Postell ranks No. 1 in 3 events

Utah's Ashley Postell is having a remarkable senior season, especially the past month, and she now leads the NCAA women's gymnastics individual rankings in all-around, balance beam and vault.

The Utes remained second as a team to Georgia by .025 point despite their third straight 197+ score and second in a row on the road Sunday, 197.45 to UCLA's 195.825 at Pauley Pavilion (see story on D6). Georgia scored 197.675 in a home win over Kentucky.

BYU still doesn't have enough scores to have a regional qualifying score , so it is not among the rankings. Southern Utah is No. 26, and Utah State is No. 36.

Postell's all-around RQS is 39.620 to 39.475 for second-place Ashleigh Clare-Kearney of Louisiana State. Utah's Kristina Baskett is tied for fourth all-around at 39.375.

On beam, Postell's RQS is 9.915 and second place is 9.875. Ute Daria Bijak is 13th. Postell, who's had two 10 vaults in the last four meets, leads that event nationally at 9.940 to Clare-Kearney's 9.935. Baskett ranks seventh at 9.9. Postell is also tied for second on floor at 9.920, .015 behind Georgia's Courtney McCool. Baskett ranks tied for third on bars (9.910) with Postell eighth (9.88).

As a team, Utah vaulters jumped from third to first this week, upping their RQS to 49.34 from 49.20 last week. The Utes are second on floor (49.305) and balance beam (49.205), with SUU 25th on beam. On bars, the Utes rank fourth and T-Birds 13th.

Utah does not have a meet until March 7 when Oregon State visits. SUU hosts Southeast Missouri tonight at 7 and is at Boise State Saturday. SE Missouri is at BYU Wednesday. Utah State hosts Denver Friday.

---

E-mail: lham@desnews.com