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
Thursday, April 21
Auburn, AL
TBA
University of Utah
at
NCAA Championships/Team prelims
Utah Gymnasts Win First Round Of NCAA Competition
4/21/2005 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
April 21, 2005
AUBURN, Ala. -
The No. 1 ranked Utah gymnastics team certainly looked the part on the first day of NCAA Championships competition, winning the opening session and qualifying into the Super Six. Joining Utah in the finals from the afternoon qualifying round were Michigan (196.575) and Nebraska (195.875). Louisiana State (195.800) got caught at the end by Nebraska when it was sitting out the final rotation on a bye. In fifth was Penn State (194.975 and Oklahoma (194.425) placed sixth. The Super Six field will be completed with three teams from the evening session.
Utah's opening round win, only its second since the NCAA went to the Super Six format in 1993, came via a team approach. The Utes "hit" 23 of 24 routines and placed three all-arounders in the top six. Freshman Ashley Postell (39.575) and senior Annabeth Eberle (39.50) placed 1-2 in the all-around and sophomore Rachel Tidd (39.40) tied for sixth. Their final placements will not be known until after the evening session, but Postell and Tidd are guaranteed first-team All-America honors and Tidd is a second-team All-American.
All three also qualified for event finals on Saturday as first-team All-Americans. Eberle, who won vault with a 9.95 will have a chance to match or improve upon her 2004 NCAA runner-up position on that event. Postell will also vault on Saturday after placing second with a 9.925. Eberle made floor finals as well, along with senior Gritt Hofmann. Both tied for third with a 9.90. Tidd (9.925) was the uneven bar champ in the opening round and will compete on that event on Saturday, along with Postell, who tied for fourth with a 9.875.
Several Utes also earned second-team honors: Tidd in the all-around (sixth, tie, 39.40) and on vault (sixth, tie, 9.875); Nicolle Ford on bars (eighth, tie, 9.85); Eberle on beam (fifth, tie, 9.825) and Postell on floor (seventh, tie, 9.875).
Utah controlled the meet almost from the start. Although Michigan actually had a better first event score, the Wolverines had a bye in the first round so Utah never trailed. The Utes won three events and took second on bars. They scored a 49.25 on vault, a 49.075 on beam and a 49.350 on floor. Utah opened on the bars with a 49.175 score.
In fact, the Utes set the tone for the day in their opening event, with all six gymnasts appearing confident and composed. Freshman Katie Kivisto, competing in her first NCAA Championships, started things off with a clutch routine that scored a 9.70. Freshman Jessica Duke avoided a potential problem on the low bar to score a 9.65 and the upperclassmen took over from there. Eberle's gigantic Tkatchev, nice lines and solid dismount earned her a 9.825. Postell (9.875) was errorless on the apparatus in a routine whose only blemish was a small step back on her landing. Ford nailed her back-to-back release moves for a 9.85 score. Anchor Tidd moved effortlessly and stuck her difficult double back with a full twist dismount for a 9.925 score that would hold up as the best for five more rotations.
Utah's second rotation began in similar fashion with Gabriella Onodi (9.8), Kristen Riffanacht (9.75) and Rachel Tidd (9.8) all performing crisp, clean routines. But Ford, a returning first-team balance beam All-American who had fallen just once all year--on vault at Oregon State back on January 21--fell on her flight series and scored a 9.30. It put the pressure on Eberle and Postell to stay on board, which they did and then some. Eberle displayed zero nerves and performed a 9.825 set and Postell was nothing short of magnificent in a 9.90 effort. Utah's 49.075 score brought its two-event total to 98.25. After two rotations, only Utah and LSU (98.075) had completed two events. Michigan received the highest first-event total of the afternoon--a 49.20 on bars--Oklahoma's 49.075 on the floor kept pace with the leaders and Nebraska was within range with a 48.700. Only Penn State (48.125) appeared in trouble.
Utah's next stop was the bye room. On the competitive floor, Michigan charged to within 0.15 of Utah, scoring a 48.90 on beam for a 98.10 two-event total. LSU dropped to third--barely--at 98.075. Oklahoma (97.85) and Nebraska (97.80) were under a half point behind the Utes and still in the mix, though Penn State lagged at 97.20. During Utah's timeout, Ford apparently spent her time well and overcame her beam disappointment while her teammates stayed right where they'd been.
Kristen Riffanacht opened the second half with a showy tumbling set and scored a 9.825 on the floor. Tidd, plagued by a back injury that wouldn't allow her to train leading up to the meet, came through as she promised with a 9.80 and Ford showed no lingering remorse in a 9.85 routine. Postell, whose second tumbling pass was particularly impressive, earned a 9.875. Topping things off were Eberle and Hofmann, who showed off big tumbling and dance to score matching 9.90's.
Utah's final event, the vault, started slowly but picked up steam at warp speed. Stephanie Lim, in just her fourth start of the season, nearly fell as the lead-off and scored a 9.55. Duke was not as sharp as usual on her landing but pulled off a 9.70. Ford broke the ice with Utah's first clean vault for a 9.80. Then the back half of the lineup simply torched the apparatus. Postell scored a 9.925, Tidd a 9.875 (after receiving a 9.90 from two judges) and Eberle rocketed to a 9.95.
The Super Six Championship will begin at 7 p.m. CDT on Friday, April 22.
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