SALT LAKE CITY -- Top-ranked Utah and rival Brigham Young advanced to the NCAA gymnastics championship with the top two team scores in the North Central Regional on Saturday.
The Utes placed first with a score of 196.800 and improved to 10-0 in regionals they've hosted and the Cougars finished second (195.975). BYU hadn't qualified for the NCAA championships since 2000 and will join Utah for the national meet at Auburn on April 21-23.
Oregon State, which was seeded second in the regional, finished third (195.675).
Utah senior co-captain Annabeth Eberle led the Utes in her final home appearance, winning the vault and the all-around. Utah's Nicolle Ford was second in the all-around and Ashley Postell made up for a fall on the balance beam, her top event, by winning the bars with a score of 9.925.
Rachel Tidd also fell on the beam, forcing the Utes to take a low score. Utah came back strong in the floor exercise and vault, claiming the top four scores to win the regional despite trailing after the first two rotations.
"We all did such a great job, especially after the beam happened. We went out there and did very well on the floor and vault," Eberle said. "It didn't scare me, but we definitely don't like to be in that position."
BYU just missed on qualifying for the national meet a year ago and nearly missed again this year.
BYU was in third place entering the final rotation but overtook Oregon State with a strong performance on the beam. Marie Helen Claveau and Dayna Smart tied for first with scores of 9.90 and helped push the Cougars up a spot and clinch a berth in the national meet. BYU finished with a 49.250 on the beam while Oregon
State scored 48.875 on the bars.
"It was nerve wracking, but I thought that if they were meant to beat us tonight then it would happen," BYU coach Brad Cattermole said. "This night it was meant to be us."