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Utah's gymnastics team is headed to the NCAA Championships as a winner.
The fourth-ranked Utes won the Fayetteville, Ark., regional on Saturday in what turned out to be a showdown with second-seeded Denver.
The Utes won the meet with a 197.15 while Denver was second with a 197.05 and also qualified for the NCAA Championships in St. Louis April 14-15.
SEC foes Auburn and Arkansas finished tied for third with 196.6, while Cal was fifth (196.3) and Central Michigan was sixth (195.675).
Utah won every event title except bars with MyKayla Skinner winning the all-around (39.525), tying for first on the vault (9.9) and won floor with 9.95.
Utah co-coach Tom Farden credited Skinner's performance with boosting the team's effort.
"She was in her element," he said. "She looked good out there and was determined. Her competitive drive helps the others go out there and attack it."
Shannon McNatt, who competed on the balance beam for the first time in place of injured Kari Lee, won the event with her first routine of the season, scoring 9.9.
Farden said he liked the way the team competed on Saturday, although the Utes started out tight through the first two events. It also didn't help the Utes were without Lee on everything except the uneven bars after she injured her ankle in practice. She scored a 9.9 in her only routine of the day.
McNatt was the highlight of those who filled in for Lee with her win on the balance beam.
"It was stunning," Farden said. "It was honestly the best routine I've seen her do."
Scores of 49.175 on the beam and 49.275 on the bars gave the Utes a 98.45 at the halfway mark, but they trailed Denver, which opened with a 98.575.
However, Denver earned its score on the vault and bars, with the beam ahead of it.
The Utes had the advantage of finishing on two power events, the floor and vault.
Predictably, the Utes made their move on the floor, where Skinner scored 9.95 and Baely Rowe and MaKenna Merrell added 9.9s to help the Utes total 49.45.
Merrell's effort was notable since she struggled on the floor recently, falling on a pass against Arizona State, then scoring just 9.775s in back-to-back meets before she was pulled from the floor lineup at the Pac-12 meet.
With Lee sidelined the Utes went back to the sophomore from Pleasant Grove and she responded with one of her best floor routines of the year.
Vault has been inconsistent for the Utes this season in that the Utes have hit big vaults, but have had trouble sticking landings.
The Utes did just enough to hold off Denver. Erika Muhaw competed for just the second time this year and equaled her previous best with a 9.75.
Skinner led the Utes with a 9.9 and Lewis and Merrell had 9.85s to help the Utes total 49.25.
"They were a little tight on bars and beam," Farden said of the Utes. "But once they got to the leg events they were themselves and really opened things up." —
NCAA regional gymnastics results
Top two from each region advance to NCAA Championships.
Fayetteville, Ark.
1. Utah, 197.150
2. Denver, 197.050
3. Auburn, 196.600 4. Arkansas, 196.600
5. California, 196.300
6. C. Michigan, 195.675
Seattle
1. Oklahoma, 198.075
2. Washington, 196.525
3. Kentucky, 196.200
4. Stanford, 195.575
5. BYU, 195.025
6. Utah State, 194.85
Champaign, Ill.
1. UCLA, 196.800
2. Oregon State, 196.150
3. Iowa, 196.050
5. Illinois, 195.825
5. Ohio State, 195.700
6. Eastern Mich., 195.400
Lincoln, Neb.
1. LSU, 197.450
2. Nebraska, 196.625
3. Boise State, 196.150
4. Minnesota, 195.575
5. Arizona, 195.500
6. Iowa State, 195.250
Morgantown, W.V.
1. Michigan, 197.350
2. Alabama, 196.625
3. West Virginia, 196.325
4. Southern Utah, 195.675
5. G. Washington, 195.625
6. Kent State, 194.375
Gainesville, Fla.
1. Florida, 197.125
2. Georgia, 196.775
3. Missouri, 196.100
4. Penn State, 195.325
5. North Carolina, 194.425
6. New Hampshire, 194.175