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 22
Gainesville, Fla.
1:00 PM
University of Utah
vs
NCAA Championships-Prelims
Ute Gymnasts Advance To NCAA Super Six
4/22/2010 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
April 22, 2010
GAINESVILLE, Fla.--The Utes are going back to the NCAA Super Six team finals for the 16th time in the format's 18-year history after placing second in the national semifinal. UCLA won the session with a 196.875, followed by Utah (196.625) and Oklahoma (196.550). Teams that failed to advance to team finals were Nebraska (196.175), Oregon State (196.050) and LSU (196.025).
The Utes, who got stronger as the meet went on, sweated out a photo finish while sitting out on a bye. The last measuring stick was in rotation five when all six teams had completed three events. At that point, the Utes were in third place with a 147.375, behind UCLA (147.475) and LSU (147.400), and barely ahead of Oklahoma (147.300). Utah, which finished the competition with its best score of the day--a 49.250 on the beam--needed some help to advance.
Both LSU and Oklahoma pulled through for Utah, with the Tigers falling off beam twice and Oklahoma taking a tumble on the floor (although it didn't count in the Sooners' team total). Kyndal Robarts, who tied for first in the session on the balance beam with teammate Jamie Deetscreek by scoring a 9.90, said, "We weren't nervous until we were done competing and LSU was on the beam, because we had no control (over the outcome) at that point."
The Utes, who finished the regular season ranked 10th in the nation, beat an Oklahoma team that was undefeated and ranked No. 2 entering the competition, for second place in the session. They clinched their win in an unusual place. Beam, Utah's nemesis for the entire regular season, has been its best event in the postseason. Utah also posted its highest score at regionals on the beam.
Utah co-coach Megan Marsden, who coaches the beam, said, "For this group of girls, it has been a long time coming to start to peak. The tradition of this program has weighed heavy on them and we're thrilled to have another night. The goal of our program is to be there on the night they determine the champion and we're doing it again."
Senior Daria Bijak also spoke after tying for third in the all-around (39.425) in the afternoon session to earn first-team All-America honors (she also tied for second on the bars with a 9.90). "Everyone had counted us out and we had nothing to lose."
Bijak was one of four first-team All-Americans who will compete in the individual event finals on Saturday. Robarts and Deetscreek, as the afternoon co-champs on beam, will compete on that event, and senior Annie DiLuzio--the afternoon runner-up on floor with a 9.90--is also in finals. Utah totaled eight All-America awards. Deetscreek, eighth in the all-around (39.300), also tied for seventh on bars (9.85) in the session, to second-team All-American on both of those events. Sophomore Stephanie McAllister tied Deetscreek for seventh on bars (9.85) to pick up her first All-America plaque.
The Utes hit 23 of 24 routines on the day, with the only fall coming from an unlikely source. Robarts, who was 50-for-50 entering the day, fell on floor in Utah's very first event. Annie DiLuzio saved the set by scoring a 9.90 as the anchor, allowing the Utes to throw out Robarts' 8.925.
Minus a normally big score from Robarts, the Utes still stood in first after one rotation: Utah 49.100, Oklahoma 49.000, Oregon State 48.975 and LSU 48.525. UCLA and LSU had byes.
In round two, 9.85's from Utah's final three competitors (Bijak, DiLuzio and Robarts) helped the Utes to a 49.125 on the vault. They headed to their first bye with a 98.225 two-event total. UCLA had the best first-event total of the day, a 49.125 on the bars. LSU opened play with a 49.00.
When the Utes came out of their bye, every team had completed two rotations. The standings at "halftime" looked like this: Utah 98.225, Oklahoma 98.150, UCLA 98.100, LSU 98.100, Oregon State 97.950, Nebraska 98.650.
Utah came out of its bye strong, scoring a 49.15 on the bars, led by a 9.90 by Bijak and 9.85's by McAllister and Deetscreek. For McAllister, it was a career-tying routine. After the rotation, four teams had completed three events with Utah holding a slight lead: Utah 147.375, Oklahoma 147.300, Oregon State 147.100 and Nebraska 147.025.
The Utes saved their best for last, scoring a 49.25 on the beam. Deetscreek and Robarts punctuated a great night by scoring twin 9.90's to end the night. The Utes then had to sweat out another rotation, going to a bye, while four teams took shots at their score.
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