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Up next for the No. 2 ranked Utah gymnasts is the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Saturday, April 8 (Crisler Arena, 6 p.m. EDT) ... The six teams to qualify for the Northeast regional: No. 2 Utah, No. 9 Michigan, No. 14 Auburn, New Hampshire, Pittsburgh and Rutgers ... Utah has won six straight regional championships (see Utah at Regionals) ... The top two teams at regionals will move on to the NCAA Championships in Corvallis, Ore., April 20-22 ... Utah hopes to continue its record NCAA Championships qualifying streak: It is the only program in the nation to qualify for all 24 NCAA Championships and for the last 30 national championships including the AIAW years.
Utah finished the regular season where it began in the preseason coaches poll--at No. 2. The Utes were ranked No. 2 in eight of the 13 polls ...Utah's high score was 197.50 (vs. Brigham Young on Mar. 24) ... Utah's two losses were to No. 1 Georgia (by .025) and No. 3 Florida (by 0.65) ... Utah earned its first win ever in Ann Arbor earlier this season. The Utes beat UM 196.40-196.10 on Feb. 11 ... Utah is 6-1 at home, 5-1 on the road and 0-0 at neutral sites ... The Utes won the 2006 women's gymnastics attendance title, averaging 12,747 spectators to their six regular season home meets. It marked the second-highest attendance average in Utah and NCAA gymnastics history. Utah has won 22 of the last 25 gymnastics attendance titles.
Utah has three 39.50-or-better all-arounders: Ashley Postell (39.65), Nicolle Ford (39.55) and Nina Kim (39.50). Postell is on fire heading into the postseason, averaging a 39.60 in her last four all-arounds. She is ranked No. 7 in the final NCAA all-around rankings with a 39.435 regional qualifying score (RQS), while Ford is No. 8 (39.42 RQS). Since earning a full-time berth in the all-around lineup six weeks ago, Kim has averaged a 39.325. Freshman Kristina Baskett (39.40 high) is a three-quarter time all-arounder who is still trying to nail down a full-time starting berth on the beam.
Ashley Postell goes into postseason play ranked No. 2 in the nation on the beam (9.92 RQS), No. 7 in the all-around (39.435) and No. 10 on vault (9.895). Nicolle Ford finished the regular season ranked No. 5 on bars (9.905), No. 8 in the all-around (39.42) and No. 8 on beam (9.90). Kristina Baskett is tied for 10th on vault (9.895) and is No. 11 on bars (9.89) ... Six different Utes have won event and/or all-around titles this year: Ashley Postell (19), Kristina Baskett (16), Nicolle Ford (14), Gritt Hofmann (5), Nina Kim (2) and Jessica Duke (1) ... The most wins on an individual event for a Ute this season is 7 by Ford (on bars) and Postell (on beam). Baskett has 6 wins on vault ... Top Ute individual event scorers are Baskett on vault (9.975), Ford on bars (9.975), Postell on beam (9.975) and floor (9.925), and Kim on floor (9.925).
