Saturday, February 4
Salt Lake City, Utah
1:30 PM
University of Utah
vs
California
Gymnastics Unbeatens Meet Saturday in SLC
1/30/2017 1:22 PM | Gymnastics
No. 4 Utah Hosts No. 15 California in Character Day
This Week in Utah Gymnastics
Two nationally-ranked unbeaten gymnastics teams will square off on Saturday, Feb. 4 in the Huntsman Center when No. 4 Utah (6-0, 1-0 Pac-12) hosts No. 15 California (8-0, 3-0) in a matinee meet starting at 1:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 1:15 p.m. for the team introductions. The meet will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks.
Fan Fun
The Ute gymnasts will host their only autograph session of the year after Saturday's meet, which is billed as "Character Day," with kids encouraged to come dressed in their favorite costume. Famous characters will roam the concourse and interact with fans before the meet … The first 2,000 kids in attendance will receive their choice of a red Utah gymnastics light saber or white light-up crown … The free Kids Zone opens at noon and features a face painter, balloon artist, poster making station and more … The first 100 University of Utah students in the doors will receive a free MUSS crewneck sweatshirt.
National Rankings
Utah held steady at No. 4 in the national rankings after its second-straight 197-plus score last week at Washington. The Utes are ranked No. 4 on vault (49.238 season average), No. 4 on beam (49.306), No. 4 on floor (49.244) and No. 5 on bars (49.288). MyKayla Skinner is ranked No. 2 in the all-around (39.625), No. 4 on beam (9.894), No. 4 on floor (9.938), No. 6 on vault (9.912) and No. 12 on bars (9.881). Baely Rowe is No. 2 on beam (9.90), No. 4 in the all-around (39.563) and No. 14 on bars (9.875). MaKenna Merrell is ranked No. 19 on vault (9.875) and Kari Lee is No. 21 on beam (9.862). See sidebars on page 3 for Utah's complete national rankings.
Chalk Talk
MyKayla Skinner has won all four all-around, vault and floor competitions this season and has 17 total wins of 20 possible individual titles ... Skinner is a three-time Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week and Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. She is the only Pac-12 gymnast ever to accomplish the dual feat in the same week more than once … Baely Rowe has gone all-around in the last two meets, placing second to Skinner in both (career-high 39.625 on Jan. 20 and 39.500 on Jan. 28) … Ute individual event/all-around winners: Skinner (17), Rowe (4), MaKenna Merrell (2) and Tiffani Lewis (1) … The Utes are 92-96 in hit routines (routines without a fall), including 24-24 at Washington … Gymnasts who have hit every routine are Skinner (16-16), Kari Lee (10-10), Sabrina Schwab (8-8), Kim Tessen (7-7), Macey Roberts (5-5) and Maddy Stover (4-4).
Ute Insider
Utah has lost two starters to season ending injuries. Sophomore All-American Sabrina Schwab (the 2016 Pac-12 Freshman of Year) tore her ACL at practice on Jan. 17. Freshman Kim Tessen tore her Achilles in pre-meet floor warm-ups last Saturday at Washington. Schwab was competing in the all-around, while Tesson was a two-three event starter … MaKenna Merrell, who is ranked 19th in the country on vault, could return to the starting vault lineup this week. If so, she will rejoin MyKayla Skinner and Baely Rowe in the all-around lineup. If not, Erika Muhaw will vault for the second time this season … Maddy Stover could potentially lead off Utah's beam lineup against Cal, with Merrell moving to the second position. Stover led off the beam team as a freshman in 2015.
Series Shorts
The Utes are 17-1 all-time against the Bears with their only loss coming last April in the semifinals of the NCAA Championships. Utah had won both previous meetings in 2016 (at Cal and at the Pac-12 Championships) … For complete series results, see page 2.
Scouting California
Head Coach: Justin Howell (5th year)
2016 NCAA Finish: 7th
National Rank: No. 15
2017 Record: 8-0, 3-0 Pac-12
Season High: 196.025, Jan. 28
Notes: The Bears return every routine from their 2016 team that finished seventh at the NCAA Championships. Last season marked Cal's first appearance at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships in 24 years … Pac-12 wins have come against Stanford, Washington and Arizona State … Toni-Ann Williams has won all four floor competitions to date and Desiree Palomares has three wins on beam.
Two nationally-ranked unbeaten gymnastics teams will square off on Saturday, Feb. 4 in the Huntsman Center when No. 4 Utah (6-0, 1-0 Pac-12) hosts No. 15 California (8-0, 3-0) in a matinee meet starting at 1:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 1:15 p.m. for the team introductions. The meet will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks.
Fan Fun
The Ute gymnasts will host their only autograph session of the year after Saturday's meet, which is billed as "Character Day," with kids encouraged to come dressed in their favorite costume. Famous characters will roam the concourse and interact with fans before the meet … The first 2,000 kids in attendance will receive their choice of a red Utah gymnastics light saber or white light-up crown … The free Kids Zone opens at noon and features a face painter, balloon artist, poster making station and more … The first 100 University of Utah students in the doors will receive a free MUSS crewneck sweatshirt.
National Rankings
Utah held steady at No. 4 in the national rankings after its second-straight 197-plus score last week at Washington. The Utes are ranked No. 4 on vault (49.238 season average), No. 4 on beam (49.306), No. 4 on floor (49.244) and No. 5 on bars (49.288). MyKayla Skinner is ranked No. 2 in the all-around (39.625), No. 4 on beam (9.894), No. 4 on floor (9.938), No. 6 on vault (9.912) and No. 12 on bars (9.881). Baely Rowe is No. 2 on beam (9.90), No. 4 in the all-around (39.563) and No. 14 on bars (9.875). MaKenna Merrell is ranked No. 19 on vault (9.875) and Kari Lee is No. 21 on beam (9.862). See sidebars on page 3 for Utah's complete national rankings.
Chalk Talk
MyKayla Skinner has won all four all-around, vault and floor competitions this season and has 17 total wins of 20 possible individual titles ... Skinner is a three-time Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week and Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. She is the only Pac-12 gymnast ever to accomplish the dual feat in the same week more than once … Baely Rowe has gone all-around in the last two meets, placing second to Skinner in both (career-high 39.625 on Jan. 20 and 39.500 on Jan. 28) … Ute individual event/all-around winners: Skinner (17), Rowe (4), MaKenna Merrell (2) and Tiffani Lewis (1) … The Utes are 92-96 in hit routines (routines without a fall), including 24-24 at Washington … Gymnasts who have hit every routine are Skinner (16-16), Kari Lee (10-10), Sabrina Schwab (8-8), Kim Tessen (7-7), Macey Roberts (5-5) and Maddy Stover (4-4).
Ute Insider
Utah has lost two starters to season ending injuries. Sophomore All-American Sabrina Schwab (the 2016 Pac-12 Freshman of Year) tore her ACL at practice on Jan. 17. Freshman Kim Tessen tore her Achilles in pre-meet floor warm-ups last Saturday at Washington. Schwab was competing in the all-around, while Tesson was a two-three event starter … MaKenna Merrell, who is ranked 19th in the country on vault, could return to the starting vault lineup this week. If so, she will rejoin MyKayla Skinner and Baely Rowe in the all-around lineup. If not, Erika Muhaw will vault for the second time this season … Maddy Stover could potentially lead off Utah's beam lineup against Cal, with Merrell moving to the second position. Stover led off the beam team as a freshman in 2015.
Series Shorts
The Utes are 17-1 all-time against the Bears with their only loss coming last April in the semifinals of the NCAA Championships. Utah had won both previous meetings in 2016 (at Cal and at the Pac-12 Championships) … For complete series results, see page 2.
Scouting California
Head Coach: Justin Howell (5th year)
2016 NCAA Finish: 7th
National Rank: No. 15
2017 Record: 8-0, 3-0 Pac-12
Season High: 196.025, Jan. 28
Notes: The Bears return every routine from their 2016 team that finished seventh at the NCAA Championships. Last season marked Cal's first appearance at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships in 24 years … Pac-12 wins have come against Stanford, Washington and Arizona State … Toni-Ann Williams has won all four floor competitions to date and Desiree Palomares has three wins on beam.
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