Chae Campbell took multiple hops forward on her Yurchenko full, tying her season low of 9.750, UCLA looked to Harris and freshman Paige Anastasi – from the anchor position – to make up lost points and prevent Utah from taking a lead.

The Bruin duo executed.

Harris, who competed an almost identical Yurchenko 1.5 compared to last week’s 10, just missed perfection with a 9.975. And to close the third rotation moments later, Anastasi reached 9.900 for the second consecutive week to keep the Bruins in the mix.

“We put her (Anastasi) in the six spot as a strategy – if we needed just a hit, cleaner vault, we’d just have her do the (Yurchenko) full,” said coach Janelle McDonald. “But I don’t think that even crossed any of our minds today because she was so dialed in with her warmup and her one touch. Every vault she did today told us she was ready to hit this.”

While UCLA scored 49.375 – above its event average – Utah recorded a meet-high 49.700 on floor to lead by .25 heading into the final rotation. The Red Rocks would end the meet a tenth ahead of the Bruins.

UCLA, however, began the meet on beam. Harris picked up where she left off and scored a 9.950 moments before junior Emma Malabuyo anchored with the same score.

Add in junior Emily Lee’s 9.925 and Rosen’s 9.875 – the second-best beam score of her career – UCLA’s 49.475 slotted in at third place behind Oregon State and Utah. The figure positioned the Bruins at their lowest standing all night.  

UCLA’s 197.825 overall score was its third-highest overall and best away score of the season – a substantial improvement that could be decisive before win-or-go-home meets at the NCAA regionals.

Rosen said experience in front of a road crowd gives the team confidence heading into the weeks ahead.

“In the beginning of the season, we struggled a little bit when we didn’t have our home crowd,” Rosen said. “But we’ve really locked in our Bruin bubble, and we know how to bring that energy with us wherever we go.”