Maile O’Keefe is in contention for the most prestigious award for college gymnasts — again
Maile O’Keefe has a chance to make even more Utah gymnastics history this season.
And it isn’t perfect 10 related history.
The fifth year senior, already the University of Utah’s record holder for perfect 10s on balance beam in both a season and in a career, is once again a nominee for the AAI Award.
Awarded annually to the most outstanding senior female gymnast in the country, the AAI Award has been handed out every year since 1982 and only four Red Rocks have ever won — Missy Marlowe, Theresa Kulikowski, Ashley Postell and Georgia Dabritz.
O’Keefe, the reigning NCAA all-around champion has nearly matched and in some cases surpassed each of those aforementioned gymnasts in Utah’s all-time record book, be it with individual national titles or perfect 10s.
Related
Sometimes both.
“That history is going to be there for forever,” Utah head coach Carly Dockendorf said. “She has worked for that all five years and that will never be erased. It has been really exciting to watch her perfect her skill and just continue to get better, which is hard to believe. She truly has continued to get better.”
O’Keefe was a finalist for the AAI award last season, along with Luisa Blanco (Alabama), Lynnzee Brown (Denver), Raena Worley (Kentucky), Sierra Brooks (Michigan), and Trinity Thomas (Florida).
Brooks ultimately claimed the honor, but O’Keefe is once again in the running for the award, along with 49 other gymnasts from programs across the sport.
Here is the complete list of nominees for the 2024 AAI Award:
Shania Adams — University of Alabama.
Alyssa Al-Ashari — Northern Illinois University.
Courtney Blackson — Boise State University.
Luisa Blanco — University of Alabama.
Raisa Boris — Eastern Michigan University.
Brianna Brooks — Utah State University.
Aria Brusch — Auburn University.
Haleigh Bryant — Louisiana State University.
Chae Campbell — University of California, Los Angeles.
Audrey Davis — University of Oklahoma.
Kinsey Davis — University of Nebraska.
Brooke Donabedian — Temple University.
Katie Finnegan — University of Georgia.
Margzetta Frazier — University of California, Los Angeles.
Gianna Gerdes — University of Minnesota.
Kylie Gorgenyi — University of New Hampshire.
Gayla Griswold — Lindenwood University.
Malia Hargrove — University of Arizona.
Olivia Hollingsworth — Auburn University.
Mya Hooten — University of Minnesota.
Jessica Hutchinson — University of Denver.
Maddie Johnston — Penn State University.
Skylar Killough-Wilhelm — University of Washington.
Angelica Labat — Illinois State University.
Ellie Lazzari — University of Florida.
Emily Leese — Rutgers University.
Andi Li — University of California.
Lauren Macpherson — San Jose State University.
Alondra Maldonado — Talladega College.
Chloe Negrete — North Carolina State University.
Victoria Nguyen — University of Florida.
Maile O’Keefe — University of Utah.
Nya Reed — University of California, Los Angeles.
Payton Richards — University of Florida.
Elease Rollins — Brigham Young University.
Jensen Scalzo — University of Arkansas.
Hannah Scharf — Arizona State University.
Sienna Schreiber — University of Missouri.
Emma Silberman — University of Maryland.
Ragan Smith — University of Oklahoma.
Cassie Stevens — Auburn University.
Mia Takekawa — University of Illinois.
Megan Teter — Ball State University.
Lauren Thomas — Iowa State University.
Hallie Thompson — University of North Carolina.
Rebecca Wells — Clemson University.
Chloe Widner — Stanford University.
Gabby Wilson — University of Michigan.
Daisy Woodring — Texas Woman’s University.
Raena Worley — University of Kentucky.
