facebook-pixel

Utes’ Mykayla Skinner, MaKenna Merrell-Giles honored as gymnastics All-Americans

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) MaKenna Merrill-Giles received a 10 on her floor routine as the No. 4 Utah gymnasts host No. 20 Georgia in the final regular season meet at Jon M Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City Friday, March 16, 2018.

Utah’s gymnastics stars are being recognized among the nation’s elite.

Sophomore MyKayla Skinner and junior MaKenna Merrell-Giles were both named regular season All-Americans by the National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches (NAGC) on Tuesday. Skinner joins rare air as one of three gymnasts to be named a 2018 All-American in all four events as well as the all-round.

Oklahoma’s Maggie Nichols and LSU’s Myia Hambrick were also designated with the honors.

Regular-season All-American awards were instituted in 2013, while NCAA All-American honors are won at the annual NCAA Championships event.

Skinner was named first-team All-American in the all-around, where she currently sits ranked No. 2 in the country. On the vault, she’s currently No. 5, while on floor she is No. 3. The sophomore from Gilbert, Ariz., is also a second-team All-American selection on bars (No. 10) and beam (No. 14).

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) MyKayla Skinner on the bars Utah hosts Arizona State in Women's Gymnastics at Jon M. Huntsman Center, Friday, February 9, 2018.

She now has 13 All-American award honors to her name. A year ago as a freshman, Skinner was a four-time All-American and a four-time NACFC regular-season All-American.

Merrell-Giles is an NACGC first-team selection in the all-around (No. 8), vault (No. 6) and floor (No. 6). The junior from Pleasant Grove now has six career All-American awards, but this is her first as a regular season All-American. Merrell-Giles was a three-time NCAA All-American last year.

The No. 4-ranked Red Rocks will be the No. 1 seed at the Salt Lake City-based NCAA Regional meet on Saturday. Also in town to compete is No. 9 Cal, No. 16 Auburn, No. 21 BYU, as well as Stanford and Southern Utah.