Utah Utes gymnastics: Postell performs for final time

ATHENS, Ga. — Ashley Postell had the stage one last time in her remarkable gymnastics career. She was the final competitor of the 2008 NCAA women's gymnastics championships Saturday night, the last person to perform on floor exercise in the individual-event finals, and she scored one last 9.90 to close things out at the University of Georgia's Stegeman Coliseum.

The most decorated Ute gymnast ever, holder or co-holder of all five of Utah's major records, an NCAA mark and named the AAI Outstanding Senior Gymnast of the Year on a vote by the NCAA coaches at the annual championships brunch Saturday morning, Postell drew cheers from opposing teams like Alabama as well as her Ute teammates from the stands as she danced her way through that very last routine.

The 9.90 tied her for fourth place on floor — a nearly disastrous event for Utah, as junior Kristina Baskett came down hard on her first tumbling pass, jammed her left ankle, collapsed to the carpet and didn't finish. It is thought Baskett likely bruised the ankle bones the way she injured the bones in the right ankle midway through the season. A couple of weeks of rest should restore her bounce.

Baskett walked to the awards podium on crutches but shed them to receive her awards for a tie for second on vault (9.8438) and sixth on bars (9.875), the event she won as a freshman. She totaled 2.55 for the incomplete floor routine.

After the awards, the finalists circled the floor mat, and Postell walked around the floor with an arm around her teammate.

Postell tied for second on balance beam with 9.90 behind Georgia's Grace Taylor (9.95) and scored 9.80 on bars after a bounce on the landing to place 16th of 18. That event went to UCLA senior Tasha Schwikert at 9.9375. Vault was won by LSU's Susan Jackson (9.8563) and floor by Georgia's Courtney McCool (9.9625)

"Yeah, I'm glad to be done," said the Ute senior. "I'll miss it, but I don't know. I had fun this weekend."

Postell said it didn't really feel like her career was over because she still has to finish school and take finals when she gets home, and she said she was satisfied with all she'd done in her career and on Saturday night.

"I know I didn't mess up too much on my beam routine, but I'm sure I could have done a little bit better just to, you know, I don't know what I'm really trying to say, but it could have been a little bit better. But I'm not complaining.

"And floor wasn't so bad," she said.