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 15
Salt Lake City
7:00 PM
University of Utah
196.300
vs
195.350
Iowa State
Ute Gymnasts Hold Off Iowa State Before 12,605
1/15/2010 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Jan. 15, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY -
The No. 11 ranked Utah gymnasts needed a big finish to hold off No. 21-ranked Iowa State team, 196.300-195.350, before a crowd of 12,605 in the Huntsman Center. Trailing with just three routines left to perform, the Utes turned it on and slipped past the surprising Cyclones.
"We didn't resolve all of our issues in one week, but the mistakes we made are fixable, and we were much better this meet (than against UCLA on Jan. 9)," said a relieved co-head coach Greg Marsden after the meet. "The fact we got pushed and didn't fold--that's an important message for this team. We know now that we can work through some difficult things and be successful."
Some of the biggest improvement from last week's disappointing outing at UCLA came from seniors Jamie Deetscreek and Daria Bijak, who placed 1-2 in the all-around with a 39.425 and a 39.400, respectively. Both fell on an event last week, but not tonight, when they starred across the board. In addition to her all-around title, Deetscreek picked up victories on bars (9.875) and beam (9.90). Solid for a second straight week were Annie DiLuzio, winner of the floor with a 9.95, and Kyndal Robarts, who captured vault with a 9.925.
Robarts, last week's top Ute all-arounder, was forced to sit out of the beam due to a groin injury suffered at UCLA. A 9.85 scorer on beam as Utah's closer in that meet, Robarts' absence from the lineup look like it might prove Utah's undoing. Replacement Katelyn Mohr fell from the No. 2 post in her first college beam routine, but fortunately, the five remaining competitors performed gamely to give Utah a 147.025-146.650 lead heading into the final rotation.
Utah's elation was short lived as Stephanie McAllister touched her hands on her floor routine--scoring a 9.175 as Utah's first competitor--and ISU regained the lead, which it held until midway through the lineup. A fall by the Cyclones, combined with a 9.900 by Bijak, a 9.875 from Robarts and a 9.95 from DiLuzio, secured the win for the Utes.
"I have to honestly say I was really impressed with how Iowa State performed," said Marsden. "They were not only talented and performed their routines well, they did so in a very difficult environment."
Utah jumped to an early lead on the vault before fizzling on the uneven bars. A week out of the worst vault in recent memory (a 48.600,) the Utes rebounded with a 49.175. Bijak, who fell on her landing at UCLA last week, opened the meet with a clean, big vault that earned her a 9.85. The four middle Utes scored between 9.775-9.825, something just two of them achieved last week. Robarts concluded the action with a perfectly executed vault that earned her a career-best 9.925. Still, Utah needed every tenth of its 49.175 to stay ahead of the Cyclones, who scored a 48.90 on the bars.
But the errors that plagued Utah at UCLA continued on the uneven bars. Robarts (9.775) and Stephanie McAllister (9.80) got the team off to a good start, but Cortni Beers had to cover for a big break--receiving the equivalent of a fall (9.475) and normally high-scoring Mackie struggled to a 9.65. Bijak (9.80) and Deetscreek (9.875) finished strong and Utah held a 98.025-97.850 "halftime" lead.
It doesn't get any easier for the Utes, who host five-time defending NCAA champion Georgia next Friday in the Huntsman Center.
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