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, February 22
Ann Arbor, Mich.
7:30 PM CT
University of Utah
196
at
197.025
Michigan
Ute Gymnasts Fall At Michigan 197.025-196.175
2/22/2002 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Feb. 22, 2002
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -
ANN ARBOR, Mich.-Four-fifths of the way through its month on the road, the Utah gymnasts still haven't figured it out. The No. 2 Utes took the pressure off of No. 5-and-rising Michigan by falling twice on bars to start the meet and went on to lose 197.025-196.175. It marked the third time in the last four meets that Utah has started the meet by counting a fall on bars.
The culprits this time were bar All-Americans Shannon Bowles and Theresa Kulikowski. Bowles fell on her landing after an otherwise great routine. Kulikowski came to an unplanned halt early in her routine, which cost her nearly a half point deduction. Bowles would never get back on track, though Kulikowski rebounded strong to place third in the all-around with a 39.250.
"The good news is that we haven't faced a team we can't beat if we just hit our routines and Michigan is a very good team," said Head Ute Coach Greg Marsden. "Once again, I felt we were not relaxed and confident. I'm determined not to be upset or let our athletes get down on themselves. As has been the case all month, outside a few falls, our routines tonight were beautiful."
After bars, Utah would not count another fall, but Michigan was on its way to running its record against Utah to 3-0 in Ann Arbor. Even so, Utah did a nice job on its second event, the vault. Led by a 9.875 by Kulikowski and a 9.85 by freshman Annabeth Eberle, Utah scored a 49.075 to put its two-event total at 97.725. Michigan, thanks to a 9.95 by 2000 U.S. Olympian Elise Ray, scored a 48.950 on the bars for a 98.125 after two events.
Michigan (12-2) would put the meet out of reach in the third rotation. While Utah (5-2) was experiencing feast or famine on the floor, it was all feast for Michigan on the beam. The Wolverines scored a 49.475, their second-best beam score ever, to expand their lead to 147.600-146.900. On the floor, Utah's Melissa Vituj, a Michigan native who would have contended for the all-around title but for a fall on her vault landing, scored a career-tying 9.95. Kulikowski preceded that with a 9.925. Bowles didn't fare as well, failing to snap out of her road slump by falling on her first pass, and Lindsay Tanner stepped out of bounds.
Down too far to recover heading into the balance beam, its best event, Utah put up a 49.175. Kulikowski scored a 9.975 to win the event for the fifth time this year and Vituj and Annie Medcalf each produced a 9.875. But Veronique Leclerc fell and Shannon Bowles had to rescue herself from a near fall.
"We still have a lot of the season left and we don't have to peak yet," said Marsden. He will be helped when Deidra Graham is again available to compete in the all-around. Graham has done only bars for the last two weeks after learning she has five bulging disks in her back.
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