Postell contended despite injury

That Utah sophomore Ashley Postell was able to contend for Monday night's all-around title in the battle of then-unbeaten teams, No. 1-ranked Georgia at Utah, was no surprise.

That she was able to do it on a sore foot was a revelation saved until Tuesday.

On vault, her first event Monday night, on which she tied her career-high of 9.95, Postell strained a tendon in her left foot, right where it goes over the inner ankle bone.

She got through the other three events — and hit her floor routine with some extra-high tumbling — and totaled a season-high 39.65 to finish just behind Georgia Olympian Courtney Kupets (39.70).

"I didn't think much of it (Monday)," Postell said Tuesday. She knew immediately that she had done something that hurt, but it wasn't too bad during the meet. "I was moving around a lot," she said. "It definitely hurt me a lot more when I woke up this morning than last night. I couldn't walk this morning. It took me a while to get it warmed up."

She was limping Tuesday, said coach Greg Marsden, adding there was some swelling. "I don't know what she'll be available on, if anything," he said of Utah's second meet this week. The Utes greet Oregon State in the Huntsman Center at 7 p.m. Friday for their second-to-last home meet of the 2006 season.

He hopes Postell's injury is similar to the finger Nicolle Ford dislocated a week before the Georgia meet — a scare, but ultimately not a factor.

"They're tough," he said of Ford and Postell, adding about Postell, "She's real competitive," meaning she'll expect to compete.

NICE COMEBACK: Ute sophomore Jessica Duke did not have the meet she'd planned at BYU Feb. 24. She took several steps out of her vault landing and fell on her bars landing, perhaps trying a little too hard as her parents are both BYU grads.

Monday night, Duke started off Utah's meet against Georgia with a 9.8 vault, had a good bars set (9.775) and opened on floor with a strong 9.8. She said it was nice "getting back on track" after being "a head case" in Provo.

Monday's vault, she said, was her best of the season, with more height than usual.

"The meet last night definitely helped my confidence," Duke said.