Why the vault is key to Utah gymnastics’ success at NCAA regional championships

Right now, collegiate gymnastics teams across the country are analyzing, making personnel changes and honing routines, all in an effort to find an extra tenth or two that will better their chances in the NCAA regional championships, which start Thursday.

For the Utes, the area in which they are looking for their biggest improvement is the vault.

Utah is one of the few teams that have five or more gymnasts capable of performing vaults worth 10.0. But that ability isn’t always translating into success on the scoreboard.

For example, the Utes scored just 49.275 on the vault in the Pac-12 Championships, putting them in third place after the first rotation. The Utes were able to overcome that deficit and win the championship, but they know they can’t rely on similar efforts in the postseason as the quality of competition increases.

On the season the Utes are tied with Alabama and Auburn for fifth in the vault rankings, averaging 49.4 Michigan is ranked No. 1 averaging 49.61.

Utah coach Tom Farden acknowledges the Utes aren’t quite where they want to be on vault but said there are a couple of reasons why.

First, the Utes are on their fourth vault coach since 2017 with Jimmy Pratt the latest coach after Garrett Griffeth and his wife Courtney McCool Griffteth left the Utah program after two years to join the LSU staff.

Those coaching losses have likely been underestimated, particularly on the vault.

“Everybody underestimates how much technique variances there are, particularly on the vault,” Farden said. “It takes a while for coaches to get into the rhythm and get their systems in place.”

Aside from coaching adjustments, the Utes have had some lineup issues as well. Utah lost freshman Kara Eaker for much of the season when she sprained her ankle in the season opener.

She is available now on everything except vault. The Utes changed her floor passes to all front tumbling, which is easier on her ankle, but they can’t make that kind of adjustment on the vault.

The Utes also lost Jillian Hoffman, who was a strong leadoff before tearing her Achilles tendon in February.

The Utes have used Sage Thompson frequently as the leadoff and she often earns 9.775 in that role, but Utah knows it needs more, whether it is in that spot or somewhere else in the lineup.

Maile O’Keefe has joined the vault lineup, scoring 9.8 at the Pac-12 meet.

Other options the Utes are considering is going with Jaylene Gilstrap, Amelie Morgan or Alani Sabado, but the question then is do you stick with experience or risk going with less experience in the lineup with he possibility of bigger scores?

Farden isn’t ready to answer that question just yet.

“We are going to let the next two days play out,” he said. “We’ll see what happens in practice and I will rely on what Jimmy says too.”

Another issue is what to do with Cammy Hall. The senior is capable of scoring big when she hits, as illustrated by the 9.925 she earned in the last home meet, but she has been inconsistent too, falling at the Pac-12s and scoring 9.15.

“What Cammy is going through is hard to identify,” Farden said. “She had really good warmups at Pac-12s and that is usually an indicator.”

As anyone who follows Utah knows, Farden doesn’t hesitate to make last-minute lineup decisions. Who ultimately competes Thursday could come down to how the gymnasts look in warmups and Farden’s gut feeling.

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