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 7
Salt Lake City
7:00 PM
University of Utah
196.975
vs
194.950
Washington
Utah Gymnasts Roar Back To Defeat Washington
3/7/2003 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
March 7, 2003
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SALT LAKE CITY -
The Utah gymnastics team was careening toward the unthinkable, a losing record, when the Utes "finally showed the heart I knew you had," said Ute coach Greg Marsden in the locker room after Utah overcame a huge deficit to beat No. 12 Washington, 196.975-194.950.
A crowd of 9,232 watched nervously as Utah appeared on its way to its third straight loss after two falls and a major break on the bars. At the midway point of the meet, Utah trailed Washington by over half a point (98.425-97.875).
Unlike last week, however, when Utah counted falls on two events in a loss to Michigan, the team roared back on the beam to narrow the gap to less than a tenth of a point (147.475-147.075). Leading the way was, well, everyone. Freshman Natalie Nicoloff made the beam lineup for just the second time this season and scored a 9.825 to start things off. Gritt Hofmann overcame couple of wobbles to score a 9.80 and then it was off to the races for the Utes. Senior Kim Allan was sensational in a routine that received just a 9.80 (a 9.90 from one judge) to the dismay of the crowd. But Allan's fired up performance helped Annabeth Eberle follow with a career-tying 9.925 routine. After that came another career-best, this a 9.975 from Melissa Vituj. Two-time NCAA balance beam champion Theresa Kulikowski then sent the arena into a frenzy with an exquisite routine that earned her the 13th perfect score of her career and her fifth on beam.
The momentum carried into the final rotation when Utah exploded for a season-high 49.575 on the floor exercise to complete its comeback. Giving an assist was Washington, which counted two falls on the beam, but the Utes would have won without it. In her first career NCAA floor routine, Hofmann might have earned herself a permanent spot in the lineup, scoring a 9.85 in a difficulty-packed routine. Utah's final three gymnasts, Kulikowski, Eberle and Vituj scored a 9.90 and two 9.95's to finish the night.
Vituj won her fourth all-around title of the year and her second in a row with a 39.600. Eberle finished second with a solid 39.450 despite a major break coming off her hop full on bars. Other than her 9.60 on the bars, Eberle was dynamite, setting a new career-best on vault with a 9.975, tying her best on beam (9.925) and scoring a 9.95 on floor. Eberle won the vault and tied for first on the floor with Vituj, whose remarkable line was a 9.825 on vault, 9.85 on bars, 9.975 on beam and 9.95 on floor. Kulikowski moved her win streak on bars to six (she has competed in just six meets all year) and won the balance beam.
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