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SALT LAKE CITY — Fourth-ranked Utah gymnastics left No. 19 Arizona State in the dust during its duel in the desert, winning 197.375-195.825 with a season-best score at Wells Fargo Arena.
The win extends Utah’s historic start with four-straight 197 scores and undefeated record.
Utah co-head coach Tom Farden again played with lineups and planned to rest phenom MyKayla Skinner on floor. Skinner worked her magic, saying she felt good and talked Farden out of it during warmups.
“We want to give MyKayla a needed rest, but she is just a competitor,” Farden said. “We’re getting a lot of kids experience in competition, which combined with three-straight road meets, is going to help us in the end since the entire postseason is on the road.”
Skinner’s plea ending up giving her another all-around (39.60) win. She won beam (9.925) and tied for first with Missy Reinstadtler on bars (9.95) to give her 14 wins this season.
She has yet to lose on bars and in the all-around this season. Skinner’s gold finishes in the desert helped her move into sole possession of fourth place all-time at Utah with 91 career wins, passing Kristina Baskett and Georgia Dabritz (88).
In total, the Red Rocks picked up wins on three events and the all-around. Adding to Skinner and Reinstadtler’s victories, MaKenna Merrell-Giles placed first on vault (9.90).
Utah got off to a rolling start, earning a season-high 49.50 on bars. All but two scores to count were in the 9.90s. Reinstadtler and Skinner were the highlight of the lineup with their routines. Reinstadtler’s 9.95 score was a career best and Merrell-Giles’ 9.90 effort was a season high.
After the first rotation, Utah had a 49.50-49.05 advantage.
The nation’s best vault team didn’t score as high as it usually does as the lineup had small hops on landings. Only MaKenna Merrell-Giles broke the 9.90 plane with that score. Though 49.275 wasn’t their best performance, the Red Rocks did just enough to stay ahead of the Sun Devils, 98.775-98.15, at the meet’s midway point.
In the second spot of the beam lineup, Alexia Burch fell on her flight series. Merrell-Giles and Kari Lee responded with back-to-back 9.875s. Adrienne Randall posted a 9.825 and Skinner (9.925) ended Utah’s night with an exclamation point and a season-best 49.275 on the event. The steady lineup saved the Red Rocks from having to count a fall.
Utah’s three-week road trip ends as the team returns to the Huntsman Center Friday, Feb. 1, where they will host No. 23 Arizona at 7 p.m. MST.
