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TUCSON, Ariz. — No. 3 Utah gymnastics left dust in the desert as it executed its best meet of the season against No. 21 Arizona, scoring a season-high 197.55-196.35.
“This was just the kind of team effort we were looking for,” Utah co-head coach Tom Farden said. “That was a great, excellent night of gymnastics from start to finish.”
Utah (5-1, 2-0 Pac-12) picked up wins on every event. MaKenna Merrell-Giles won the all-around outright for the first time ever, posting a career-high 39.625.
“MaKenna was in a great space today,” Farden said. “She was calm and confident, and it showed in her gymnastics.”
Merrell-Giles’ career night earned her a triple crown. In addition to the all-around, she tied for first on vault (9.95) and floor (9.925). Kari Lee also earned wins thanks to season-best scores on bars (9.90) and beam (9.925). It marked the first time this season that MyKayla Skinner didn’t win any event, a first for the superstar sophomore.
The Red Rocks owned the lead from the meet’s beginning. Starting on bars, four gymnasts — Merrell-Giles, Skinner, Tiffani Lewis, and Missy Reinstadtler — swung 9.85s. Lee’s meet-high 9.90 set the team at 49.30-49.175.
Utah took to vault next, locking a 49.425. Reinstadtler got the group started with a 9.85, followed by Lee (9.90), Kim Tessen (9.825), Merrell-Giles (9.95), and Skinner (9.90). The team’s total tied its second-best of the season on the event and helped hold a 98.725-98.375 advantage at the meet’s midway point.
While Arizona (0-4, 0-2) struggled on beam with two falls, a strong showing on floor pushed the nation’s top-ranked floor team to a comfortable 148.15-146.90 lead heading into the last rotation. Utah scored another 49.425 and counted just two scores in the 9.80 range, with Reinstadtler and Macey Roberts scoring 9.875 and 9.825 respectively. The final three Red Rocks to compete posted two 9.90s from Skinner and Sydney Soloski, and 9.925 from Merrell-Giles.
Beam, Utah’s weakest event, ended up being the night’s highlight. The team needed just one gymnast to stay on the four-inch wide apparatus to win. The Red Rocks did that and more, performing their best beam set (49.40) of the year, led by Lee’s 9.925.
“What a way to end a meet — on the balance beam, on the road against a good Arizona team,” Farden said. “It was just outstanding.”
Also contributing was Merrell-Giles and Alexia Burch’s 9.90s, Maddy Stover’s 9.875, and Missy Reinstadtler’s 9.80. Skinner suffered deductions from a balance check and a step from her dismount, resulting in a team-low 9.725, thus it was dropped from the total score.
Next for the Red Rocks is a home matinee against No. 14 Washington next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MST.
