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Members of Utah's fourth-ranked gymnastics team have insisted they are better on the balance beam this season.

Finally, they got a chance to prove that, yes, they can conquer the apparatus under extreme pressure.

After a poor effort on the uneven bars left the Utes in a tie with Cal midway through Saturday's meet, the Utes delivered a strong beam rotation to take control and beat the 15th-ranked Bears 196.45-195.725 in front of 15,326 at the Huntsman Center.

Saturday was the first time the Utes haven't led from start to finish, making it seem like an upset might be possible.

But the Utes, who self-destructed on the beam last year at nationals, didn't appear rattled by the situation at all on Saturday.

With both Kari Lee and MaKenna Merrell scoring 9.875 on the event, and MyKayla Skinner and Baely Rowe adding 9.85s, the Utes totaled a 49.275 on the beam.

Meanwhile, Cal managed just 48.9 on the floor, leaving the Utes with a 146.975-146.6 lead going into the final rotation.

The pressure might have scared the fans a bit, but coach Tom Farden seemed to relish it.

"I told them afterward that feeling they had in their gut, that extra pressure, you need to learn from that feeling because you are going to step out on the floor at Pac-12s, regionals, nationals and that pressure is there right away," he said. "It comes at you out of the gates."

Merrell said the team's response came from its strong outlook.

"We did a good job of trusting ourselves," she said. "We tried to do everything normal, like we had in practice."

The Utes wrapped up the win with a solid floor effort, totaling 49.475, led by the 9.95 from Skinner.

That routine gave Skinner her fifth straight all-around title, with 39.5, while Merrell was second with 39.375.

While the Utes had their struggles, they were happy with the way they responded.

"Not every meet is going to go the way you want," junior Tiffani Lewis said. "You are going to have hiccups here and there. It's a bummer when things happen, but we try and focus on what we can do next, not necessarily what we can't go back and change."

After suffering falls on the beam at nationals and failing to reach the Super Six in 2016, the Utes have focused on becoming a better beam team. They've done so, ranking fourth nationally with a 49.306 average, but Saturday was a unique situation that Farden believes can make his team even better.

"Through the first two meets we've had a cushion from bars and vault and felt comfortable going to beam," he said. "I like that this tested them. I want them to be comfortable with being uncomfortable." —

Storylines

R The Utes are tied with Cal after two rotations, but score a 49.275 on the balance beam to take control of the meet.

• Junior Maddy Stover sets the tone for Utah on beam, leading with a 9.8.

• The Utes haven't lost at home in the regular season since falling to Nebraska on March 9, 2012, a streak 24 meets.

Individual winners

Vault • MyKayla Skinner (Utah) and MaKenna Merrell (Utah) 9.9

Uneven bars • Tiffani Lewis (Utah) and Emily Richardson (Cal) 9.85

Balance beam • MaKenna Merrell (Utah) and Kari Lee (Utah) 9.875

Floor • MyKayla Skinner (Utah) 9.95

All-around • MyKayla Skinner (Utah) 39.5