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
Saturday, January 13
Minneapolis
7:00 PM CT
University of Utah
195.625
at
194
Minnesota
Ute Gymnasts Defeat Minnesota And Improve To 2-0.
1/13/2001 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
MINNEAPOLIS - Utah gymnastics coach Greg Marsden said before Saturday's meet with No. 18 Minnesota that he expected the meet to come down to the last routine of the last event, as it has for the past several years. He was right about the last event. Utah needed to score well on the balance beam to hold on for a 195.625-194.850 win, but the meet was decided on the next to last routine. Theresa Kulikowski, who won the uneven bars earlier in the night, also captured the balance beam, scoring a 9.90, and wrapping up the win before Shannon Bowles finished Utah's set.
For Kulikowski, whose 9.925 score on bars was the highest of the night on any event, it kept her record "perfect" this year. The 1999 NCAA all-around champion, who is sticking with bars and beam for now while continuing her road back from knee surgery, has won all four routines she's competed.
Marsden was pleased with Utah's victory, especially after his team fell all over the apparatus in warmups and started the meet with less than its usual punch on the uneven bars.
"We did a fairly good job," said Marsden, after his No. 4 Utes improved their all-time record against Minnesota to 18-1 (6-0 in Minneapolis. "We weren't quite as crisp or as sharp as we were last week at home, but while I don't want to make excuses, the road is a tough place to compete. We didn't come determined to do what we're capable of."
Utah fought its way to a 48.950 bar score to open the meet, with only Bowles (9.85) and Kulikowski (9.925) making it through their routines cleanly. Kulikowski's score would hold up as the best of the night, improving her regular season win streak on the uneven bars to 12, dating back to 1999. After completing the first rotation, Utah led by half a point.
The Gophers erased most of that margin on the second rotation, when they nearly equaled Utah's bar effort with a 48.875. Across the floor, the Utes mustered a 48.450 on the vault, assisted by Deidra Graham's winning 9.85 score from the No. 5 spot. But Utah's final vaulter, Veronique Leclerc, stumbled on her dismount, negating the chance for the Utes to widen the spread and they led by just .20 (97.400-97.200) after two events.
A nice floor set gave the Utes a bit of breathing room. They scored a 49.125, their best score of the night, and freshman Melissa Vituj and Graham tied for first with two Gophers (Jenny Alf and MaryAnne Kelley). Minnesota kept within seven tenths of a point with a solid 48.625 on the beam, meaning Utah had to "hit" on beam to improve its season record to 2-0.
The first five Utes all hit big and Graham's 9.775 pushed her all-around score to a 39.20, which tied her for first with MaryAnne Kelley.
Marsden hopes Utah got some road jitters out of its system. The Utes travel to defending NCAA champion UCLA for a dual meet on Sunday. "We had to hit every event to win. Hopefully we learned what it will take to compete the way we need to on the road. It was a good road start, but we have plenty of room for improvement."
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