Any thoughts or fears that MyKayla Skinner might have spent the offseason reliving all the accomplishments she had as a freshman instead of prepping for the 2018 season can be eased.
Skinner, who won the NCAA floor title and was the runner-up in the NCAA all-around competition, looked as if she was in the midst of her competition form Friday during the Utes’ Red Rocks Preview at the Huntsman Center.
The Utes, who open the regular season Jan. 5 against BYU, looked strong overall, but Skinner, not surprisingly, stood out.
Skinner, who had 43 career victories and hit 56 of 56 routines as a rookie, stuck her vault, had a solid uneven bars routine then rocked a balance beam routine to Katy Perry’s “Rise.”
The routine did indeed make the fans rise as she delivered a flawless effort that made one wonder if anyone bothered to tell Skinner that Friday was just an exhibition night.
Never mind that Skinner has added another release move to her uneven bars routine and tweaked her balance beam routine, the sophomore was spot-on, save for a step out of bounds on floor.
Skinner admitted she felt some pressure coming back this season after such a strong debut, but it appears she is ready. It helps that she was with the team from the start unlike last season when she arrived late due to her commitments with the national team.
“I felt like I rushed into everything and it was a bit overwhelming,” she said. “I got to be here all summer and got closer with the girls so it’s a lot better.”
Even though the season is several weeks away, the Utes already are putting an emphasis on sticking their landings. The added attention showed on Friday as the Utes stuck most of their landings on their vault, with Tiffani Lewis, Kari Lee and Skinner all having solid efforts.
The uneven bars weren’t quite as solid with a few major breaks, as was the balance beam.
But overall the Utes were happy with the effort.
“In general the team has a calm demeanor out there and is confident,” Utah coach Tom Farden said. “We liked what we saw out there.”
With four juniors and three seniors on the roster, the Utes finally have a mature team, something that should help in 2018, Farden said.
“It was a really young team last year and it showed at times,” he said. “I do feel like there is good leadership but now with the age of the competitors, this is going to have a different feel.”
One of the seniors, Lewis, said the Utes are determined to improve on their fifth-place showing in 2017 and be in the top three at nationals.
The Utes were picked to finish fifth in the preseason coaches’ poll.
“We have been working on sticking more and practicing a lot of little things like handstands that separate us,” she said. “We definitely want to hit in the mid 197s.”
