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 10
Los Angeles, Calif.
6:00 p.m. PT
University of Utah
197.350
at
196.375
UCLA
Utah Gymnastics Team Upsets No. 1 UCLA
1/10/2004 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Jan. 10, 2004
LOS ANGELES -
LOS ANGELES-Ever heard what they say about paybacks? Well the No. 4 University of Utah gymnastics team made a big one in Pauley Pavilion Saturday, upsetting No. 1 ranked and defending NCAA champion UCLA 197.350-196.375. Last year at this time, the Bruins ended Utah's NCAA record home court win streak at 170.
Utah head coach Greg Marsden, while thrilled with the victory, joked, "We have to come back here in April (for the NCAA Championships) and all we accomplished tonight was making UCLA mad."
Actually, the Utes accomplished quite a bit more than that. Their 197.350 score was the best season-opening score in school history. They shattered an 11-year-old vault record. And they beat UCLA for the first time since 2000 after losing the last six to a Bruin program that has won three of the last four NCAA Championships.
The all-around competition featured three of the best all-arounders in the nation. UCLA's Jeanette Antolin and Kate Richardson tied for first with a 39.850, while Utah's Annabeth Eberle scored a 39.50 to place third. All three had a 10.0-Eberle and Antolin on the vault and Richardson on the beam. In addition to Eberle's 10.0, Tidd stuck a 9.975 vault and Melissa Vituj cranked out a 9.95 beauty on the balance beam to finish off the night and clinch the victory.
Utah took advantage of some early UCLA errors and held on with a great team effort that featured star freshmen Rachel Tidd and Nicolle Ford. Tidd stepped out of bounds on floor and Ford fell off the beam, but otherwise the two were nothing short of remarkable in their debut performances.
"I felt really good about this meet coming in," said Marsden. "We were really well prepared so I knew we had a good chance coming in. After UCLA ended our record win streak it was nice to get a payback. This meet was ideal because we were very good, but we weren't perfect. There is still room for improvement, which will keep the team motivated in the gym."
Utah got started on the upset business right off the bat. While UCLA's first two competitors did a face plant on their vault landings, Utah's first two competitors were strong from start to finish on the uneven bars. Dominique D'Oliveira performed Utah's first routine of the year and received a 9.800. In her first routine as a Ute, U.S. National Team member Tidd swung an effortless 9.775 routine. Vituj suffered a rare fall as the third person up, but the Utes finished strong when Eberle received a 9.800 and Veronique Leclerc and Ford nailed identical 9.875 scores. After one event, Utah led the Bruins 49.125-48.400.
The Utes really lit it up on the next event, shattering the school vault record with a 49.625. The previous record, set clear back in 1993, was a 49.55. All six Utes "hit" their vaults, but Tidd (9.975) and Eberle (10.0) were particularly sharp. It was the first 10.0 of her career on vault for Eberle, a 2003 first-team vault All-American, and just the sixth in school history. Utah's last 10.0 vault was by Suzanne Metz in 1995. Also turning in outstanding vaults were Utah's first two vaulters, Riffanacht and Leclerc, who both scored a 9.875.
On the third rotation, UCLA showed its national championship form, narrowing the lead to just over a point with a 49.525 effort that included a 10.0 by Canadian Olympian Richardson. Utah stayed in command by turning in a nice 49.325 floor set. Gritt Hofmann got the UCLA crowd on her side with a sparkling 9.90 routine and Eberle and Vituj closed the set with a pair of 9.875 scores. After three events, Utah held a 148.075-147.025 edge.
Utah needed to stay on the beam to win the meet, and all but Ford did that and more. Natalie Nicoloff started things off with a nice 9.80 routine, followed by Tidd and Hofmann's 9.85 routines. Eberle (9.825) and Vituj (9.95) slammed the door on UCLA's comeback hopes.
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