Courtesy of Air Force
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Sophomore gymnast Maggie Slife came as close as any Air Force women’s gymnast has to qualifying for an NCAA bid in the program’s Division I history, scoring a 39.500 at the 2025 Utah Regional and coming within .025 of Denver’s Madison Ulrich to advance to this year’s NCAA Championship.
Slife, competing for the second time in as many seasons in an NCAA regional, represented the Air Force Academy to the highest regard, as the reigning Mountain West Gymnast of the year scored a 39.500 on Thursday in the opening session of the regional semifinal, resetting the Air Force all around record. Slife’s score ended the opening session in second place, one-tenth behind Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles.
Slife, competing on Thursday with Boise State, opened the afternoon with a statement showing on balance beam. Slife capped a powerful, composed performance sticking a round-off 1-1/2 to score her first career 9.900 on beam – Earning one of a dozen 9.900’s scored on beam in the semis.
Moving over to floor, the 2025 Mountain West Floor Specialist of the Year continued to dominate the moment, scoring a 9.850 to lead Boise’s top performer by .075.
On to vault, where Slife struggled in her 2024 regional appearance, the Falcon showed nothing but confidence and resolve. Executing a Yurchenko 1-1/2, Slife had a slight hop forward on her landing but otherwise performed excellently, finishing with another 9.850 to match the second-best score of her Air Force career.
Slife closed out the day on bars with a share of second place out of 40 competitors, earning a 9.900 to cap a historic season for both her and Air Force Women’s Gymnastics.
In the regional final on Saturday, host Utah (197.825) and UCLA (197.625) earned the two automatic bids out of the Salt Lake City regional. Denver’s Ulrich, closing the final round with a 39.525, claimed the individual all around bid.
Slife’s 39.500 was fourth best among all competitors from the regional semifinal (both sessions) and eighth-best out of the regional as a whole, including finals.
Head Coach Jennifer Green on Slife’s sterling performance at regionals:
“This week we got to witness a true display of calm confidence, and Maggie embodied it perfectly. All week long, she radiated a sense of ease and focus that we’ve never seen before – That was truly the most relaxed she’s ever been. We couldn’t be prouder of her performance.
“Maggie exceeded all expectations, showcasing exactly why she’s a champion in every sense of the word. We’re absolutely thrilled that she had the chance to show everyone who Maggie Mae Slife really is! She continues to represent the Air Force with unmatched poise and excellence.”
