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
Sunday, February 24
Los Angeles
2:00 PM
University of Utah
197.450
at
195.825
UCLA
Ute Gymnasts Win At UCLA 197.450-195.825.
2/24/2008 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Feb. 24, 2008
LOS ANGELES -
The Utah gymnastics team looked anything but fatigued in its second meet in three days, beating previously unbeaten and No. 9 ranked UCLA, 197.450-195.825 in Pauley Pavilion. UCLA jumped to an early lead on the first event, but a monster finish on the vault on their second event shot the Utes ahead for good.
Once again, Utah used a different lineup that past meets, this time after learning three-event star Kyndal Robarts could not compete due to a knee injury suffered in Friday's meet. But the Ute train just kept on rolling.
"We'll take that road score," said a happy coach Greg Marsden after his team once again performed all 24 routines without a fall. "It is another confidence builder for us. We were smart today. We had some tired legs and the floor felt mushy, so we made some changes in our routines."
Those changes worked just fine as well, as Utah scored a season-tying 49.55 on the floor to turn a small advantage into more than a point lead. Daria Bijak set her second career high of the night with a 9.90 from the No. 2 position on floor (she also had a 9.90 on vault) and Annie DiLuzio, Kristina Baskett and Ashley Postell finished the set with a 9.925, 9.925 and 9.95. DiLuzio's score tied her career high.
Marsden pointed to the team's finish on the vault in the second event as the turning point. "The routines by three our last four vaulters really got us going, and we just kept it up on the floor. The vault finish got us back to ourselves - relaxed and confident."
Postell stayed on her victory tear, remaining unbeaten in the all-around (39.75) and on beam (9.925), while also winning her sixth floor title (tying for first with UCLA's Tasha Schwikert with a 9.95), and picking up her fifth straight vault title (9.95). Baskett was right on Postell's heels, winning the uneven bars (9.925), and placing second in the all-around (39.650), on vault (9.925) and beam (9.875).
UCLA took the lead on the first rotation, 49.275-49.200. Utah started and finished strong on bars, with Jamie Deetscreek (9.825) and Gael Mackie (9.80) doing well on the front end, and Baskett (9.925) and Postell (9.90) finishing things off. In the midsection, both Daria Bijak (9.75) and Jessica Duke (9.75) had trouble with their dismounts.
Utah moved ahead in round two after a great vault set capped by a career-best 9.90 vault by Daria Bijak, a 9.925 by Baskett and a winning 9.95 by Postell. Utah used a revamped vault lineup due to injuries to Nina Kim and Robarts, yet scored a 49.40. After two rotations, Utah held a 98.600-98.525 lead.
Even without Robarts in the floor lineup, the Utes exploded for a season-tying 49.55. Utah's big day, combined with two falls by UCLA on beam, gave Utah a bit of breathing room - 1s48.150-146.950. Coming off her career-best on vault, Bijak made it two in a row with a 9.90 on the floor. Other 9.90 scorers were DiLuzio, with a caerer-high 9.925, Baskett (9.925) and Postell (9.95).
The problems that plagued the Bruins didn't affect the Utes on the beam. Deetscreek's leadoff 9.85 set the tone. Nina Kim, who hasn't trained for two weeks due to a foot sprain, was the only Ute who didn't hit a 9.80 and she was close, at 9.775. Baskett (9.875) and Postell (9.925) again had the biggest routines.
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