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, March 16
Salt Lake City, UT
7:30 PM
University of Utah
198.150
vs
196.350
Georgia
Photo by: Russ Isabella
Gymnasts Crush Georgia 198.150-196.350
3/16/2018 10:54 PM | Gymnastics
MyKayla Skinner, MaKenna Merrell-Giles lead breakout meet.
SALT LAKE CITY—The No. 4 Ute gymnasts exploded out of a two-meet slump in their regular season finale, running over No. 20 Georgia 198.150-196.350 before fired up crowd of 15,208 and a live ESPNU television audience.
The first 198 in three years conjured up comparisons to the last Ute team to accomplish the feat—the 2015 NCAA runner-up Utes. Said Maddy Stover, one of Ute three seniors honored before the meet, "This team feels like the one we were on our freshman year. We have that kind of talent and team chemistry."
The Utes certainly looked like an NCAA contender tonight with one huge routine after another followed by stuck landings. Vault, where landings were the biggest issue in Utah's back-to-back losses at California and Michigan, did a complete turnaround.
"(First vaulter) Missy Reinstadtler set the tone for the night," said co-head coach Tom Farden. "She's been sticking that vault in practice and she let one fly tonight. I could tell from the demeanor when they (the Utes) walked in the arena that they were dialed in."
Reinstadtler was one of many who "let one fly" in a meet where the Utes set season bests on bars (49.450), beam (49.525) and floor (49.775) after getting off to a 49.400 start on the vault—its best in five weeks.
The momentum just kept building after the first rotation with MaKenna Merrell-Giles and MyKayla Skinner—who went toe-to-toe all night—tying for first on bars with 9.925s. Merrell-Giles and Reinstadtler then scored 9.925s on the next event—the beam—only to see Skinner win in the end with a picture perfect-looking 9.95.
On floor, Tiffani Lewis saved the best routine of her career for her Huntsman hurrah, scoring a 9.975 from the first position to jumpstart a set that nearly matched the school record (49.800). Both judges would deliver a 10.0 four gymnasts later when Merrell-Giles aced her routine. It was the first 10.0 on floor for Merrell-Giles and the second of her career—both coming this season. Soon after the crowd sat back down from its standing ovation for Merrell-Giles, the fans jumped back on their feet when Skinner finished a spectacular routine. Their chants for another 10.0 were halfway satisfied, with Skinner scoring a 9.975 for the third time this season.
"This was all for the seniors," said Merrell-Giles, who tied her career all-around high of 39.675 while finishing second to Skinner (39.725). "We were on such a high tonight. In the last couple of meets, we had started to try too hard. Tonight we didn't get caught up on little mistakes and wanted to enjoy every routine."
Added Skinner, who picked up her 19th career all-around victory to move into sole possession of second place on Utah's career record charts, "We wanted to see where having fun takes us. Hopefully we can have fun the rest of the season."
Utah never trailed in the meet to their southern rivals. Leading Utah to a 49.400-49.150 on the first rotation were Lewis with a season-high 9.90 on vault. Four other Utes scored a 9.875—in the case of Reinstadtler, a career high.
The Utes opened a .425 lead over the Gymdogs on the second rotation when Skinner and Merrell-Giles scored 9.925s (for Merrell-Giles a career high) to tie for first on bars. Kari Lee was close behind with a 9.90.
The meet turned into a rout on the third rotation. While Utah was producing its best beam set of the year, Georgia ran into trouble on floor and Utah's lead ballooned by over a point (148.375-147.225). Skinner won the event with a season-high 9.95 followed closely by Merrell-Giles with a career-tying 9.925 and Reinstadtler with a career-high 9.90.
It was a relaxed Utah team that rotated to floor and lit up the scoreboards. Somewhat lost in the three 9.975 or better scores were a career-high 9.925 from freshman Sydney Soloski and a 9.90 from Kari Lee.
Ute Notes:
*Utah secured its eighth all-sports women's attendance crown with a season average of 15,139 to beat runner-up South Carolina women's basketball (13,596). The Utes also won the all-women's sport attendance title in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
*Utah's season attendance average of 15,139 is the second best in school and NCAA gymnastics history. Utah holds the record for highest season attendance—15,244 in 2017.
*MyKayla Skinner was a triple winner, capturing the all-around (39.725) and beam (9.95) and tying for first on bars (9.925) with MaKenna Merrell-Giles. Merrell-Giles was a double winner on bars and floor (10.0).
*Utah finished 1-4 in the all-around with all four all-arounders scoring a 39.475 or better: Skinner (39.725) was first, followed by Merrell-Giles (39.675), Kari Lee (39.525) and Missy Reinstadtler (39.475). Merrell-Giles' and Lee's scores were both career highs.
*Skinner now has 28 wins this season and 71 career victories.
*Up next for Utah is the Pac-12 Championship in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday, Mar. 24. Utah will be the second seed in the tourney behind No. 1 seed UCLA.
The first 198 in three years conjured up comparisons to the last Ute team to accomplish the feat—the 2015 NCAA runner-up Utes. Said Maddy Stover, one of Ute three seniors honored before the meet, "This team feels like the one we were on our freshman year. We have that kind of talent and team chemistry."
The Utes certainly looked like an NCAA contender tonight with one huge routine after another followed by stuck landings. Vault, where landings were the biggest issue in Utah's back-to-back losses at California and Michigan, did a complete turnaround.
"(First vaulter) Missy Reinstadtler set the tone for the night," said co-head coach Tom Farden. "She's been sticking that vault in practice and she let one fly tonight. I could tell from the demeanor when they (the Utes) walked in the arena that they were dialed in."
Reinstadtler was one of many who "let one fly" in a meet where the Utes set season bests on bars (49.450), beam (49.525) and floor (49.775) after getting off to a 49.400 start on the vault—its best in five weeks.
The momentum just kept building after the first rotation with MaKenna Merrell-Giles and MyKayla Skinner—who went toe-to-toe all night—tying for first on bars with 9.925s. Merrell-Giles and Reinstadtler then scored 9.925s on the next event—the beam—only to see Skinner win in the end with a picture perfect-looking 9.95.
On floor, Tiffani Lewis saved the best routine of her career for her Huntsman hurrah, scoring a 9.975 from the first position to jumpstart a set that nearly matched the school record (49.800). Both judges would deliver a 10.0 four gymnasts later when Merrell-Giles aced her routine. It was the first 10.0 on floor for Merrell-Giles and the second of her career—both coming this season. Soon after the crowd sat back down from its standing ovation for Merrell-Giles, the fans jumped back on their feet when Skinner finished a spectacular routine. Their chants for another 10.0 were halfway satisfied, with Skinner scoring a 9.975 for the third time this season.
"This was all for the seniors," said Merrell-Giles, who tied her career all-around high of 39.675 while finishing second to Skinner (39.725). "We were on such a high tonight. In the last couple of meets, we had started to try too hard. Tonight we didn't get caught up on little mistakes and wanted to enjoy every routine."
Added Skinner, who picked up her 19th career all-around victory to move into sole possession of second place on Utah's career record charts, "We wanted to see where having fun takes us. Hopefully we can have fun the rest of the season."
Utah never trailed in the meet to their southern rivals. Leading Utah to a 49.400-49.150 on the first rotation were Lewis with a season-high 9.90 on vault. Four other Utes scored a 9.875—in the case of Reinstadtler, a career high.
The Utes opened a .425 lead over the Gymdogs on the second rotation when Skinner and Merrell-Giles scored 9.925s (for Merrell-Giles a career high) to tie for first on bars. Kari Lee was close behind with a 9.90.
The meet turned into a rout on the third rotation. While Utah was producing its best beam set of the year, Georgia ran into trouble on floor and Utah's lead ballooned by over a point (148.375-147.225). Skinner won the event with a season-high 9.95 followed closely by Merrell-Giles with a career-tying 9.925 and Reinstadtler with a career-high 9.90.
It was a relaxed Utah team that rotated to floor and lit up the scoreboards. Somewhat lost in the three 9.975 or better scores were a career-high 9.925 from freshman Sydney Soloski and a 9.90 from Kari Lee.
Ute Notes:
*Utah secured its eighth all-sports women's attendance crown with a season average of 15,139 to beat runner-up South Carolina women's basketball (13,596). The Utes also won the all-women's sport attendance title in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
*Utah's season attendance average of 15,139 is the second best in school and NCAA gymnastics history. Utah holds the record for highest season attendance—15,244 in 2017.
*MyKayla Skinner was a triple winner, capturing the all-around (39.725) and beam (9.95) and tying for first on bars (9.925) with MaKenna Merrell-Giles. Merrell-Giles was a double winner on bars and floor (10.0).
*Utah finished 1-4 in the all-around with all four all-arounders scoring a 39.475 or better: Skinner (39.725) was first, followed by Merrell-Giles (39.675), Kari Lee (39.525) and Missy Reinstadtler (39.475). Merrell-Giles' and Lee's scores were both career highs.
*Skinner now has 28 wins this season and 71 career victories.
*Up next for Utah is the Pac-12 Championship in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday, Mar. 24. Utah will be the second seed in the tourney behind No. 1 seed UCLA.
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