Junior Olympic champion, Utah native Sage Thompson just signed with Utah gymnastics, adding to stacked 2021 recruiting class

In this Jan. 24, 2020, file photo, Utah head coach Tom Farden celebrates Alexia Burch’s vault routine during the Arizona State-Utah gymnastics meet at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. The Red Rocks added to their highly touted 2021 recruiting class Wednesday, signing Lehi native Sage Thompson. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News

Sage Thompson becomes the third member of Utah’s latest recruiting class, along with Olympic hopefuls Kara Eaker and Grace McCallum

Seventy-seven days ago, back on Nov. 11, 2020, Utah gymnastics coach Tom Farden could not have been happier.

His program had just secured the signatures of Olympic hopefuls Kara Eaker and Grace McCallum, world champions of the same caliber as Utah superstars MyKayla Skinner and Ashley Postell.

“We are thrilled to have Sage join this year’s top-notch signing class. It’s great to have a local standout and we cannot wait for her to continue her career as a Ute in front of her hometown friends and family.” — Utah coach Tom Farden

Farden could scarcely contain his excitement.

“This is a very special recruiting class,” he told the Deseret News. “Couldn’t be more proud of a group effort in getting these athletes, these world champions, to commit.”

That special recruiting class just got even better.

On Wednesday, Junior Olympic uneven bars national champion and Utah native Sage Thompson signed with the Red Rocks, becoming the third member of Utah’s 2021 recruiting class.

(As a reminder, members of the 2021 class will compete next season, in 2022).

“We are thrilled to have Sage join this year’s top-notch signing class,” Farden said in a release. “It’s great to have a local standout and we cannot wait for her to continue her career as a Ute in front of her hometown friends and family.”

A Lehi native, Thompson attends Skyridge High where she holds a 4.0 GPA and is a two-time National Honors Society member. She spent the past year training at Olympus Gymnastics in South Jordan, and trained the majority of her club career at All American Gymnastics in Lindon, the same gym that produced Utah standouts Makenna Merrell-Giles and Kim Tessen.

Thompson’s accolades speak for themselves:

• A 15-time Utah State champion and seven-time Region 1 champion.
• A three-time Junior Olympic national championships qualifier (2017-2019).
• At the 2019 J.O. Championships, Thompson earned a share of the gold medal on bars and finished tied for sixth in the all-around, which earned her a place on the 2019 J.O. National Team.
• The year before, in 2018, Thompson placed second on bars and fifth on vault at the J.O Championships.
• She earned the silver medal on bars at the 2019 Nastia Liukin Cup.
• Since the 2017 Region 1 Championships, Thompson has earned seven gold medals at the past three regional events, including three-straight all-around titles as a Level 10 gymnast.

“Sage is strong on all four events,” Farden said, “but especially on uneven bars. Her captivating skills and pristine execution could make immediate impacts.”

This story will be updated.

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