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The University of Utah Athletics
No. 2 Gymnastics Competes at No. 9 Minnesota
6/21/1999 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
January 20, 1999
Utah vs. Minnesota
Sat., Jan. 23 - 7:00 p.m. (CT)
Minneapolis, Minn. - Sports Pavilion
QUICKLY
The No. 2 ranked Utes (1-0) go on the road for the first time this season,
competing against No. 9 Minnesota (4-0), Saturday at 7 p.m. Central time in
Minneapolis ... Utah moved into the rankings at No. 2 in the latest poll
(Jan. 19). This is the last poll that will be based on high score.
Minnesota dropped two places to No. 9 ... 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).
"WATCH" THE UTES ON THE WEB
All Utah home gymnastics meets, and select road meets, will be posted
"live" on the Internet this year. To follow the meet in progress, go to
Utah's web page at www.UtahUtes.com. Note: Real time stats for road meets
are contingent upon the logistics at the opposing school.
THE RANKINGS
After a week out of the rankings (due to the fact it hadn't yet competed),
Utah jumped in at No. 2 in the latest poll (Jan. 19). The Utes, who scored
a 196.050, trail only No. 1 Georgia (196.450). The rankings will be based
on average score, rather than high score, when they are next released on
Jan. 26. The top five in the January 19 poll are: 1. Georgia, 2. Utah, 3.
Alabama, 4. Penn State and 5. Louisiana State. The complete poll 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
Three Utes are ranked in the nation's top 10 in the all-around following
their meet with Stanford. Ranked third is freshman Theresa Kulikowski
(39.400), who is joined by No. 9 Theresa Wolf (39.125) and No. 10 Angie
Leonard (39.075) ... Kulikowski won the all-around against Stanford 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 ... Two of Utah's 1999 opponents are ranked in the
Top 10 this week (No. 5 LSU and No. 9 Minnesota) and four more are ranked
in the Top 25 (No. 16 Stanford, No. 18 Arizona, No. 19 Washington, No. 25
New Hampshire).
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). Her 39.075
ranked 10th in the nation in the January 19 poll. 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
lineup,where she placed eighth in the nation as a freshman last year,in 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). Her 39.40
all-around ranked third in the nation in the January 19 poll. 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) ... her 39.125 all-around is ranked No. 9 nationally in the Jan. 19 poll ... tied career vault best (9.775) and had 9.750 on bars and beam and 9.85 on floor against Stanford ... 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
NACGC COACHES POLL (Jan. 19, 1999)
No. Team High 1. Georgia 196.450 2. Utah 196.050 3. Alabama 195.725 4. Penn State 197.075 5. Louisiana State 194.150 6. Ohio State 193.975 7. Nebraska 193.725 8. Florida 193.600 9. Minnesota 193.550 10. UCLA 193.525 11. Illinois-Chicago 193.450 12. Michigan 193.300 13. Arizona State 193.150 14. Ball State 192.800 15. S.E. Missouri 192.750 16. Stanford 192.575 17. Maryland 192.375 18. Arizona 192.275 19. Washington 192.250 20. Bowling Green 191.950 22. Auburn 191.750 23. Missouri 191.650 24. Central Michigan 191.425 25. New Hampshire 191.125*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.
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