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 20
Salt Lake City, Utah
7:00 PM
University of Utah
vs
Utah, Boise State, Denver, Illinois-Chicago
New Lineup, Same Result. Ute Gymnasts Win Big
1/20/2017 10:39 PM | Gymnastics
Utes score season-high 197.625 to take first in quad meet.
SALT LAKE CITY—The Utah gymnasts may have started the week badly, but they got off a blistering start when meet day rolled around, scoring a season-high 197.625 to beat No. 7 Denver (196.875), No. 15 Boise State (196.225) and Illinois-Chicago (193.250).
On Monday, Utah took a blow to its vault and floor lineups on Monday when three-event performer Tiffani Lewis split open her toe in a freak accident. On Tuesday, things got much worse when sophomore All-American Sabrina Schwab tore her ACL, ending her season. Schwab, the 2016 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, had gone all-around in Utah's first two meets.
On Friday? The revamped Utah lineup jumped out to a season-best 49.425 on vault to set the stage for season-bests on the final three events as well. The Utes would need every tenth to hold off very competitive Denver and Boise State teams, with the Pioneers trailing Utah by just four-tenths at the midway point.
Freshman MyKayla Skinner won her third all-around title in as many meets with a 39.775 (tied for the fifth-best in school history) and flirted with a 10.0 on vault and floor while scoring a 9.975 to win both events. She also tied for first on beam with senior Baely Rowe, both with 9.925 scores. Skinner, who has now won 13 of a possible 15 individual titles, wasn't the only Ute freshman to star.
Kim Tessen overcame a sore throat and fever to explode for a 9.90 on vault, a 9.85 on bars and a 9.825 in her first collegiate floor routine. All were season highs for the rookie. Missy Reinstadtler joined the starting lineup for the first time and came up big on two of her three events. After falling on vault in her first college routine, Reinstadtler made up for it on beam. Utah's first competitor, MaKenna Merrell fell, putting the heat on Reinstadtler. But she coolly walked through a 9.85 routine and then wrapped her night with a 9.875 in her first floor routine.
"When MaKenna went down, Missy had a huge clutch performance and we just clicked one after another from there. It was a brilliant (finish) to beam," said Utah coach Tom Farden. "We knew it would be a bit of a rollercoaster in an amusement park atmosphere with four teams going at once," added Farden, also referencing Utah's revamped lineup.
Rowe, who finished second to Skinner in the all-around with a career-best 39.625 score, opened Utah's season-best vault 49.425 set with a 9.85 in her first vault of the season. After Reinstadtler fell, Utah brought out its big guns. Three of the last four vaulters threw 10.0-valued vaults and nailed them. First came freshman Tessen and her 9.90. After Kari Lee's 9.825, Merrell popped for a 9.875. Skinner punctuated the set with a 9.975.
Despite the Utes' impressive 49.425 vault set, Denver (49.275) and Boise State (49.050) were hot on their heels after the first rotation.
In round two, senior Rowe set the pace, tying her career high with a 9.95 on bars. Even with Utah's season-high 49.375 bar set giving the Utes a two-event total of 98.800, Denver (98.400) and Boise State (97.95) stayed close.
The small lead looked ever smaller when Merrell started Utah's beam set with her first fall of the year. Reinstadtler's 9.85 beam debut got the Utes back on track and they wrapped up the set with a 9.925 (Skinner), 9.825 (Maddy Stover), 9.90 (Lee) and 9.925 (Rowe). Utah would finish with its best beam score of the year—a 49.425—and co-winners in Skinner and Rowe.
With their lead extended to seven-tenths of a point over Denver entering the final rotation, the new Ute floor lineup put on a show, scoring—you guessed it—a season –best 49.400 on floor. The lone disappointment to the crowd of 15,100 in the Huntsman Center was that one judge failed to score Skinner with a 10.0, leaving her to settle for her second 9.975 of the night.
Utah improved to 5-0 with the three victories and starts Pac-12 play next Saturday at Washington.
Players Mentioned
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