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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Coming off its first bye week in six years, the No. 4 Utah gymnastics team fell short to No. 7 Michigan, 196.95-196.80, on Saturday.
It marks the first losing streak the program has endured since 2012 as the Red Rocks finished their three-meet road trip with back-to-back losses.
Steps on vault landings, bobbles on beam and tight scoring on floor eventually cost Utah (8-3) a victory and gave it a season-low total score.
“We have to clean up those vault landings and cut out the bobbles on beam,” Utah co-head coach Tom Farden said.
But despite Utah’s struggles, MyKayla Skinner, who sat out two events at Cal to rest a sore ankle, returned to the all-around lineup with her second-best and winning 39.70. She also earned event titles on vault (9.925), beam (9.925) and floor (9.95).
“MyKayla was coming off two weeks of rest and you could see it in her gymnastics,” Farden said. “She was incredible today and was in her element.”
Utah shifted some of its lineups due to injuries, adding more freshmen into the mix. Lauren Wong, who joined the team two months ago, made her collegiate debut. She replaced Kim Tessen, who’s battling a shoulder injury, in the bars lineup. Sydney Soloski also debuted in the beam lineup in place of Alexia Burch, who sat out with a knee injury that is not considered season-ending. Wong scored a 9.825 on bars and Soloski earned 9.80 on beam.
“I was really proud of Lauren and Sydney for stepping in under tough conditions and performing so well,” Farden said.
Utah struggled to break the 9.90 plane all day. It started on bars where Tiffani Lewis and Missy Reinstadtler posted 9.875s to lead the front of the lineup. But it was Skinner who highlighted and anchored the set with a team-high 9.90 to give Utah an early 49.325-49.10 lead. The effort marked the team’s second-best bars set of the season.
Skinner (9.925) led Utah again in its next rotation. She was the only Utah gymnast to score higher than 9.85 on vault as the Red Rocks couldn’t stick their dismounts. Michigan (11-2-1) took the lead at the meet’s midway point, 98.50-98.425.
Utah looked to add big scores on one of its best events — floor — in the third rotation. Instead, tight scoring took a factor and Skinner was again the only one to score above a 9.85. Aside from MaKenna Merrell-Giles’ uncharacteristic step out-of-bounds, the Red Rocks had a nice, clean set. Skinner’s 9.95 wowed Utah’s 49.25 floor lineup and helped it retake the lead, 147.675-147.525.
“I thought we were really good on floor,” Farden said.
The Red Rocks’ struggles continued on beam with Maddy Stover (9.70), Reinstadtler (9.675) and Kari Lee (9.825) all having balance checks. For the third time in as many weeks, Skinner got on the apparatus as Utah’s last gymnast to compete with a possibility of winning. She put an exclamation point on the day with a stunning 9.925, however Michigan’s last two competitors earned 9.90 and 9.95 to edge the Red Rocks.
Utah returns home for the first time in more than a month on Friday as it wraps up the regular season hosting No. 17 Georgia.
