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Utah's gymnastics coaches thought MyKayla Skinner had the talent to become one of Utah's record-setting gymnasts when they signed the 2016 Olympic alternate.

Their hunch was right.

Skinner's freshman season has unfolded like few other gymnasts have experienced. Skinner could cap her incredible run Saturday by completing a feat no other Utah gymnast has achieved — finish a regular season undefeated in the all-around.

Skinner, who is ranked second nationally in the all-around with a 39.65 average, should have a good chance at the mark against Georgia. A win also would put Skinner one away from tying Ashley Postell (2008) and Suzanne Metz (1995) for the school record of 11 all-around wins in a season; the postseason, including Pac-12 and NCAA competition, counts toward the records.

Those two Utah greats had an advantage over Skinner because the Utes had 11 regular-season meets in 1995 and 12 in 2008, while the Utes have 10 this season.

Skinner's record pursuit isn't limited to the all-around. She has earned 34 of a possible 45 victories, which ranks seventh on the single-season leaderboard. Postell set the mark with 47 wins in 2008.

Skinner broke her own record this week when she was named the Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week for the seventh time. The most any gymnast previously had won the award was four times.

"I don't think anyone can grasp how great she is until you see it in black and white," Utah coach Megan Marsden said. "You have to look at the athletes she is amongst at this point. You watch her train and she just makes everything so easy — she just does it — you don't realize how difficult the skills she is doing are."

Skinner admits to having a little bit of a chip on her shoulder after being left off the 2016 Olympic team. Just as she famously salvaged her beam routine against Stanford, she has used her Olympic experience as a lifting point toward greatness, and she doesn't mind saying so.

"It does matter," she said about individual honors. "Going through the elite, you always want to be that good all-around gymnast, so it is good to have that title."

Skinner is best known for her floor routine, which features an incredibly difficult opening pass of two twists and two back flips. She is ranked third nationally with a 9.95 average and earned the first 10.0 of her career against Stanford.

However, that almost was overshadowed by Skinner's improv on the balance beam in which she turned a flailing move into a dance bit as she saved her balance. She earned a season-low 9.75 for the effort, but it didn't matter as Utah's crowd, coaches and gymnasts were in awe of her quick thinking.

"It takes a special type of person to be able to think on their feet like that," Marsden said. "She made a small mistake and made light of it, and it did help her stay on the beam because it dropped her center of gravity. It just shows her specialness."

Skinner said she received as many comments for that bit as she did her other scores.

"Someone said it's like when you fail a test, but you get an 'A,'" she said. "I know it went viral and it was fun to do."

The ability to laugh and make fun of herself makes her stand out. Skinner, who didn't arrive at Utah until October because she toured with her Olympic teammates, not only has transferred her success to collegiate gymnastics but has embraced the fun. She doesn't hesitate to pump up crowds, urging on fans or flashing the "U" sign.

She clearly is enjoying herself. She has set new standards of success and having fun along the way. Her balancing act is just right.

"The one thing I said to her is at least you made them laugh," junior Tiffani Lewis said. "If you want to know what MyKayla is like as a person, those few seconds showed it."