The event that is most impressive for the senior thus far is her commanding performances on the uneven bars.

With the way she has been working the event so cleanly and confidently, it's hard to imagine the event is the hardest for her.

Postell was inconsistent on the event early in her career and still struggles with it mentally, if not physically.

"I definitely don't like bars," she said. "Sometimes I feel like I don't know how to do it or I just get scared."

Utah coach Greg Marsden noticed Postell's struggles with the bars when he was recruiting her and she kept balking before bars at a meet.

"She was a wreck in warmups, and it wasn't just bars," he said. "I thought there was no way she was going to get through the meet."

Injury update

Marsden hasn't decided on which events Annie DiLuzio will compete Friday. She has the beginnings of a stress fracture in her leg and may be used sparingly in the next several weeks.

"As much as I'd like to have her for every meet, I really want to have her for the UCLA meet and Michigan and Florida in March. We really need her to be healthy and ready at the end of the season."

In short

Utah's meet against Minnesota on Friday is being billed as "Short people appreciation night." Life-sized cutouts of Utah's shortest gymnast, 5-foot senior Katie Kivisto, will be placed at each entrance and anyone shorter than the cutout will receive a free general admission ticket.

Sophomores Stephanie Neff and Beth Rizzo are also listed as 5-foot, but Kivisto said she is actually closer to 4-foot-11, giving her the honor of being the subject for the promotion.

"It will be a little awkward seeing life-size cutouts of myself, but I'll probably want one," Kivisto said. "How often do you get to see yourself like that?"

In the polls

The Utes moved up to No. 2 behind Georgia, which overtook Florida for the top spot. The Gators slipped to third. Georgia's only loss is to the Utes.

SUU, breaking into the rankings at No. 17, is the only other local team in the Top 25. Utah's Kristina Baskett is tied with Postell on the uneven bars in sixth. SUU's Ariel Lamb and Katie Hicks are tied for third in the balance beam rankings (9.875).

Around the nation

Florida barely escaped with a 195.25-194.75 win over Auburn on Friday in what is becoming one of the most competitive rivalries in the SEC. The last four meets between the teams have been decided by .50 or less. Florida trailed the Tigers by six-tenths after the first event but sealed the win after hitting six-for-six on the balance beam. . . The other close meet was in California, where UCLA beat Stanford 195.05-195.025. The worst part of the meet for the Bruins was a knee injury to star Kristina Comforte during her floor routine. . . . Minnesota, which visits Utah Friday, is coming off a 193.775-193.625 win over Iowa State.

lwodraska@sltrib.com