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Gymnastics
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The University of Utah Athletics
Gymnastics Takes on Minnesota this Weekend
6/21/1999 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
January 18, 1999
Utah vs. Minnesota
QUICKLY
The Utes (1-0) go on the road for the first time this season, competing against Minnesota (4-0), Saturday at 7 p.m. Central time in Minneapolis ... Minnesota is ranked No. 7 in the latest poll (Jan. 12). Utah will qualify for the rankings (which are based on high score for the first two weeks) on January 19, at which point the Utes should jump to No. 2 behind Georgia ... Utah won its first meet of 1999 last Friday, defeating No. 6 Stanford 196.050-192.575 before 10,174 fans in Salt Lake City ... Minnesota is co-coached by former Ute assistant coach Jim Stephenson (1989-92) and his wife Meg, a former volunteer consultant for the Utes ...Utah is coming off a fourth-place NCAA finish ... The Utes have won a record ten national championships, including four in the 1990s (1990, '92, '94, '95).
THE RANKINGS
Utah, unranked to start the week due to the fact that it hadn't competed when the first poll was issued, should move into the No. 2 spot behind Georgia when the new rankings come out on Tuesday night. The first two polls (Jan. 12 and 19) are based on high score. Utah did not compete until January 15, when it scored a 196.050the second highest score in the nation to date. Georgia is the only team to score higher, with its 196.450-195.725 win over Alabama on January 16. The complete poll (Jan. 12) can be found on page 5 of this release.
LAST WEEK
Boosted by a trio of 39.000 all-around scores, the Utes rolled up the second highest season-opening score in school history on January 15, trouncing No. 6 Stanford 196.050-192.575. Freshman Theresa Kulikowski won the all-around with a 39.40 and set a new freshman all-around debut mark at Utah. She broke former Ute Traci Sommer's record of 39.325, set in Utah's first meet of 1994. Kulikowski also won bars (9.90), beam (9.85) and floor (9.925) in her first collegiate competition. Taking second and third in the all-around were sophomore Theresa Wolf (39.125) and senior Angie Leonard (39.075). Utah won every event except vault and hit 23 of 24 routines to the delight of the 10,174 in attendance in the Huntsman Center.
TRAINER'S TABLE
Everyone is healthy to start the week.
UTAH COACH GREG MARSDEN
Greg Marsden, the most successful coach in collegiate gymnastics history, is in his 24th year at the U. He owns a 673-96-3 record (336-43-1 regular season). His ten national championships is more than double that of any other coach. Four of those titles have come in the '90s (1990, '92, '94, '95). Fourteen of Marsden's teams have placed in the top-two nationally. The only coach in Utah's gymnastics history, Marsden is a seven-time national coach of the year selection.
SERIES SHORTS
Utah leads 14-0 ... Utah won the last meeting, 194.950-192.175, on Feb. 13, 1998 in Salt Lake City ... Utes are 3-0 in Minneapolis ...Utah survived a scare the last time it competed in Minneapolis, winning by the slimmest of margins on Feb. 15, 1997 (195.050-195.00) ... Series opened in 1976 at the AIAW Championships in Boone, N.C., where Utah placed 10th with a 101.650 (Minnesota scored a 93.350; its finish is not available).
UTE NOTES
Freshman Theresa Kulikowski won the all-around in her first competition in almost two years. Kulikowski, the first alternate for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team, tore her ACL in July of 1997 and was out of competition until last week's meet ... Freshman Deidra Graham, Utah's best instate recruit since Missy Marlowe and Shelly Schaerrer (1989-92), had an outstanding collegiate opener. Graham competed on three events and placed second on bars (9.85) and floor (9.90) ... Senior Angie Leonard and sophomore Shannon Bowles both competed in the season opener despite preseason injury setbacks. Leonard had just a week of full training under her belt, yet scored a 39.075 in the all-around. Bowles led off Utah's bar set with a 9.825 and scored a 9.75 on beam ... Sophomore Theresa Wolf just missed a career best in the all-around, scoring a 39.125, and set a personal best on vault with a 9.775 ... Junior all-arounder Denise Jones tied her career high on floor against Stanford, scoring a 9.85 ... Utah is without a gymnast who has competed for a national championship team for the first time since 1980.
ALL-AMERICA ANGIE
Senior Angie Leonard, held back in her training by off-season shoulder surgery, was a surprise entrant in the all-around lineup last Friday and responded with her 16th career 39.00 all-around score (39.075). The three-time first-team All-American finished third all-around and second on vault (9.80). She scored a 9.775 on bars, a 9.725 on beam and a 9.775 on floor. Leonard had been training all four events for only a week prior to the Stanford meet. One of Utah's most consistent performers ever, she has now "hit" 133 of 146 (91%) of her competitive routines. She is 38 of 41 (93%) on bars in her four years. A two-time first-team bar All-American, she went almost two full years without a fall on bars. Her career all-around best is 39.625, set against Stanford in 1997.
"BOWLES" THEM OVER
Sophomore Shannon Bowles, a 1997 U.S. National Team member and a 1998 first-team All-American, was held to two events last week. Bowles, slowed by injuries in the preseason, scored a 9.825 on bars (third) and a 9.75 on beam (second, tie). She is expected to return to the all-around lineupwhere she placed eighth in the nation as a freshman last yearin the next two weeks. She had a team-best eight 39.00 all-around scores in 1998, including a personal best 39.60, which is tied for the eighth best score in school history. She has "hit" 48 of 52 routines in her career (92%).
WAY KULIO
Freshman standout Theresa Kulikowski showed why she is one of the nation's top recruits in her first collegiate meet. Kulikowski, a 1995-96 U.S. National Team member, was a late addition to the all-around lineup against Stanford. She responded by winning the all-around (39.40) and three individual events (bars 9.90, beam 9.85 and floor 9.925). She is expected to compete four events again this week at Minnesota.
MORE ON THE UTES
Deidra Graham - Freshman impressed in her collegiate debut, competing two events to count and finishing runner-up on both against Stanford ... placed second on bars (9.85) and floor (9.90) ... Utah's last competitor up on floor ... went exhibition on vault (9.775) and beam (9.625), which would have translated into a 39.15 all-around score ... will vie for all-around spot against Minnesota ... 1995 U.S. National Team member and senior international elite won bars at 1998 Junior Olympic Championships. Denise Jones - Junior scored a 38.55 in the all-around against Stanford despite a fall on her beam mount ... scheduled to go four events again this week ... tied her career floor best with a 9.85 vs. Stanford ... 9.80 vault tied for second ... has competed all-around since her freshman year ... 1998 second-team All-America all-arounder placed 12th (39.25) at the NCAA Championships ...11 career 39.00 all-around scores ... has "hit" 90 of 100 (90%) of her career routines.
Ashley Kever - Junior competed on three events for the first time of her career last week ... scored 9.725 in her first-ever competitive collegiate vault ... had 9.75 on beam and 9.775 on floor ... was No. 5 up on both vault and floor ... should go three events again this week against Minnesota. Molly Northrop - Senior is training strictly on bars and beam this year, where she is an All-American ... first-team bars All-American in 1998 (6th) and second-team beam All-American in 1997 (16th) ... was also a 1998 GTE Academic All-American (second team) ... hit 25 of 26 routines as a junior ...went exhibition on beam last week, scoring a 9.475. Sarah Northrop - Senior has been training on vault, bars and beam ... hopes to avoid injury problems that have plagued her since she was a second-team All-American as a freshman in 1996 (all-around and bars) ... competed exhibition on bars against Stanford, but fell (9.10). Angelika Schatton - Junior has new routines in every event, but competed only on vault (9.70) in season opener ... scheduled to compete on vault again this week.
Jenny Schmidt - Junior is attempting a second comeback from knee injury first suffered as a freshman against Stanford on March 7, 1997 ... re-injured knee prior to 1998 season and underwent second surgery in less than two years ... is training only on bars, where she went exhibition against Stanford (9.025, fall).
Lindsay Tanner - Freshman walk-on will contribute on both vault and floor this year ... Level 10 gymnast competed at 1998 J.O. National Championships ... fell in exhibition floor routine vs. Stanford (8.85). Kylee Wagner - Freshman is vying for spot in Utah's vault and floor lineups ... at 1998 J.O. Nationals, she placed 10th all-around, fourth on floor and eighth on vault ... nice job in exhibition against Stanford, scoring 9.725 on vault and 9.75 on floor.
Theresa Wolf - Great season opening performance ... placed second all-around against Stanford (39.125) ... tied career vault best (9.775) and had 9.750 on bars and beam and 9.85 on floor ... scheduled to go all-around again this week.
GOPHER REPORT
4-0 ... Ranked No. 7 to start the week ... upset No. 5 Michigan in Ann Arbor last week (193.550-193.050) ... opened season at home by winning annual Best of Minnesota meet ... scored 192.40 in first meet to beat Winona State (178.75), Hamline (138.625) and Adolphus (137.20) ... Jody Cavazos won all-around at Michigan (38.90) ... co-head coaches are Jim and Meg Stephenson. The former has a 95-90 record in his seventh year; the latter is 22-7 in her third year ... the Stephensons helped Utah win two NCAA Championships (1990 and 1992) in a four-year stint as assistants (Meg as a volunteer).
MARSDEN SAYS
"I couldn't be more pleased with the way the team started. It reconfirmed my feelings that we're stronger and much deeper than we have been in recent memory. Even the exhibition people did a great job. The only problem for me is it makes my decision for who competes to count difficult. That's a great problem to have. I watched the videotape of the meet the next day, and usually when you have the advantage of going back and looking at things in slow motion, you're a little disappointed. That was not the case this time ... For at least one more meet, we won't make a lot of changes in our routines, simply because this is our first meet on the road. We were using all the new equipment here and at Minnesota we'll be back on the old stuff, so there will be adjustments to be made. We'll concentrate on trying to do an equally good job with what we're doing now in our first meet away from home ... Minnesota is a team that always starts the season off strong, which was reflected by their upset at Michigan this past weekend. The last time we were there we eked out a win by only five one hundredths of a point and I know (Minnesota coaches) Jim and Meg will have their team ready to beat their old employer."
NEW TRAINING CENTER OPENS
After 23 years training in HPER West 106, the Utah gymnastics program moved into a new home on Dec. 28, 1998. The new $2 million Women's Gymnastics Training Center is a stand alone facility located adjacent to HPER East - just north of Ute volleyball's Crimson Court. The 18,000 square foot training center was funded through private donations, with a $1 million lead gift from the Zeke, Jr. and Katherine Dumke family. The facility features the latest equipment and matting, as well as locker, training, aerobics, strength and rehabilitation areas. Although the facility is open for training, finishing work remains and construction is still underway on the aerobics addition.
UTE WINNERS
Theresa Kulikowski (4)
All-Around (1)
39.400 vs. Stanford, Jan. 15
Bars (1)
9.900 vs. Stanford, Jan. 15
Beam (1)
9.850 vs. Stanford, Jan. 15
Floor (1)
9.925 vs. Stanford, Jan. 15
Tentative Utah Lineup
(Subject to Change)
Vault
Theresa Kulikowski
Angelika Schatton
Denise Jones
Angie Leonard
Ashley Kever
Theresa Wolf
Uneven Bars
Shannon Bowles
Theresa Wolf
Denise Jones
Deidra Graham
Angie Leonard
Theresa Kulikowski
Balance Beam
Theresa Wolf
Angie Leonard
Denise Jones
Ashley Kever
Theresa Kulikowski
Shannon Bowles
Floor Exercise
Angie Leonard
Denise Jones
Theresa Kulikowski
Theresa Wolf
Ashley Kever
Deidra Graham
All-Around
Denise Jones
Theresa Kulikowski
Angie Leonard
Theresa Wolf
NACGC COACHES POLL
(Jan. 12, 1999)
No. Team High
1 Georgia 195.800
2. Penn State 195.075
Alabama 195.075
4. UCLA 193.500
5. Michigan 193.300
6. Stanford 192.450
7. Minnesota 192.400
8. Maryland 192.375
9. Illinois-Chicago 191.725
10. Bowling Green 191.575
11. Central Michigan 191.425
12. Oklahoma 191.175
13. New Hampshire 191.125
14. Washington 190.950
15. Michigan State 190.925
16. Ohio State 190.275
Florida 190.275
18. Missouri 188.725
19. West Virginia 188.450
20. Iowa 188.275
21. Rutgers 187.975
22. Rhode Island 187.725
23. Radford 185.125
24. Brown 182.425
25. Cal State-Fullerton 179.000
*Poll is based on highest score from Jan. 12-19, on total season average
from Jan. 26-Feb. 23, and on regional qualifying score from Mar. 2 on.
Note: Utah is not eligible for the rankings until the next poll is released on the evening of Jan. 19. Utah should be No. 2 behind Georgia in the new rankings.
Gymnastics Media Availability | Pre-NCAA Championships
Wednesday, April 15
Utah: 197.500 | Ala.: 197.225 | OSU: 196.375 | DU: 195.950 | Gymnastics Post-Meet Press Conference
Saturday, April 04
Utah: 197.400 vs. UCLA: 197.850 | Gymnastics Post-Meet Press Conference
Sunday, March 15
Utah: 197.650 vs. BYU: 196.550, West Virginia: 195.300 | Gymnastics Post-Meet Press Conference
Sunday, March 08