Season-best scores land Utah in Super Six


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FORT WORTH, Texas — Utah gymnastics ended its two-year Super Six drought after winning Friday’s afternoon semifinal session of the NCAA championships. The Red Rocks scored their all-time NCAA championship best 197.475, tying for first with two-time defending champion Florida. It was Utah’s first semifinal win since 2007.

The two teams advance with Stanford (197.175) to the Super Six. Michigan (197.025), Georgia (196.6) and UCLA (196.4) fell short of the cut.

“This team was very determined after our performance at regionals,” said co-head coach Megan Marsden.

The Utes began the meet on beam with an all too similar start. AAI Award winner Georgia Dabritz fell in the second spot of the lineup.

“I told her to come roaring back,” Marsden said of Dabritz’s mishap.

The senior took her coach’s words to heart. On Utah’s next events, she tied for second on floor with a 9.925 and earned a 9.9 vault. But how Dabritz closed the Red Rocks last event as the last spot in the lineup was a perfect ending. She scored Utah’s first 10.0 at an NCAA championship. Dabritz’s perfect score followed Breanna Hughes' season-best 9.85, Tiffani Lewis’ 9.85, Baely Rowe’s 9.825 and back-to-back 9.9s by Kassandra Lopez and Corrie Lothrop.

“(The meet) didn’t start out the way I wanted, but I had to turn my head quickly for the team,” said Dabritz.

After Dabritz’s fall, the rest of her teammates in the lineup hit their routines, unlike at regionals. Both Kailah Delaney and Kari Lee scored 9.85, a season-high for Delaney. Rowe and Lothrop finished the rotation with 9.8 and 9.825 respectively. Utah’s 49.175 score on the event would be its lowest of the day, placing fourth behind Stanford (49.575), Florida (49.375) and Michigan (49.225) and ahead of Georgia (49.1) and UCLA (48.95).

The Utes’ second event, floor, came in the third rotation after a bye. Dabritz (9.925) led the Red Rocks to a 49.35 total with the help of Lee (9.9) and Tutka (9.875). Lewis tied her career-high with a 9.85. Halfway through their events, the team moved to third place — Stanford (98.875), Florida (98.75), Utah (98.525), Michigan (98.475), Georgia (98.45) and UCLA (97.95).

Next for Utah was vault. Even with Tory Wilson, the nation’s eighth-ranked vault gymnast, sitting on the sideline in a wheelchair due to career-ending injuries to both feet, Utah earned a 49.45 score. Lee tied for first with a 9.95. Dabritz and Samantha Partyka each scored 9.9.

Heading into the last rotation, the Red Rocks remained in third. This time Florida (148.2) was in first, followed by Stanford (148.125), Utah (147.975), Michigan (147.85), Georgia (147.35) and UCLA (147.2).

Utah needed a 49.05 to tie Michigan for the last spot heading to the Super Six. That’s when the team got its best score of the day, 49.5, to tie with Florida for first.

“One of our goals was to make it back into the Super Six and we gave it our all,” said Dabritz.

Dabritz and Lee’s performances qualify them to Sunday’s event finals. Dabritz will compete on bars and floor while Lee will do so on vault and floor. Qualifying in the finals gives the gymnasts automatic first-team All-American honors in their respected events.

The Red Rocks will compete in their 19th Super Six at 5 p.m. MDT Saturday. ESPN3 will live stream the championship and individual finals, which will take place at 1 p.m. MDT Sunday.

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