Maile O’Keefe is an all-around champion after winning the title in dramatic fashion over UCLA star Jordan Chiles.
Chiles looked to have secured the all-around title with her 10 on the bars, especially after scoring a 9.9875 on the floor. But the Olympic medalist didn’t hold the lead for long, as Utah’s O’Keefe soon followed with a 10 of her own on beam.
While O’Keefe had won individual titles on bars, beam and floor, this marked her first all-around title.
“Every national championship that I’ve had under my belt has been amazing, but it’s just extra special because I don’t necessarily have everything that all of the other all-arounders have,” she told SportsCenter. “It’s just kind of really cool.”
She also won the beam title with the same perfect 10 that pushed her ahead of Chiles for the all-around victory.
MAILE O'KEEFE WITH A 10 TO TAKE THE ALL-AROUND TITLE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nFfnSJ2nyl— ESPN (@espn) April 14, 2023
MAILE O'KEEFE WITH A 10 TO TAKE THE ALL-AROUND TITLE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nFfnSJ2nyl
O’Keefe is the first Utah gymnast to win the all-around title since 1999.
Her beam, along with Grace McCallum’s 9.95 on bars, was enough to help Utah secure its place in the national championship final on Saturday. They’re joined by Oklahoma, LSU and Florida.