The University of Utah gymnastics team closed out its regular season against Georgia on Saturday, March 11, but with a few low scores and mishaps on some of the events, the Red Rocks took a 197.25-196.65 loss.
Sophomore Kari Lee competed in her first all-around this season. Despite the loss, Lee led the pack with a total score of 39.45 with freshman MyKayla Skinner following with a 39.425.
Utah had a rough start to bars in the first rotation with a fall from sophomore MaKenna Merrell, but freshman Missy Reinstadtler brought it back with a 9.8 routine. Skinner and Lee led bars with scores of 9.825, but with a low score in the beginning, the Red Rocks trailed the Bulldogs by .35 going into the second rotation.
The Red Rocks continued to trail Goergia in the second rotation, and more struggles stemmed from their landings on vault. The Red Rocks managed to score some decent points on that event with a 9.875 from Skinner and a 9.85 from Lee. Merrell didn’t let her mishap on bars affect the rest of her meet, following her teammates with a 9.825 score on her vault.
Lee performed her first floor routine in over a year, and she scored a 9.875, but as usual, Skinner dominated the floor in the third rotation with a 9.925. The Red Rocks had mistakes with some out-of-place steps and landings, and they received a 9.35 score from junior Tiffani Lewis.
As the Red Rocks continued to trail the Bulldogs, they finished the night on beam with a 9.9 performance from Lee followed by a 9.875 from senior Baely Rowe. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to overcome some of those early mistakes as the team took its second loss of the year.
Up next for the Red Rocks, they will head Stanford, Calif. to compete in the Pac-12 Championships on Saturday, March 18. The first session is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. MT followed by the second session at 7 p.m.
@emileewhiteee