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If there is any area in which Utah's gymnastics team is showing its youth, it is in the Utes' collective starts.

The Utes, who host Boise State, Denver and Illinois-Chicago in a quad meet on Friday at 7 p.m., won their first two meets by comfortable margins. However, coach Tom Farden pointed out he'd still like to see his team perform better in the opening event.

In the season opener the Utes had a 49.1 on vault as they stumbled on some landings. At BYU on Friday, the Utes had a 49.125 on the uneven bars to start the meet.

Afterward, Farden said he thought the team was too tight.

"Their confidence grew as the meet went on," he said. "I was really proud of the way they finished on beam."

The Utes, who scored a 49.2 on the beam, have done a nice job of responding to small mistakes in their first two meets. For instance, when the normally solid Baely Rowe had a fall as the leadoff person on floor Friday, the rest of the lineup remained unfazed and scored 49.275.

While the Utes improved throughout the night, Farden knows slow starts don't win championships.

"We have signs of an emotionally strong team," he said. "They handle mistakes well, but the sign of a young team is they don't come out feeling relaxed and confident and we have to work on that. It's something we will be working on this week."

Pushing each other

Freshman MyKayla Skinner, who has won nine out of a possible 10 individual titles thus far, has gained most of the media attention. However, Farden pointed out Utah's other all-around competitors, Sabrina Schwab and MaKenna Merrell, are off to great starts as well, and attributes some of their success to being pushed by each other.

"I think it goes both ways," he said. "The chemistry on this team is unique. There is a hunger we haven't seen in a while and they are pushing each other in a positive manner."

Lineup changes

The Utes are tweaking Friday's lineups to give freshman Missy Reinstadtler a chance to compete. She will replace Schwab on beam and Rowe on floor.

"They are doing a good job but Missy has been on the cusp of making the lineup," coach Megan Marsden said. "We want to see how she handles things. You never know how someone is going to really do unless they are in the lineup and we think Missy is in an elite class."

In the rankings

The Utes remained in No. 5 with a 196.9 average. … BYU is ranked No. 26 (194.2). … Skinner is fourth in the all-around with a 39.575 average, tied for ninth in the vault (9.9) and tied for third in the floor (9.925). Rowe is ninth in the balance beam rankings with a 9.888 average. —

Utah vs. Boise State, Denver and Illinois-Chicago

P At the Huntsman Center, Saturday, 7 p.m.

The Top 25

Team Average

1. Oklahoma 197.888

2. LSU 197.7

3. Florida 197.35

4. Alabama 196.9

5. Utah 196.9

6. UCLA 196.763

7. Denver 196.113

8. Missouri 196.1

9. Kentucky 196.013

10. Nebraska 195.7

11. Auburn 195.675

12. Michigan 195.625

13. California 195.438

14. George Wash. 195.388

15. Boise St. 195.3

16. Georgia 195.2

17. Washington 195.175

18. Ohio St. 195.088

19. Oregon St. 195.05 19. Illinois 195.05

21. Minnesota 194.813

22. Iowa 194.692

23. Arkansas 194.65

24. Sacramento St. 194.438

25. N.C. State 194.413