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Show U of Utah Women Win Championship It seems that women's sports has finally arrived in Utah. At least in gymnastics. A crowd of nearly 6,000, probably the largest crowd in Utah ever to watch a women's sporting event, cheered the University of Utah on to its first national championship in gymnastics. - Following Utah's leading total of 145.65 points was UCLA at 144.1. Oregon State was third at 143.85, Cal State Fullerton fourth at 141.95 and Penn. State was fifth at 141.8. Utah took the lead after the first round of competition in the final rotation, which included the top four ranked teams, a lead they never relinquished. Before the meet Utah Coach Greg Marsden said he thought UCLA would provide the toughest competition and he was right even though Penn. State put the most pressue on Utah in the first two events. After Utah completed the vault and bars competition ' they had 72.80, Penn St.' had 71.45 and UCLA 70.75. UCLA's women scored 37.10 in their third round vaulting, the highest point total for any round in: any event of the evening. Utah tallied 36.6 points on the beam, which was the highest beam score of any of the top four teams, in its third round. So at the end of three rounds Utah led by only 1.55 points. Utah finished with a 36.25 in their floor exercises and UCLA was unable to gain any gorund matching Utah's 36.25 in the bars. Marsden said after the meet that is was "just an average performance" by his team, but added, "How could you be unhappy when you win the national championship?" Top individual performer was UCLA's Sharon Shapiro with 37.20 points for all around, this is the second consecutive year Shapiro won that distinction. In second place all around was University of Pittsburgh's Lisa Shirk with 36.60 points, third - UCLA's Diane Dovas at 36.55, fourth Utah's Megan McCunniff at 36.40 and fifth the University of Florida's LynnMcDonnell at 36.30. I ' , f " r . f ' i it I : ' " . ;" 'A , v , t . - M " K V -Jf ' . ... .... v - ' f ' Dianne Ellingson - a picture of concentration just before beginning bars event. |