Sept. 3, 2008

SALT LAKE CITY -
The Utah gymnastics team placed ninth in the sport's academic standings by compiling a 3.5192 cumulative grade point average in 2008. The Utes were the only of the 2008 NCAA Championship Super Six teams--and one of just two NCAA qualifiers--to place in the top 10 in the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches-Women (NACGC-W) academic rankings.

Seven members of Utah's 2008 NCAA runner-up team were identified as NACGC Scholar-Athletes, led by Kristina Baskett, who recorded 4.00 GPA in the 2007-08 academic year. Joining Baskett as NACGC Scholastic All-Americans were Jamie Deetscreek (3.93), Katie Kivisto (3.93), Daria Bijak (3.83), Ashley Postell (3.81), Stephanie Neff (3.76) and Gael Mackie (3.50).

Baskett, Bijak, Deetscrek, Kivisto, Postell and Mackie all competed routines at the 2008 NCAA Championships, where Baskett, Bijak and Postell won All-America honors.

In addition to their NACGC academic recognition, Baskett and Bijak received CoSIDA first-team all-District VIII academic accolades and Baskett went on to make the CoSIDA second-team at-large Academic All-America team.

Academic Rankings for Participating Schools

1.  Southeast Missouri State   3.8200
2.  Winona State               3.7550
3.  Southern Utah              3.7229
4.  Michigan State             3.6526
5.  Ithaca                     3.5933
6.  Cal State Fullerton        3.5867
7.  Eastern Michigan           3.5357
8.  Denver                     3.5240
9.  Utah                       3.5192
10. MIT                        3.4938
11. Brown                      3.4923
12. Washington                 3.4900
13. Alabama                    3.4813
14. Wisconsin-LaCrosse         3.4700
15. Stanford                   3.4639
16. Yale                       3.4536
17. Wisconsin-Whitewater       3.4395
18. Texas Woman's              3.4389
19. Georgia                    3.3971
20. Springfield                3.3956
21. Maryland                   3.3767
22. Auburn                     3.3722
23. North Carolina State       3.3647
24. Michigan                   3.3625
25. Boise State                3.3563
26. Western Michigan           3.3434
27. Penn State                 3.3431
28. Illinois State             3.3263
29. West Virginia              3.3185
30. North Carolina             3.3108
31. Arkansas                   3.3008
32. Ohio State                 3.2907
33. Central Michigan           3.2885
34. Minnesota                  3.2814
35. New Hampshire              3.2663
36. Florida                    3.2662
37. Missouri                   3.2653
38. Oregon State               3.2624
39. Oklahoma                   2.2507
40. Seattle-Pacific            3.2388
41. Cal Davis                  3.2300
42. Iowa State                 3.2140
43. Illinois                   3.2057
44. Arizona                    3.1879
45. William & Mary             3.1859
46. So. Connecticut State      3.1822
47. George Washington          3.1725
48. Cornell                    3.1383
49. Utah State                 3.1373
50. San Jose State             3.1316
51. Iowa                       3.1073
52. California                 3.1000
53. Pennsylvania               3.0925
54. LSU                        3.0921
55. UCLA                       3.0805
56. BYU                        3.0588
57. Illinois-Chicago           3.0579
58. Sacramento State           3.0395
59. Alaska                     3.0187
60. Rutgers                    2.9811
61. Air Force                  2.9623
62. Kentucky                   2.9319
63. Rhode Island College       2.8922
64. Bowling Green  State       2.8700