Upcoming Event: Gymnastics versus NCAA Regionals on April 3, 2026 at 2:00 P.M.
2:00 P.M.
Gymnastics
vs NCAA Regionals
The University of Utah Athletics
Friday, January 5
Salt Lake City
7:00 PM MT
University of Utah
196.375
at
190
Southern Utah
Kulikowski And Bowles Make Triumphant Return To Utah Gymnastics Team
1/8/2001 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Jan. 5, 2001
They're baaaaack!
Theresa Kulikowski and Shannon Bowles brought down the house in their first meet since major injuries furloughed them a year ago. The duo combined for three victories in their celebrated return and led Utah to a 196.375-190.850 rout of Southern Utah. They highlighted an amazingly sharp first meet performance by a Ute team that featured three freshmen in key roles.
While heroes were many in Utah's earliest season opening performance of all-time, the biggest cheers from the crowd of 7,221 were saved for Kulikowski and Bowles. Kulikowski, the 1999 NCAA all-around and balance beam champion, performed on just two events as a precautionary measure while she continues the road back from ACL surgery. She made the most of her part-time performance, winning both events. She shared one title, the beam, with Bowles, each scoring a 9.90.
Kulikowski's first competition since last January came on the bars, where the second-year sophomore turned in a near flawless 9.95 routine. Bowles kicked off her delayed junior campaign on bars as well, scoring a 9.80. The latter warmed up to a meet tying 9.90 on the beam and finished a spectacular return performance with a career-best 9.925 on floor, which was good for the gold.
As a team, Utah showed no signs of nerves with the early opener. The Utes hit 23 of 24 routines, starting with five straight "hits" on vault. For the first time, gymnasts were allowed just one vault under a new NCAA rule that went into effect this season. Utah put two sophomores (Kim Allan and Leah Sabo) and two freshmen (Tacia Labatte and Melissa Vituj) up first against the unusual pressure and they all stuck their vaults. Last up was another freshman, Veronique Leclerc, who in her very first collegiate routine, powered her way to a 9.825 while performing the only 10.0 valued vault of the evening.
Leclerc scored even better on the bars, knocking out a 9.90. She was matched by fellow freshman Vituj. Vituj had an eye popping debut, scoring a 9.70 on the vault, a 9.925 on the beam and then rocking the crowd with a 9.90 floor routine.
A fine night by Utah's only all-arounder, Deidra Graham, was marred by her fall on the beam. Graham's best scores came on bars (9.875) and floor (9.875). Southern Utah's Heather Slack won the all-around with a 38.925, the first non-Ute to win a regular season all-around title in the Huntsman Center since 1987.
The victory extended Utah's national record regular season home win streak to 159.
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