Completed Event: Gymnastics versus NCAA Championship Final on April 19, 2025 , , 4th of 4 (197.2375)
Final Score
Gymnastics
4th of 4 (197.2375)
vs NCAA Championship Final
Friday, January 19
Salt Lake City, UT
7:00 PM
University of Utah
197.450
vs
196.300
Oregon State
No. 2 Gymnasts Beat No. 25 OSU 197.45-196.3
1/19/2018 10:18 PM | Gymnastics
Skinner, Merrell-Giles fuel Ute victory before crowd of 14,915
SALT LAKE CITY—The No. 2 Ute gymnasts started and finished strong—while producing enough big scores in the middle—to earn their highest score of the season in a 197.450-196.300 win over No. 25 Oregon State. The Utes, led once again by their dynamic one-two punch of MyKayla Skinner and MaKenna Merrell-Giles, improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-12 before an enthusiastic crowd of 14,915 in the Huntsman Center. Oregon State dropped to 1-1, 0-1.
"Tonight was a bookended meet," said co-head coach Tom Farden. "We were strong on vault and floor exercise and had a couple of misfires on the intricate events of bars and beam. While those were disappointing, as coaches we are ecstatic about how good this team can be. We left tenths on the table that would have put us in the 198 range."
MyKayla Skinner won four individual titles, posting season highs in the all-around (39.725), vault (9.95), bars (9.975) and beam (9.925). Skinner's 39.725 all-around score tied the seventh best in school history, even with an uncharacteristic deduction on her middle floor pass that resulted in a 9.875.
Skinner now has 11 victories in the first three meets, including all three all-around and uneven bar titles.
Hot on her heels once again was Merrell-Giles, who tied Skinner for first place on vault with a career-high 9.95, tied for first on floor (with Tiffani Lewis and Sydney Soloski; all with 9.925s) and shattered her career all-around high with a 39.600 to place second behind Skinner.
"MyKayla and MaKenna are freaks of nature," proclaimed Kari Lee in the post-meet press conference. Lee made quite a case for her own abilities on the balance beam. After struggling to a 9.35 on bars, Lee rebounded at a critical time on beam, scoring a 9.875 routine from the No. 4 position on beam.
"We train different scenarios in the gym to prepare for when we have some problems on an event. Kari really give us a lift at a critical time on beam," said Farden, adding "We knew the new lineup we used tonight might take some adjusting to."
One who adjusted just fine was Skinner, whose 9.925 came at the end of the lineup. "I've never been last before on beam, so I was glad there were no falls ahead of me and I could be relaxed."
Utah started the night strong, scoring a season-high 49.475 on vault behind co-champions Merrell-Giles and Skinner, who were set up nicely by Kim Tessen's 9.90. After one event, Utah had a four-tenths of a point lead over OSU, 49.475-49.075.
On the second rotation, mistakes in the middle of the bar lineup were partially offset by Skinner's 9.975 at the anchor, but Utah's 49.225 was its season low on the event. After two rotations, the Utes led 98.700-98.200.
Beam was a similar story where three routines scored between a 9.70 (freshman Alexia Burch's first college routine to count) and a 9.80, but three scored a 9.875 or better. Utah held a comfortable 147.900-147.275 lead heading into the final rotation.
Lewis jumpstarted Utah's floor set with a career-tying 9.925 from the leadoff position, and Missy Reinstadtler (9.90), Soloski (9.925) and Merrell-Giles (9.925) took it from there, propelling the Utes to their best floor score of the season.
Utah heads to Arizona next week, competing on January 26 in Tucson.
"Tonight was a bookended meet," said co-head coach Tom Farden. "We were strong on vault and floor exercise and had a couple of misfires on the intricate events of bars and beam. While those were disappointing, as coaches we are ecstatic about how good this team can be. We left tenths on the table that would have put us in the 198 range."
MyKayla Skinner won four individual titles, posting season highs in the all-around (39.725), vault (9.95), bars (9.975) and beam (9.925). Skinner's 39.725 all-around score tied the seventh best in school history, even with an uncharacteristic deduction on her middle floor pass that resulted in a 9.875.
Skinner now has 11 victories in the first three meets, including all three all-around and uneven bar titles.
Hot on her heels once again was Merrell-Giles, who tied Skinner for first place on vault with a career-high 9.95, tied for first on floor (with Tiffani Lewis and Sydney Soloski; all with 9.925s) and shattered her career all-around high with a 39.600 to place second behind Skinner.
"MyKayla and MaKenna are freaks of nature," proclaimed Kari Lee in the post-meet press conference. Lee made quite a case for her own abilities on the balance beam. After struggling to a 9.35 on bars, Lee rebounded at a critical time on beam, scoring a 9.875 routine from the No. 4 position on beam.
"We train different scenarios in the gym to prepare for when we have some problems on an event. Kari really give us a lift at a critical time on beam," said Farden, adding "We knew the new lineup we used tonight might take some adjusting to."
One who adjusted just fine was Skinner, whose 9.925 came at the end of the lineup. "I've never been last before on beam, so I was glad there were no falls ahead of me and I could be relaxed."
Utah started the night strong, scoring a season-high 49.475 on vault behind co-champions Merrell-Giles and Skinner, who were set up nicely by Kim Tessen's 9.90. After one event, Utah had a four-tenths of a point lead over OSU, 49.475-49.075.
On the second rotation, mistakes in the middle of the bar lineup were partially offset by Skinner's 9.975 at the anchor, but Utah's 49.225 was its season low on the event. After two rotations, the Utes led 98.700-98.200.
Beam was a similar story where three routines scored between a 9.70 (freshman Alexia Burch's first college routine to count) and a 9.80, but three scored a 9.875 or better. Utah held a comfortable 147.900-147.275 lead heading into the final rotation.
Lewis jumpstarted Utah's floor set with a career-tying 9.925 from the leadoff position, and Missy Reinstadtler (9.90), Soloski (9.925) and Merrell-Giles (9.925) took it from there, propelling the Utes to their best floor score of the season.
Utah heads to Arizona next week, competing on January 26 in Tucson.
Players Mentioned
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