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, April 19
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
7:00 PM
University of Utah
at
NCAA Championships
Ute Gymnasts Place Fourth At NCAA Championships
4/19/2002 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
April 19, 2002
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -
The Utah gymnastics team ran into a red hot field and a deafening Alabama crowd at the NCAA Championships Super Six team finals and escaped with a fourth-place finish, just tenths of a point out of second. A few steps on dismounts was all it took to keep the Utes out of the championship chase on a night when they kept the pressure at bay and didn't count a fall. But those tiny steps were enough to keep Utah from an NCAA title on a night where no one could contend with a partisan crowd-fueled Alabama team.
Alabama won the meet with a 197.575, followed by Georgia (197.250), UCLA (197.150), Utah (196.950), Nebraska (196.425) and Stanford (196.025). Utah's 196.950 was its best ever at an NCAA Championships.
Make no mistake, this meet was closer than the scores indicated. In what is believed to be an NCAA first, not a single team counted a fall. If not for another stupendous finish on the balance beam, recent Ute nemesis Nebraska would have crept past the Utes while they were sitting in the bye room on the final rotation. Utah, on the other hand, almost caught UCLA and Georgia, falling just two tenths of a point short of third place and three tenths from second.
Despite opening the night with six "hits" on the floor exercise, Utah found itself in a hole after its first rotation when the floor judges tagged them hard for small mistakes. Utah, which started on floor the entire postseason, just couldn't get a big score on the event for the first time all year. Lindsay Tanner, a one-time walk-on, led things off with a 9.75. It ended a "perfect" career for Tanner, who didn't fall a single time in her college career (54-54). Up next was Annabeth Eberle, whose 9.775 reflected a small hop out of her pike double back. Deidra Graham, inserted in the third position, a change from her usual sixth spot, seemed to like the change, improving on Thursday's performance although her 9.80 score did not accurately reflect her improvement from Thursday's qualifying round. Shannon Bowles then fired off a beauty, smiling her way to a 9.80 that would have scored at least a tenth higher on any other night. The scores stayed low for Theresa Kulikowski, whose trademark style earned her just a 9.85. Melissa Vituj was the only Ute to break out with a fairly typical score and even her 9.90 came after a low of 9.75 was dropped. Utah's 49.125 was the third highest score of the first rotation.
Unaffected by the tight scoring, the relaxed Utes rotated to vault, where they again hit all six routines. Graham made an even bigger improvement as Utah's lead-off on the vault than she had on the floor exercise. The senior, who nearly fell on Thursday, popped for a 9.80 vault with a nice stick. Vituj looked good in the air but a step on her landing cost her a tenth in a 9.75 judgment. Veronique Leclerc left nothing to chance, landing on a dime after a powerful punch off the horse. Eberle caught huge air, but again was dinged for a little step on the landing. She received a 9.825. Kulikowski looked good from start to finish and took a 9.85. And Bowles, who nailed her first handspring front pike with a half twist of the year the day before, did it again to score a 9.80. A 49.175 on vault gave the Utes a two-event total of 98.300 heading into their first bye.
By the time they moved from the bye room to the bars, they were in fourth place, nearly half a point behind frontrunner Alabama (98.750). First up on bars was the freshman Eberle, who soared on every element in a veteran performance that scored a 9.825. But Kim Allan, who hit her routine the previous day, crashed onto the low bar and finished with a 9.225. Bowles not only avoided a meltdown, she had literally a flawless performance up to her landing. The judges docked her the required tenth for a hop and she got a 9.90. Graham looked good up on the bars but stumbled badly on her landing and settled for a 9.725. Not so with Leclerc, who was stunning on the fly and rock solid on her landing in a 9.90 routine. And smooth as silk Kulikowski erased any fears from Allan's fall with a gem that elicited a 9.95 from all four judges.
All that remained now was the treacherous balance beam. And once again, Utah simply beat the beam into submission. Eberle, who did not hit all four routines all year until the postseason began, concluded a perfect postseason run in a 9.80 kickoff. Leclerc also finished her season by hitting all of her routines, scoring a 9.80. Ditto for Graham, the feisty senior who ended her career with a calm, confident 9.80. Vituj kept it going, ignoring a screaming Alabama crowd and walking to a 9.85. By the time Bowles somersaulted onto the beam, the din was deafening. It should have been for Bowles' 9.95 effort, her second in two nights. Kulikowski made sure she kept pace with her brilliant beam walking predecessor, banking another 9.95.
Bowles and Kulikowski tied for first with Alabama's Andree Pickens on the balance beam. Kulikowski also tied for first on bars with Pickens, each with 9.95. Kulio, who matched her 39.60 all-around score from the previous night, was third again behind Pickens (39.75) and Dantzscher (39.625), who flip-flopped their positions from Thursday, when the all-around title was claimed.
All four of Utah's all-arounders hit for the cycle in the championship round. Along with Kulikowski and her 39.60 were nine-time All-American Bowles, who scored a 39.45 (identical to her qualifying round score, Eberle (39.225) and Graham (39.125).
Sterling on three events were sophomores Vituj and Leclerc. Vituj tied for third on floor with a 9.90, got a 9.75 and a 9.85 on the beam. Leclerc tallied a 9.90 on vault, 9.90 on bars and a 9.80 on the beam.
The championships aren't over for three Utes, all whom are first-team All-Americans. Saturday night, Kulikowski will represent the Utes on bars, beam and floor, Bowles on beam and floor and Vituj on floor in the NCAA individual event championships. Kulikowski will attempt to run her string of beam titles to three. She already has NCAA titles in the all-around and twice on the beam.
The coaches association also released the All-America second-team, which included Kulikowski on vault, Vituj on vault and beam and Leclerc on bars. In her three years, Kulikowski has amassed 12 All-America awards. Her 11 first-team honors is tied for the fourth-most in NCAA history. Bowles finishes her career as an eight-time All-American, while sophomore Vituj has collected six All-America citations and classmate Leclerc has two.
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