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
Saturday, March 22
Ann Arbor, Mich.
6:00 PM
University of Utah
197.425
at
196.325
Michigan
Ute Gymnasts Knock Michigan From the Unbeaten Ranks
3/22/2008 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
March 22, 2008
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -
One week after falling from the unbeaten ranks, the Utah gymnastics team returned the favor. Led by Ashley Postell's all-around and three individual event victories, No. 3 ranked Utah beat previously unbeaten and No. 4 Michigan, 197.425-196.325. Utah improves to 11-1, while Michigan drops to 18-1.
Utah never trailed in the meet and went 24-of-24 in hit routines. The Utes, who have yet to count a fall this season, pulled away on the third rotation when Michigan ran into trouble on the beam. Up by three tenths of a point going into the third rotation, Utah emerged from it with a one-point lead. The Utes didn't squander it when they went to the balance beam, where Daria Bijak and Postell put a punctuation point on the night by scoring a 9.925 and a 9.95, respectively to end the set.
"All season, no matter where we've competed, whether it's against a team we're supposed to beat easily or against a team like Michigan that expects to be competing for the national title, we've been consistent and have gone out and hit our routines," said Utah coach Greg Marsden.
Fortunately for the Utes, pre-meet warm-ups don't count. After a sluggish practice on two events, Marsden pulled his team aside for a conversation. "I was pleased that the (gymnasts) responded by turning it up on the last two practice rotations and then kept on going all the way through the meet," he said.
Postell led a trio of Ute all-arounders, which was missing Kristina Baskett, who pulled out of the floor exercise during the three-minute touch to preserve her increasingly sore ankles. Nina Kim took her place in the floor - and the all-around - lineup. Kim, who also returned to the bar lineup for the first time in five weeks, scored a 39.350 to place third in the all-around. Postell led the way with a 39.70, followed by Daria Bijak at 39.475.
Postell's four victories brought her season total to 35 - just five short of the school record set by Theresa Kulikowski in 1999. Postell is also approaching Kulikowski's career victory mark. The Ute senior has 108 victories to trail Kulikowski (112) by less than a handful.
Utah started fast, taking a 49.400-49.200 lead on the first event by posting its best bar score of the year. It helped getting Kim back in the lineup after a five-meet absence on the event. Kim led off with a 9.85. After a 9.825 by Jessica Duke, Daria Bijak unloaded for a 9.90. Baskett (9.925) and Postell (9.90) finished the set strong.
Even before Ashley Postell struck gold on vault with a 9.95, the Utes were reeling off huge vaults. Kim scored a 9.85 to start the set, and after a puzzling 9.825 by Bijak, Kyndal Robarts, Annie DiLuzio and Baskett served up 9.875 scores. Utah scored a 49.425 on the event to take a 98.825-98.525 halftime lead.
Highlights of the third rotation included Kim subbing in at the last minute for Baskett and scoring a 9.825, and Postell scoring a 9.90 for a routine packed with difficulty. The first three Utes couldn't crack 9.825, which kept the score down. Michigan counted a fall on the beam and after three events, Utah led 148.100-147.125.
On the final event, Utah maintained its lead with a 49.275 beam set that included a 9.925 by Bijak and a 9.95 gem by Postell. One small break in every routine but Postell's kept what could have been a monster beam score down.
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