Upcoming Event: Gymnastics versus Red Rocks Preview on December 12, 2025 at 7:00 PM
7:00 PM
Gymnastics
vs Red Rocks Preview
The University of Utah Athletics
Saturday, January 26
Tempe, AZ
6:30 PM
University of Utah
197.375
at
195.825
Arizona State
Ute Gymnasts Rout ASU 197.375-195.825
1/26/2019 9:09 PM | Gymnastics
TEMPE, Ariz.—The Utah gymnastics team extended its record start to a season by rolling over No. 19 Arizona State, 197.375-195.825 in Wells Fargo Arena. The No. 4 Utes (4-0) have now topped 197 in all four meets. Utah teams have started a season with a 197 three previous times (2004, 2005, 2018), but had never put together back-to-back 197's to start a season prior to this year. Utah's 197.375 tonight in Tempe was also a season high.
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Once again, co-head coach Tom Farden tinkered with the Ute lineups, including several last-minute changes. One change he planned failed to materialize however. He wanted to rest star MyKayla Skinner on floor, but she talked her way into the lineup during warmups.
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"We want to give MyKayla a needed rest, but she is just a competitor," shrugged Farden. "We're getting a lot of kids experience in competition, which combined with three straight road meets, is going to help us in the end since the entire postseason is on the road."
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Skinner picked up wins in the all-around (39.600) and beam (9.925), and tied for first on bars with Missy Reinstadtler. Skinner has 14 wins this season, including every bar and all-around competition. She now has 91 career wins, which puts her in sole possession of fourth place all-time at Utah, moving her past Kristina Baskett and Georgia Dabritz, who both had 88 wins.
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Baskett, a former Ute All-American and NCAA champion, is now a volunteer assistant coach for ASU. Baskett's full-time job is as a stunt woman and she recently finished filming the final season of Game of Thrones, which airs in April.
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MaKenna Merrell-Giles was right on Skinner's heels in the all-around, placing second with a 39.575 and winning vault with a 9.90.
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"We had a remarkable bar set to start the meet and finished with a clutch effort on beam," said Farden. "We came out of the gates so high, I almost thought we pressed too much on vault and floor trying to match what we did on bars. After Alexia (Burch) had an uncharacteristic fall from the No. 2 position on beam, we didn't cave and used a great team effort to finish strong."
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Utah kicked the meet off with its best bar set of the season, bolstered by 9.95 scores from Reinstadtler (a career high) and Skinner and a season-high 9.90 from Merrell-Giles. After the first rotation, Utah led ASU 49.500-49.050.
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On the second rotation, Utah—the nation's No. 1 ranked vault team—wasn't quite as sharp as in its first three meets, dipping below a 49.400 (49.275) for the first time this season. Merrell-Giles won the event with a 9.90 and after two rotations, Utah's lead over ASU was 98.775-98.150.
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Sydney Soloski's 9.925 and a 9.90 from Merrell-Giles highlighted a 49.325 floor set. Merrell-Giles earned her score competing her routine from her sophomore and junior seasons rather than this year's version. Utah's 49.325 on floor, combined with a 48.450 on beam from ASU gave the Utes a big lead (148.100-146.600) going into beam.
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Still, had Burch's fall on beam been contagious, there was a mathematical chance Utah could fall behind. Instead, Merrell-Giles and Kari Lee posted back-to-back 9.875 scores, followed by a 9.825 from freshman Adrienne Randall and Skinner's 9.925 to keep the fall from counting.
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After three weeks on the road, Utah returns to the Huntsman Center next Friday, hosting Arizona at 7 p.m. in the Huntsman Center in Faculty/Staff Appreciation night.
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Once again, co-head coach Tom Farden tinkered with the Ute lineups, including several last-minute changes. One change he planned failed to materialize however. He wanted to rest star MyKayla Skinner on floor, but she talked her way into the lineup during warmups.
Â
"We want to give MyKayla a needed rest, but she is just a competitor," shrugged Farden. "We're getting a lot of kids experience in competition, which combined with three straight road meets, is going to help us in the end since the entire postseason is on the road."
Â
Skinner picked up wins in the all-around (39.600) and beam (9.925), and tied for first on bars with Missy Reinstadtler. Skinner has 14 wins this season, including every bar and all-around competition. She now has 91 career wins, which puts her in sole possession of fourth place all-time at Utah, moving her past Kristina Baskett and Georgia Dabritz, who both had 88 wins.
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Baskett, a former Ute All-American and NCAA champion, is now a volunteer assistant coach for ASU. Baskett's full-time job is as a stunt woman and she recently finished filming the final season of Game of Thrones, which airs in April.
Â
MaKenna Merrell-Giles was right on Skinner's heels in the all-around, placing second with a 39.575 and winning vault with a 9.90.
Â
"We had a remarkable bar set to start the meet and finished with a clutch effort on beam," said Farden. "We came out of the gates so high, I almost thought we pressed too much on vault and floor trying to match what we did on bars. After Alexia (Burch) had an uncharacteristic fall from the No. 2 position on beam, we didn't cave and used a great team effort to finish strong."
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Utah kicked the meet off with its best bar set of the season, bolstered by 9.95 scores from Reinstadtler (a career high) and Skinner and a season-high 9.90 from Merrell-Giles. After the first rotation, Utah led ASU 49.500-49.050.
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On the second rotation, Utah—the nation's No. 1 ranked vault team—wasn't quite as sharp as in its first three meets, dipping below a 49.400 (49.275) for the first time this season. Merrell-Giles won the event with a 9.90 and after two rotations, Utah's lead over ASU was 98.775-98.150.
Â
Sydney Soloski's 9.925 and a 9.90 from Merrell-Giles highlighted a 49.325 floor set. Merrell-Giles earned her score competing her routine from her sophomore and junior seasons rather than this year's version. Utah's 49.325 on floor, combined with a 48.450 on beam from ASU gave the Utes a big lead (148.100-146.600) going into beam.
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Still, had Burch's fall on beam been contagious, there was a mathematical chance Utah could fall behind. Instead, Merrell-Giles and Kari Lee posted back-to-back 9.875 scores, followed by a 9.825 from freshman Adrienne Randall and Skinner's 9.925 to keep the fall from counting.
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After three weeks on the road, Utah returns to the Huntsman Center next Friday, hosting Arizona at 7 p.m. in the Huntsman Center in Faculty/Staff Appreciation night.
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Players Mentioned
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