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Utah gymnasts score a season high in 197.45-196.30 victory over Oregon State

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kari Lee competes on the vault for Utah, in Gymnastics action Utah vs. Oregon State at the Jon M. Huntsman Center, Friday, January 19, 2018.

The Oregon State gymnastics team often gives Utah trouble, even thoughthe Utes hold an overwhelming advantage in the series between the teams.

Friday’s meet between the Pac-12 rivals was no different as the Utes took a 197.45-196.3 win in front of 14,915 at the Huntsman Center.

Even though the score was a season high for Utah, the meet was closer than the final margin indicated as the Utes, who led the Beavers just 98.7-98.2 at the halfway mark, had some early struggles on the balance beam.

The Utes went with a shuffled lineup as the coaches continue to search for their best options. Senior Maddy Stover had a break in her first role as the leadoff gymnast, scoring 9.725. MaKenna Merrell-Giles gave the Utes a 9.875, but then freshman Alexia Burch scored just 9.7 in her first routine as a Ute.

While the Utes were struggling, the Beavers were putting together floor routines that were 9.825 or higher.

One fall in the second half of the beam lineup would have given the Beavers their first lead of the night. Instead of crumbling under pressure, the Utes responded with a 9.875from Kari Lee, 9.8 from Missy Reinstadtler and a 9.925 from MyKayla Skinner, who was competing as the anchor instead of Lee.

While the Utes were finishing strong, the Beavers were headed in the other direction as they had two big breaks out of their three final routines.

It all was enough for the Utes to hold a comfortable 147.9-147.275 edge going into the final rotation.

The Utes knew they all but had the meet wrapped up with that lead, but still, the competition was a reminder that nothing can be taken for granted. Last year the Beavers upset the Utes in Corvallis, but still trail the series 68-10-1.

There were no such surprises Friday as the Utes finished with a 49.55 on the floor, their best event score of the year. They earned the mark even though Skinner was given just9.875.

“Tonight felt like a bookend meet,” co-coach Tom Farden said. “Vault we started off fast and hit, and bars and beam we didn’t work with confidence and we had some uncharacteristic things. On floor we finished strong.”

That the Utes could finish with such a high mark on a night when things seemed a little off at times is a testament to how strong they are. Lee was an example of such as her foot slipped on the uneven bars and she scored 9.35, but she came back with the strong beam routine.

“Sometimes in practice we have to switch ourselves off if we have something happen in practice and bounce back quickly,” Lee said. “I wanted to hit that routine like I had been practicing and it was rewarding.”

Farden wasn’t too worried about the miscues, noting some might have been due to the new lineup while others were minor issues.

“It’s exciting to think about the tenths left on the table and where that could put you,” he said.