 "Photo: Ty Cobb")
The monkey residing on Utah's back for nearly 13 years has been safely returned to its home at the Hogle Zoo.
Thanks to Georgia's miscues and a clutch performance by Ashley Postell, the U gymnastics team opened its season Friday night with a 196.300 to 196.200 win over the No. 1-ranked Gym Dogs in the Huntsman Center.
By winning, Utah broke Georgia's eight-meet winning streak over the Red Rocks, including national championship meets the past three years. Utah finished national runners-up for the past two years, and third in 2005.
"They've had our number for several years now," Utah head coach Greg Marsden said. "They're three-time defending champions. How could you not want to win that meet?"
Entering the final rotation, Georgia held a .250 point lead.
However, Georgia all-around performers Tiffany Tolnay and Courtney Kupets had uncharacteristic falls on the balance beam, opening the door for Utah to come back. Postell anchored the Red Rocks on floor and her 9.90 wrapped up the victory and meet-MVP honors.
Postell, a 15-time All-American, said that she was not aware of the close team scores before her performance. She said she was just trying to do her best, whatever the outcome.
Postell's all-around victory sealed only her second win over Kupets. Kupets has edged Postell the past two years at nationals in the individual all-around. Postell did beat Kupets head-to-head in Super Six competition last season.
"It is just the first meet," Postell said. "We have a long ways to go."
Georgia experienced six surgeries this off-season and came into the meet a little banged up. Georgia coach Suzanne Yoculan said that some of her gymnasts are still behind in training as a result of injuries. Tolnay didn't train all week because of illness.
But Yoculan didn't dwell on the two falls on beam.
"There's a lot of places you can look to for that tenth (of a point)," Yoculan said.
One place would be Kupet's foot fault during her floor routine, docking her score a tenth of a point.
Kupets recorded the meet's highest score, nailing her uneven bars routine to for a 9.950. But that was the peak of her meet, with her fall on beam and foot fault to follow.
Kupets only fell twice last year, once on beam against Arkansas and once during a floor routine against UCLA. Kupets is looking ahead to Georgia's meet at No. 5 Stanford this Sunday to flush out her mistakes.
"I did let the nerves get to me tonight," Kupets said.
Marsden also feels that his team has plenty to focus on in the gym next week. A few balance checks on the beam and fumbled landings will be addressed in practice come Monday, he said.
"We gave the judges a lot of places to take deductions tonight," Marsden said.
Still, the coach said that the start to this season is certainly a better beginning than that of 2007.
The Red Rocks had two scary moments on bars. The first happened when Kavisto's elbow seemed to give out when she transferred from the high to low bar during her routine. Jamie Deetscreek also buckled as she prepared to gain momenum for her dismount. Neither gymnast returned to competition, but both stayed on the floor for the remainder of the meet.
Utah gets back into the gym on Monday to start preparing for Nebraska. The Cornhuskers visit the Hunstman Center on Jan. 18.
Notes: Freshman and former Canadian Olympian Gael Mackie did not officially compete. She did perform an exhibition routine on the uneven bars.
j.gilbert@chronicle.utah.edu
