Completed Event: Gymnastics versus NCAA Championships on April 16, 2026 ,
Final Score
Gymnastics
vs NCAA Championships
The University of Utah Athletics
No. 6 Ute Gymnasts at No. 5 Michigan on Friday
2/29/2016 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Feb. 29, 2016
2016 NCAA Finish: 7th
National Rank: No. 5
2016 Record: 9-3, 4-1 Big Ten
Notes: Two all-arounders are ranked in the top 10: No. 5 Olivia Karas and No. 10 Nicole Artz … season-high 197.450 … scored a 197.275 last week in a loss at No. 1 Oklahoma (198.075) … two wins over Top 10 teams (No. 9 Arkansas and No. 10 Georgia) … season low 195.750 in a loss at Southern Utah on Feb. 19.
SALT LAKE CITY -
This Week in Utah Gymnastics
The No. 6 Utah gymnasts (7-1, 5-1 Pac-12) compete against No. 5 Michigan (9-3, 4-1 Big Ten) on Friday, Mar. 4 in Ann Arbor, Mich. The meet starts at 7 p.m. ET/5 p.m. MT in Crisler Arena and will be streamed live on BTN2Go. Viewers may log on through their cable or satellite provider with no additional fee. It will also be televised (delayed) on the Big Ten Network. Live text commentary and scores can be found at UtahUtes.com.Quick Sticks
Utah, the two-time defending Pac-12 Champion and 2015 NCAA runner-up, is tied for first with UCLA in the Pac-12-each with 5-1 conference records. Utah's only loss was at UCLA on the final routine of the day. UCLA's loss was at California … Utah is leading the nation in home attendance, averaging 14,810 fans a meet, and has exceeded the 15,000-seat capacity in the Huntsman Center three times this season … Utah has topped 197.000 in the last five meets (2 home, 3 away), including a season-high 197.150 against Arizona on Feb. 1 and Stanford on Feb. 20.Injury Update
Including sophomore all-arounder Kari Lee (out for the season with an Achilles tear), Utah will be short three All-Americans on various events for the second week in a row. Three-event starter Kailah Delaney is tentatively scheduled to return to the vault lineup, but remains out until further notice on beam and floor with a sore knee. Also for the second week, all-arounder Samantha Partyka will compete only on bars and beam to rest a lower leg injury. Delaney has a 9.90 season best on all three of her events and without Partyka, the Utes are out a 9.975 best on floor and a 9.875 on vault.Super Subs
Freshman MaKenna Merrell (vault, beam), freshman Erika Muhaw (vault), sophomore Maddy Stover (floor) and junior Baely Rowe (floor) fared well in last week's win against Cal while filling in for injured starters Kailah Delaney and Samantha Partyka. Merrell scored season bests on both vault (9.825) and beam (9.80), Muhaw scored a 9.80 in her first college routine to count, Stover had a career-best 9.85 on floor and Rowe scored a 9.85 in her first floor routine of the season. With her addition to the floor lineup, Rowe competed as an all-arounder. She took first in the all-around at the meet with a career-best 39.450.National Rankings
Despite another 197 on the road, Utah slipped one place in the rankings to No. 6. The Utes are No. 7 on vault (49.210 regional qualifying score), No. 5 on bars (49.290), No. 7 on beam (49.190) and No. 8 on floor (49.330). Breanna Hughes is in the top 20 on three events: No. 13 on vault (9.885 RQS) and floor (9.910) and No. 17 on bars (9.880). Maddy Stover is No. 10 on beam (9.885), Kassandra Lopez and Baely Rowe are tied for No. 13 on bars (9.890) and Sabrina Schwab is No. 15 on floor (9.905). See sidebars on page 3 for Utah's complete rankings and the criteria behind the RQS.Chalk Talk
No. 5 Michigan is Utah's third-straight road meet against a top 15 opponent. In the last two weeks, the Utes have beaten then-No. 12 Stanford and No. 14 California on the road … Three Utes have scored a 9.975 this season: Samantha Partyka and Breanna Hughes on floor and Maddy Stover on beam … Utes have won 25-of-32 individual event titles and six all-arounds … Ute winners: Hughes (13), Partyka (4), Baely Rowe (4), Stover (4), Kailah Delaney (3), Sabrina Schwab (3), Kari Lee (2) and Kassandra Lopez (2) … The Utes are 184-192 in hit routines (routines without a fall). The Utes hit all 24 routines at UCLA and at Stanford and they have not counted a fall this season … Gymnasts who have hit every routine are Partyka (26-26) , Lopez (16-16), Schwab (16-16), MaKenna Merrell (15-15) and Erika Muhaw (1-1).Ute Insider
Utah has used a different lineup (either personnel or order of competitors) in all eight meets … After taking first place and scoring a career-high 39.450 in her first all-around appearance of the season last week, junior Baely Rowe may have earned herself a full-time job. She is in the probable all-around lineup again this week … If Kailah Delaney gets the green light to vault at Michigan, freshman Erika Muhaw will return to the exhibition lineup on that event. Muhaw is also scheduled to go exhibition on floor … Kassandra Lopez has been clutch on the beam, especially on the road, where she has scored a season-high 9.85 in all three Pac-12 road meets … Utes have won five Pac-12 weekly awards: Sabrina Schwab has been the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week three times (Jan. 12, Feb. 2, Feb. 13), Breanna Hughes was Specialist of the Week on Jan. 19 and Rowe was Specialist of the Week on Jan. 26.Series Shorts
The Utes lead the series with Michigan 26-13, but are 3-7 in Ann Arbor, last winning in Crisler Arena in 2012 … Utah won both contests between the teams last season (in Salt Lake City and at the NCAA Championships) to snap a two-meet losing streak to the Wolverines... For complete series results, see page 2.Scouting Michigan
Head Coach: Bev Plocki (27th Season)2016 NCAA Finish: 7th
National Rank: No. 5
2016 Record: 9-3, 4-1 Big Ten
Notes: Two all-arounders are ranked in the top 10: No. 5 Olivia Karas and No. 10 Nicole Artz … season-high 197.450 … scored a 197.275 last week in a loss at No. 1 Oklahoma (198.075) … two wins over Top 10 teams (No. 9 Arkansas and No. 10 Georgia) … season low 195.750 in a loss at Southern Utah on Feb. 19.
Players Mentioned
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
Gymnastics Media Availability | Pre-NCAA Championships
Wednesday, April 15
Utah: 197.500 | Ala.: 197.225 | OSU: 196.375 | DU: 195.950 | Gymnastics Post-Meet Press Conference
Saturday, April 04
Utah: 197.400 vs. UCLA: 197.850 | Gymnastics Post-Meet Press Conference
Sunday, March 15
Utah: 197.650 vs. BYU: 196.550, West Virginia: 195.300 | Gymnastics Post-Meet Press Conference
Sunday, March 08