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, January 23
Salt Lake City
7:00 PM
University of Utah
196.850
vs
193.450
Washington
No. 3 Ute Gymnasts Cruise Against No. 25 Washington
1/23/2009 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Jan. 23, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY -
Dense fog and near zero visibility outside made for a late-arriving crowd, but 12,099 fans made it in time to see the No. 3 Ute gymnasts overwhelm No. 25 Washington 196.850-193.450 in the Huntsman Center Friday.
The pink-clad crowd, dressed for the Power of Pink promotion, found reason to cheer immediately, when Kristina Baskett anchored a strong vault set with a 9.925. Baskett won three individual events--tying for first on the bars with Daria Bijak--and the all-around. Her line included a 9.925 on vault, 9.925 on bars, 9.90 on beam and 9.875 on floor for a season-high 39.625 all-around score. She tied her season highs on vault and bars, and set season highs on beam (which she won) and floor.
Utah took the top three all-around spots, with Nina Kim scoring a 39.375 for the second straight meet to place second, and Jamie Deetscreek finishing third with a 39.225. Another big hitter was Bijak, who tied career highs on bars (9.925) and floor (9.90).
The Utes cruised on three events--vault, bars and floor--and only on beam did they show the effects of competing twice in a week. Though their score (48.925) was similar to Monday's 48.950 at Georgia, most routines were not of the same caliber.
Utah opened the meet strong on the vault, scoring a 49.25. Baskett led the way from the sixth position with a 9.925, and all but one Ute--including exhibition performer Kyndal Robarts, competing for the first time after injuring her shoulder in the preseason--scored a 9.80 or better. Of course, Robarts' 9.825 did not count toward the team score, but 9.825s from Annie DiLuzio and Jamie Deetscreek did, as did a 9.875 by Kim. The Huskies did not fare as well on the bars and Utah held a healthy 49.250-48.425 lead after one event.
Moving on to bars, freshman Stephanie McAllister rebounded from a fall in her first collegiate try last week at Georgia, scoring a 9.825. Kim (9.80) and Deetscreek (9.875) swung through their routines without a hitch, but Gael Mackie fell from the fourth spot. Unfazed, Bijak and Baskett uncorked 9.925 beauties to negate Mackie's fall. Washington improved on the vault, but Utah still led after two--98.600-97.425.
The Utes hit a sour note on the balance beam--the same event where they had walked through five of their six routines just four days earlier. Not so this meet. Mackie fell to start things off, DiLuzio (9.625) and Bijak (9.675) nearly went overboard, and only Deetscreek (9.85), Baskett (9.90) and Kim (9.875) looked comfortable from start to finish. While Utah was stumbling to a 48.925 score, Washington was faring even worse over on the floor. Three Huskies hit the mat in a 47.425 set, and Utah pulled ahead even farther, 147.525-144.850.
On floor, Deetscreek was headed for a big score until a stumble on her final tumbling pass sent her veering near the sideline and a 9.675. McAllister brought the crowd to its feet moments later, sailing through her tumbling and scoring a 9.850. Bijak one-upped the freshman with her bag of big tumbling tricks and scored a 9.90. Baskett and DiLuzio came close to Bijak by receiving matching 9.875 scores.
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