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 5
Salt Lake City, UT
4:00 PM
University of Utah
197.175
vs
194.450
Penn State
Photo by: Russ Isabella
Gymnasts Roar By Penn State 197.175-194.450
1/5/2019 8:15 PM | Gymnastics
Skinner, Merrell-Giles lead Utes to rout over Big Ten visitors.
SALT LAKE CITY—The No. 5 Utah gymnastics team ushered in 2019 with a bang, posting the third-best opening week score in the nation while steamrolling Penn State, 197.175-194.450. Led by MyKayla Skinner, who won three events and the all-around, and MaKenna Merrell-Giles, who won one event and picked up three silvers, Utah's 197.175 was its best opening day score since 2005. It was the third-best season-opening score ever for the Utes, who beat UCLA on the road in 2004 with a 197.350 and again at home in 2005 with a 197.675.
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But the score also left the Utes wanting more after coming out sizzling on their first two events before fizzling a bit on beam and floor.
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"Hitting a 197 in the first meet is a great start to the season," said co-head coach Tom Farden, while acknowledging, "It was a tale of two halves. We were great on vault and bars, but we need to continue to develop on beam where people got a little cautious. We also have some things on floor that we'll clean up in practice."
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Skinner echoed his assessment. "We did a lot of good things, but we had a few mess ups, which is typical of the first meet." None of the "mess ups" were Skinner's however. An NCAA champion on vault and floor, she scored a 9.95 to win both events today. She scored another 9.95 to place first on bars and her winning 39.700 all-around score is tied for the eighth-best in school history.
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Sidekick Merrell-Giles was all smiles after the meet. "It was a blast. We have been so ready for the season to start; it is just great it's finally here!" She opened her senior year by winning beam with a 9.90 and her three runner-up finishes included a 39.575 in the all-around.
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Utah opened the meet by hitting six of six vaults, highlighted by Skinner's 9.95 and Merrell-Giles' 9.90. Kari Lee got the set off to a great start with a 9.875. After one event, Utah led Penn State 49.400-48.950.
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As good as vault was, bars was even better for the Utes. Freshman Cristal Isa, a two-time Junior Olympic bar champion, showed she will star as a collegian too, scoring a 9.925 to take second place. Skinner followed with a 9.95 routine to win the event, acing her new release move (the Ray). After two events, Utah led Penn State 98.825-97.575.
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Asked about the new element in Skinner's routine, Farden said, "Mickey is a trickster so you don't want her to get bored out there. She continues to challenge herself every year she is in college.
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Added Skinner, "I like doing big skills. That's my thing."
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She needed the big skills to edge out Isa's marvelous college bar debut. "The fact we put a freshman in the No. 5 spot shows that we know Cristal can get big scores," said Farsden.
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Both teams had issues on the third rotation, especially Penn State, which had falls on its first three floor routines. Utah got off to a good start on beam with Merrell-Giles' 9.90 coming from the three position, but uncharacteristic mistakes from Missy Reinstadtler and Lee at the four and five positions kept Utah from scoring a 49.000 on the event.
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Floor was also a bit of a mixed bag, even with the crowd enthusiastically responding to the new routines choreographed by volunteer coach BJ Das. Big scores from Macey Roberts (9.875) and Merrell-Giles (9.925) and Skinner (9.95) boosted Utah to a 49.375 on the event.
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Meet Notes
* Aided by 9,830 season ticket customers (a new Utah and NCAA record), the meet drew 13,193 fans.
* Freshman Adrienne Randall tied for second on beam with a 9.85 in her college debut.
* Alexia Burch (9.800) and Macey Roberts (9.850) set or tied career vault highs.
* Senior Macey Roberts competed on two events (vault 9.85) and floor (9.875) for the first time since 2017.
* Cristal Isa was the only freshman to compete on multiple events, scoring a 9.825 on vault and a 9.925 on bars.
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But the score also left the Utes wanting more after coming out sizzling on their first two events before fizzling a bit on beam and floor.
Â
"Hitting a 197 in the first meet is a great start to the season," said co-head coach Tom Farden, while acknowledging, "It was a tale of two halves. We were great on vault and bars, but we need to continue to develop on beam where people got a little cautious. We also have some things on floor that we'll clean up in practice."
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Skinner echoed his assessment. "We did a lot of good things, but we had a few mess ups, which is typical of the first meet." None of the "mess ups" were Skinner's however. An NCAA champion on vault and floor, she scored a 9.95 to win both events today. She scored another 9.95 to place first on bars and her winning 39.700 all-around score is tied for the eighth-best in school history.
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Sidekick Merrell-Giles was all smiles after the meet. "It was a blast. We have been so ready for the season to start; it is just great it's finally here!" She opened her senior year by winning beam with a 9.90 and her three runner-up finishes included a 39.575 in the all-around.
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Utah opened the meet by hitting six of six vaults, highlighted by Skinner's 9.95 and Merrell-Giles' 9.90. Kari Lee got the set off to a great start with a 9.875. After one event, Utah led Penn State 49.400-48.950.
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As good as vault was, bars was even better for the Utes. Freshman Cristal Isa, a two-time Junior Olympic bar champion, showed she will star as a collegian too, scoring a 9.925 to take second place. Skinner followed with a 9.95 routine to win the event, acing her new release move (the Ray). After two events, Utah led Penn State 98.825-97.575.
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Asked about the new element in Skinner's routine, Farden said, "Mickey is a trickster so you don't want her to get bored out there. She continues to challenge herself every year she is in college.
Â
Added Skinner, "I like doing big skills. That's my thing."
Â
She needed the big skills to edge out Isa's marvelous college bar debut. "The fact we put a freshman in the No. 5 spot shows that we know Cristal can get big scores," said Farsden.
Â
Both teams had issues on the third rotation, especially Penn State, which had falls on its first three floor routines. Utah got off to a good start on beam with Merrell-Giles' 9.90 coming from the three position, but uncharacteristic mistakes from Missy Reinstadtler and Lee at the four and five positions kept Utah from scoring a 49.000 on the event.
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Floor was also a bit of a mixed bag, even with the crowd enthusiastically responding to the new routines choreographed by volunteer coach BJ Das. Big scores from Macey Roberts (9.875) and Merrell-Giles (9.925) and Skinner (9.95) boosted Utah to a 49.375 on the event.
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Meet Notes
* Aided by 9,830 season ticket customers (a new Utah and NCAA record), the meet drew 13,193 fans.
* Freshman Adrienne Randall tied for second on beam with a 9.85 in her college debut.
* Alexia Burch (9.800) and Macey Roberts (9.850) set or tied career vault highs.
* Senior Macey Roberts competed on two events (vault 9.85) and floor (9.875) for the first time since 2017.
* Cristal Isa was the only freshman to compete on multiple events, scoring a 9.825 on vault and a 9.925 on bars.
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Players Mentioned
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
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