No. 1 Ranked Utah Gymnastics Team At Home This Friday

March 7, 2005

SALT LAKE CITY -

Complete Release in PDF Format
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For the complete release, including rankings and stats, please download the accompanying PDF file.

QUICKLY

The Utah gymnastics team, which has returned to the top of the national rankings, will host Washington in the Huntsman Center on Friday, Mar. 11, starting at 7 p.m. Utah has now been ranked No. 1 six of the nine weeks of the 2005 season. Utah is 9-2 overall and 6-0 in the Huntsman Center. Washington is 10-6. Utah's attendance average of 11,520 is currently best in the nation, ahead of second-place Alabama (10,545). Both schools have had four home meets. Two free tickets to the Strong Audi-Strong Volkswagen Challenge Cup may be obtained by test driving a car at either dealership. Tickets to the meet are also available at the Huntsman Center box office by calling 801-581-UTIX and online at www.UtahUtes.com.

TOPS ALL-AROUND

Incredibly, Utah has four all-arounders ranked in the top 20 this week--three in the top 10. Freshman Ashley Postell (39.485 regional qualifying score) leads the way at No. 3. Nicolle Ford (39.365 RQS) is No. 5, Annabeth Eberle (39.33) is No. 8 and Rachel Tidd (39.255) is No. 18.

NATIONALLY RANKED UTES

For the complete top 25 team rankings, please see page 3 of the PDF release. In addition to its three top-10 all-arounders, Utah has several individual event rankings. On the uneven bars, Rachel Tidd (9.91 RQS) is No. 3 and Nicolle Ford (9.865) is No. 13. On the balance beam, Ashley Postell (9.90) is tied for No. 4 and Ford (9.89) is No. 6. On floor, Postell (9.895) is tied for No. 9 and Annabeth Eberle (9.885) is tied for No. 16. On vault, Postell (9.89) is No. 14 and Eberle (9.885) is tied for No. 17. As a team, Utah is ranked No. 1 on beam (49.175 RQS), No. 3 on bars (49.185), No. 5 on floor (49.270) and No. 6 on vault (49.205).

LAST WEEK

Nicolle Ford won the all-around and placed second on all four apparatus to lead Utah past Florida, Stanford and California. The Utes reached their second-best score of the season--a 197.425--to surpass Florida (196.45), Stanford (196.025) and Cal (191.50). Ford's 39.625 all-around score matched her career best and allowed her to edge teammate Ashley Postell (39.60) for first place. Utes won every event, led by 9.975 scores on vault and floor by Annabeth Eberle and Gritt Hofmann. Rachel Tidd (9.925) won bars and Postell (9.925) won beam.

UTE NOTES

After a fine 9.75 performance on the uneven bars last week, freshman Jessica Duke might have won a full-time berth on the event. Duke has also locked a position in the vault lineup where she has a 9.90 best ... Utah is 3-2 against teams ranked in the top eight this season. The Utes beat then No. 1 UCLA, No. 3 Michigan and No. 6 Florida, and lost to No. 3 Nebraska and No. 8 Georgia ... Freshman Ashley Postell is Utah's win leader with 15. Other Ute victors: Nicolle Ford (10), Rachel Tidd (10), Annabeth Eberle (10) and Gritt Hofmann (3) ... Three Utes have gone without a fall this season: Postell (33-33), Duke (7-7) and Natalie Nicoloff (3-3).

SERIES HISTORY

Utah leads the series with Washington 31-0-1 and 13-0 in Salt Lake City ... they tied in 2001 in Seattle when Washington's final competitor scored a 10.0 ... Utah has won four straight since the tie ... series has been annual since 1993 ... Utah won last year, 197.950-197.550, in Seattle ... Utah took the last meet in SLC, 196.975-194.95,0 in 2003.

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