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 24
Athens, Ga.
TBA
University of Utah
vs
NCAA Championships-Team Prelims
Ute Gymnasts Qualify For NCAA Super Six
4/24/2008 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
April 24, 2008
NCAA Thursday Combined Results | Super Six Schedule in PDF Format 
| NCAA All-Americans in PDF Format
ATHENS, Ga. -
The Utah gymnastics team vaulted into the NCAA Super Six team finals after surviving what must rank as one of the toughest preliminary sessions in NCAA history. Utah will battle Georgia, Stanford, Florida, Alabama and LSU for the NCAA Championship on Friday, April 25.
Utah, which finished second to host Georgia in the evening session, needed almost all of the best vault score of the night just to reach the Super Six for the 14th time since the two-day team format went into effect 16 years ago.
The Utes needed to score a 49.20 on its last event to pass UCLA for the final berth in the Super Six, and a 49.35 to pass Stanford for second place. Both Pac-10 teams sat out on a bye and watched Utah score a 49.40 the vault and leapfrog past them.
The final standings from the late show looked like this: Georgia 197.625, Utah 196.950, Stanford 196.900, UCLA 196.725, Michigan 196.075 and Denver 194.200.
After a good start on its first two events - bars and beam - Utah flirted with disaster on the floor when its very first competitor fell. When another stepped out of bounds, things got "scary," according to head coach Greg Marsden.
"Everyone knew this was going to be a really difficult session from the day the seeds were announced, said Marsden. "We came in with a lot of energy and did a nice job on bars and beam, but floor got a little scary. We knew it was unbelievably close going into that last rotation."
The trouble started when Utah came out off of its final bye. Senior Katie Kivisto, a late addition to the floor lineup, fell on her final tumbling pass on floor. After a powerful 9.875 routine by Daria Bijak, Kyndal Robarts stepped out of bounds. Annie DiLuzio (9.80), Kristina Baskett (9.90) and Ashley Postell (9.90) made sure that Kivisto's score didn't count and Utah was still in the game.
Postell was in the game as well, for her first NCAA all-around title, but a hop on her vault landing cost her a chance to catch UCLA's Tasha Schwiket. Instead, Postell settled for second place for the third straight year, scoring a 39.55 to Schwikert's 39.60. Tied for third in the all-around was Baskett (39.525). Bijak, who tied for eighth with a 39.375, gave Utah three top 10 all-around finishers.
Postell finished her career as a 20-time All-American - the most All-America awards possible. Her five All-America awards in this meet gave her the school career record, passing Kristen Kenoyer, who won 16 All-America citations from 1990-93. Postell won first-team honors in the all-around and on bars, beam and floor. She was a second-teamer on the vault.
Postell (bars, beam and floor), Baskett (vault, bars, floor) and Robarts (vault) will represent Utah in the individual event finals on Saturday. Bijak did not make the cut for finals, but earned second-team All-America recognition in the all-around and on floor.
Baskett had one of her best meets ever and was Utah's only individual "winner." Although individual awards will be decided on Saturday, Baskett tied for the best score across both sessions on both bars (9.95) and vault (9.95).
Utah began the meet on a bye. While the Utes were waiting, three of the four teams competing got off to fast starts, led by UCLA's whopping 49.475 on bars. Georgia scored a 49.350 on beam and Stanford a 49.175 on the floor.
Once they got a chance, the Utes got right into the thick of things, scoring a 49.30 on the bars. Highlighting the set was a magnificent 9.95 from Baskett at No. 5. She was preceded by a 9.875 by Bijak and followed by a 9.90 from Postell. Utah also got some pop at the beginning of the lineup. Jessica Duke, who was moved from her normal No. 2 position to accommodate the return of Nina Kim to the bar lineup, responded with a 9.80 as Utah's first competitor of the championships. Kim, performing on bars for only the second time in the last nine meets due to injury, scored a 9.775. Gael Mackie followed with another 9.775, and then Bijak, Baskett and Postell upped the ante.
When comparing one-event scores, Utah's bar score ranked third. Its bye `partner,' Michigan scored a 49.10 on the floor - fifth best.
Off to the beam and into the pressure cooker went the Utes - competing not only with Georgia on the floor, but its roaring crowd. Sophomore Jamie Deetscreek made her NCAA Championships debut a memorable one, scoring a 9.80 in the din as Utah's leadoff. Annie DiLuzio walked through a 9.775 routine under the same conditions. Baskett showed the first signs of strain but held on for a 9.725. Kim looked clean and sharp throughout and received a 9.80. Bijak also dished up a classic, but like Kim, received just a 9.80. Postell finished the set with a nice looking 9.875 to bring Utah's total to a 49.05.
Utah's two-rotation score heading into its final bye of the night was a 98.350 - third behind Georgia (98.75) and Stanford (98.375). Close behind was UCLA (98.275). Michigan (98.050) was also in the thick of things, but Denver (97.45) couldn't match up.
While the Utes were up the tunnel in their locker room, Georgia boosted its score to a 148.125 after three events. Stanford improved to 147.700 and UCLA to 147.475, placing the Utes in a must-make situation.
Utah survived the floor and then blasted into second place on the vault, highlighted by a 9.95 by Baskett and a 9.90 by Robarts.
Advancing from the first session into the Super Six were Florida (196.900), Alabama (196.650) and LSU (195.575). Others in the first session were Oklahoma (196.075), Arkansas (195.825) and Oregon State (195.475).
Players Mentioned
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