I’ve been working really hard on consistency on beam all four years, and it was exciting to hit it in front of our crowd. – Utah senior Georgia Dabritz
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah gymnastics team left nothing on the table Saturday night as it rolled to a second straight Pac-12 title. The Red Rocks hit a season-high on vault (49.675) en route to a 198.15. It was the third straight meet at home that Utah has hit over a 198.0, and the fourth-best score in school history.
Finishing behind Utah: UCLA (197.35), Stanford (197.175), Oregon State (196.9), Arizona (196.225), California (196.15), Washington (196.0) and Arizona State (192.7).
Utah put on a show for the fans, with senior Georgia Dabritz hitting a career-best 39.775 to claim the all-around title. It seemed only fitting that Dabritz recorded a career-high 9.925 on beam in her final meet in the Huntsman Center. It’s the event fans have seen her battle since her freshman season.
“It was a great night to do that,” said Dabritz. “I’ve been working really hard on consistency on beam all four years, and it was exciting to hit it in front of our crowd.”
Utah’s other highlights came when Tory Wilson recorded her second 10.0 of the year on vault. Everything about Wilson’s vault was perfect. But, as great as Wilson’s vault and meet were, the night did not conclude with a happy ending. Wilson, who was the 2014 Pac-12 all-around winner, fell hard on her first pass’ landing. Instead of finishing the night battling for the all-around title, she was carried off the floor. It was later confirmed that she suffered a ruptured Achilles' tendon and is out for the season.
“This is a tough one — it’s hard,” said Utah co-head coach Greg Marsden. “I’m happy for our team, happy for our fans and devastated for Tory.”
A visibly shaken Utah team had to finish out the meet after watching one of their captains fall. Senior Corrie Lothrop hit the key routine of the night when she had to follow Wilson and recorded a 9.9.
“It was really hard,” said Lothrop. “I could feel sad for a little bit, but I had to get it back together.
“I don’t know how to describe it, but that floor routine was for her.”
Lothrop missed the 2013 season after rupturing her Achilles' tendon, and last season Utah lost Kassandra Lopez to the same injury.
After Lothrop went on floor, Utah had two other seniors left to perform. Dabritz recorded a 9.95 and Becky Tutka a 9.925 to lead the team to a 49.525, which was its second best floor score of the year. It was a huge boost from last week’s 49.05 floor effort in the loss at Georgia.
Freshman Kari Lee also put together an outstanding night with career bests on vault (9.95) and floor (9.925). Lee is considered one of the main gymnasts for the future of a Utah program that will graduate a senior class that has boasted three separate Pac-12 all-around champions in Lothrop (2012), Wilson (2014) and Dabritz (2015).
“This was a good team effort tonight — a peak effort,” said Marsden. “I think they (the gymnasts) all really wanted this, and worked hard for this. Things really came together.”
Meet Hits
Dabritz lost on bars for only the second time this season. It was to her teammate Lothrop, again, and to Stanford freshman Elizabeth Price. Lothrop and UCLA's Samantha Peszek were second in the all-around at 39.575.