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 21
Gainesville, Fla.
7:00 PM
University of Utah
196.150
vs
197.125
Florida
Falls Cost Utah Gymnasts Against Florida
3/21/2003 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
March 21, 2003
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -
For two events, the match-up between the nation's No. 6 and 7 ranked gymnastics teams was everything the standings would indicate. But No. 6 ranked Utah self-destructed on the final two events and lost 197.125-196.150 to fast-rising Florida. It was Utah's second-worst score of the season and the second-best score in Gator history.
"It's the same old thing," said a disappointed Utah coach Greg Marsden, whose team dropped to 6-5. "We were coming off a very good meet and started well tonight, but couldn't sustain it. We looked like we were on our way after the first two events and then we started having mistakes that we simply shouldn't be making at this point in the season."
The Utes, who led after one event and trailed only slightly at the midway point, 98.625-98.600, appeared in good shape after hitting all 12 of their initial routines. That streak quickly came to an end on the floor exercise. Lead-off competitor Kylee Wagner failed to insert all of the required elements of her floor routine and stumbled to a 9.45. Veronique Leclerc also struggled and a step out of bounds cost her a tenth of a point in a 9.60 routine. Kristen Riffanacht followed with a fall. Gritt Hofmann had things going before taking a step out of bounds. Only closers Annabeth Eberle (9.90) and Melissa Vituj (9.925) competed well.
It was more of the same on the balance beam, where a nice lead-off effort by Natalie Nicoloff (who tied her career-high with a 9.85) was negated after falls by Leclerc and Hoffman. Again Eberle and Vituj stepped up. Eberle scored a career-tying 9.95 and Vituj was sharp in a 9.925 set. Making a surprise return in the all-around lineup after missing last week's meet with a broken finger was Theresa Kulikowski. She showed no signs of rustiness with an impressive 9.95 routine.
The falls overshadowed a great effort by Utah's big guns. Eberle set a career-high in the all-around by scoring a 39.675 to finish second behind Florida's Orley Szmuch (39.725). Vituj placed third with a 39.50. Eberle tied for first on both the vault (9.975) and beam (9.95), Vituj tied for first on the floor exercise (9.925) and Kulikowski tied for first on beam with a 9.95.
Utah has one final regular season remaining, competing at Brigham Young next Friday.
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