Apparently Utah’s gymnastics team has had enough of the ‘peaking for the end of the year’ talk. This time, the Utes want to start out among the frontrunners and stay there.
The fifth-ranked Utes, who open the season Friday against BYU at the Huntsman Center, have a goal of being in the top three nationally from the beginning. The emphasis on a strong start is out of the idea that the Utes want to build a reputation as a legitimate contender for the national title.
“We need to put ourselves in position where we are respected and seen as a threat,” Utah coach Megan Marsden said. “It’s a subjective sport and you have to pay your dues and create a buzz.”
UTAH UPDATE<br>Season opener • Friday vs. BYU at the Huntsman Center, 7 p.m.<br>TV • Pac-12 Network<br>National ranking • No. 5<br>Pac-12 ranking • No. 2<br>Outlook • MyKayla Skinner headlines a veteran team that has the depth and talent to make it a threat for the national title. What is new: Freshmen Alexia Burch and Sydney Soloski may not make muchof an impact early in the season thanks to the depth of talent the Utesreturn.
In past seasons, when the Utes have had young teams, such a tactic would have been inadvisable, if not impossible to pull off. But this year Utah has a seasoned roster with gymnasts who not only know what it takes to be a contender, but are hungry to be in the podium hunt.
“We started putting in the work the week we got back last year,” junior Kari Lee said. “We got together as a team and got through our summer and preseason workouts hard. We have worked our butts off until now.”
Lee is particularly motivated after an ankle injury sidelined her for most of the postseason in 2017. She is healed and is expected to be one of the team leaders along with Tiffani Lewis and MyKayla Skinner.
Lewis, one of the Utes’ most competitive gymnasts, said she and her teammates have focused on eliminating small deductions from the start,with the hopes the team can average in the mid-197s and higher.
“We want to set a high standard,” she said.
(Rick Egan | Tribune file photo) Megan Marsden talks about her new position as a co-gymnastics coach with Tom Farden, at a news conference at the Huntsman Center, Tuesday, April 21, 2015.
Both Lee and Lewis could compete in the all-around along with Skinner, the 2017 national all-around runner-up.
Skinner showed in the Red Rocks preview she is as fit as ever, debuting some new moves and nailing her landings. But as good as Skinner is, she can’t carry the team alone, which is why the coaching staff is excited about the way gymnasts such as Kim Tessen and Missy Reinstadtler have looked in training.
“I feel like we’ve seen just a fraction of her potential,” Marsden said of Reinstadtler. “She could be primed to have a breakout season.”
While the Utes have a lot of talent, they know they have to hit cleaner routines this year than they did in 2017, when inconsistent vault landings really hampered them in the postseason.
The Utes already are working hard on the details and Marsden likes the progress she and co-coach Tom Farden have seen.
“We realized we needed to change our approach and we have been training on harder surfaces sooner,” Marsden said. “We’ve been adding in some individual stick assignments too and that has all been helpful.”
One area the Utes shouldn’t have to work on much is chemistry. With just three incoming freshmen, the Utes don’t have to worry about a big adjustment.
“The group dynamics are good,” Marsden said. “They are challenging each other with people vying for lineup spots but they are working together too so there is a good group feel.”
With so much optimism surrounding the team, Marsden said the Utes felt a little underestimated when they were picked fifth in the preseason poll. “We have a chance to surprise some people and I like that,” she said.
