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The University of Utah Athletics
Ute Gymnasts Hold Onto No. 3 National Ranking
2/12/2001 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Feb. 12, 2001
SALT LAKE CITY -
QUICKLY
The first big test of the season to No. 3 Utah's national record home win streak is this Friday when red hot No. 11 Arizona State comes to town ... Utah (5-1) and ASU (3-3) will meet in the Freeport.com Invitational, Friday at 7 p.m. in the Huntsman Center ... Utah has won an unprecedented 160 straight regular season home meets, including both contests this year, dating back to 1979 (see The Streak) ... Arizona State, the only team in the nation to defeat No. 1 ranked UCLA this year, scored a 196.725 last week in a close road loss to No. 5 Stanford (197.050) ... ASU is one of two straight teams that will give Utah a run for its win streak: No. 8 Michigan comes to town on Feb. 23 ... Utah is averaging 8,296 fans to its first two home meets ... Live stats from the meet will be posted on Utah's web site at www.UtahUtes.com.
PRACTICE TIMES & INTERVIEW POLICY
Monday, Tuesday (1:30-5:30 p.m.) and Thursday (1:30-3:30 p.m.) in the Dumke Gymnastics Center. All practices are open to the public. Media interested in interviews should plan to be in the Dumke Gymnastics Center 30 minutes before practice begins. All athlete interviews must be completed by the start of practice. Call sports information director Liz Abel at 801-581-3511 to arrange interviews.
THE STREAK
Utah's unprecedented regular season home win streak now stands at 160. Not since February 20, 1979, when Utah lost to Cal State Fullerton and Clarion, has a Ute gymnastics team lost a regular season meet on its home floor. No other collegiate team of any kind, men's or women's, can make such a claim. Of the present Ute team, only senior Theresa Wolf was alive the last time Utah lost a regular season home meet. In the last 15 years, just two opponents have come within a point of Utah in a regular season meet in the Huntsman Center: Utah defeated BYU by 0.5 in 2000 and Oregon State by 0.75 in 1996. Two others came within a point and a half: LSU (1.225 in 1999) and Georgia (1.4 points in 1991). Among the nationally ranked teams to fall to Utah since 1979: Georgia, Alabama, UCLA, Michigan, Florida, Arizona State, Penn State, LSU, Oregon State, Arizona, Nebraska, Brigham Young, Washington and Stanford. Including post-season competition, Utah's all-time home record is 310-15 (95%).
THE RANKINGS
The Utes are ranked No. 3 in the most recent poll, issued February 12. The rankings, currently based on season average, follow: 1. UCLA 196.811, 2. Alabama 196.608, 3. Utah 196.408, 4. Georgia 196.104, 5. Stanford 196.100, 6. Nebraska 195.962, 7. Florida 195.621, 8. Michigan 195.446, 9. Iowa State 194.865, 10. Minnesota 194.821, 11. Arizona State 194.785, 12. Penn State 194.779, 13. Louisiana State 194.775, 14. Ohio State 194.679, 15. Brigham Young 194.556, 16. West Virginia 194.521, 17. Oklahoma 194.412, 18. Denver 194.300, 19. Iowa 194.279, 20. Illinois State 194.245, 21. Oregon State 194.204, 22. Kent State 194.175, 23. Kentucky 193.990, 24. Michigan State 193.862, 25. George Washington 193.817.
LAST COMPETITION
Deidra Graham (39.475) and Theresa Wolf (39.450) finished 1-2 in the all-around and Utah knocked BYU from the unbeaten ranks, winning 197.225-196.025 in Provo on Feb. 9. It was the highest score of the year for Utah and the sixth-best score in school history. A Ute won or tied for every event title, with Veronique Leclerc capturing her fourth straight vault victory (9.90), Theresa Kulikowski hitting for perfection on the bars (10.0), Shannon Bowles taking beam honors (9.90) and tying for first on the floor with Wolf (9.95). Utah flirted with a school record on floor, where its 49.65 was .05 off the school best. Five of six Utes set or tied career highs on the floor.
SERIES SHORTS
Utah's 50-15-1 series lead over Arizona State does not reflect the competitiveness of this rivalry ... Utah and ASU were the top two teams in the nation in the mid-`80s and bitter rivals ... Once an annual rivalry, the two teams squared off only in postseason competition from 1990-93 ... In 1994, the regular season series resumed ... Utah is 26-1 against the Sun Devils in Salt Lake City and 20-8-1 in regular season competition ... Arizona won the last time they met, beating Utah 195.850-194.675 in Tempe last February 18.
UTE NOTES
In the latest poll (Feb. 12), Utah is ranked No. 2 in the nation on the balance beam (49.054 average) and the floor exercise (49.367). The Utes are ranked No. 3 on the uneven bars (49.296) and shot eight places in a week to No. 10 on the vault (48.692) ... Utah's top ranked individual is Theresa Kulikowski, who is No. 3 on the bars (9.929) ... Ranked No. 15 are: Diedra Graham, all-around (39.204), Shannon Bowles, beam (9.829) and Theresa Wolf, floor (9.883) ... Freshman Annie Medcalf, who replaced the injured Kim Allan in the bar lineup on Utah State and fell, bounced back against BYU on Friday, scoring a 9.825. Medcalf got her first shot on beam and received a 9.625 as Utah's first competitor ... Theresa Wolf had career-bests in the all-around (39.45) and on floor (9.95) at BYU ... Melissa Vituj is the only Ute still competing who has "hit" all of her events this year. The freshman is 17 of 17. Allan hit all 12 of her routines before suffering a season-ending Achilles tear.
TRAINER'S TABLE
Sophomore All-American Kim Allan is lost for the season after rupturing her left Achilles tendon in a practice accident on February 4. She underwent surgery on February 7 (for more information, see Allan Lost For Season).
UTAH COACH GREG MARSDEN
Greg Marsden, the most successful coach in collegiate gymnastics history, is in his 26th year at the U. He is college gymnastics' only 700 win coach (726-108-3). In regular season competition, Marsden is 363-49-1. Marsden, who has spent his entire career at Utah, has won 10 ten national championships, double that of any other coach. Four of those titles came in the '90s (1990, '92, '94, '95). Fifteen of his teams have placed in the top-three nationally, including last year's NCAA runner-up squad. Marsden is a seven-time national coach of the year selection.
GOLDEN GRAHAM
Junior Deidra Graham, the 2000 NCAA Region 2 Gymnast of the Year and a four-time All-American, is the only Ute to compete in the all-around in every meet this season. Graham has won four all-around competitions, including the last three. Her all-around wins came against Minnesota (39.20), Arizona (39.325), Utah State (39.275) and BYU (39.475). She is tied for Utah's season victory lead with eight total. Graham is currently ranked No. 15 in the nation in the all-around (39.204 average), up three places from last week. Her season best is 39.475, scored last Friday at BYU. She has "hit" 23 of 24 routines this year and is 109-119 (92%) in career routines. The former U.S. National Team member finished 10th in the all-around at the 2000 NCAA Championships and made the All-America first team.
WAY KULIO
Theresa Kulikowski, the 1999 NCAA champion in the all-around and on the balance beam (NCAA runner-up on vault and floor), is back in the lineup after missing most of last year with a knee injury. However, while she continues to heal from last year's ACL surgery, she is competing only on bars and beam. She won her first four competitions this year and has eight total wins, tied for first on the team. Kulikowski has scored a 10.0 in each of the last two meets, one on beam (vs. Utah State) and one on bars (vs. BYU). She has six 10.0s in her career. She has won 15 of her last 16 regular season bar competitions and is currently ranked No. 3 in the nation on the bars with a 9.929 average. Kulio has won 52 events and/or all-around titles in her brief Ute career, including a school record 37 victories in 1999. She has "hit" 10-12 routines this year and is 71-76 (93%) for her career. The former U.S. National team member was the alternate to the 1996 U.S. Olympic team. She was awarded a medical hardship extension by the NCAA, making her a sophomore in eligibility.
BOWLES `EM OVER
Four-time All-American Shannon Bowles has been an outstanding three-event performer this year, marking an incredible comeback from a fractured neck vertebrae that sidelined her all of last year. She has set new career highs on the three events she's competing (bars 9.90, beam 10.0 and floor 9.95). Bowles won the beam at Arizona with a perfect 10.0, the second of her career and first since her freshman year in 1998. She has won six event titles this year, including two on January 5 in her first meet since 1999. Four of her wins were on the beam and two on the floor. The junior has "hit" 16-17 routines this year and 100-110 (91%) in her career. A two-time NCAA balance beam All-American who finished fourth in the nation on that event as both a freshman and sophomore, Bowles is also an All-American on the bars and in the all-around. The former U.S. National team member placed eighth in the all-around at the 1998 NCAA Championships.
MORE ON THE UTES
Kim Allan, So.-All-American as a freshman in 2000 suffered season-ending injury on Feb. 4 ... underwent surgery to repair torn Achilles on Feb. 7 ... three-event performer was scheduled to go all-around in Feb. 6 meet vs. USU before getting injured ... she had "hit" all 12 of her routines, 4 each on vault, bars and beam ... competed on three events at 2000 NCAA Championships, making second-team All-American on beam (9.85).Shannon Bowles, Jr.-See previous section titled Bowles `Em Over.
Deidra Graham, Jr.-See previous section titled Golden Graham.
Theresa Kulikowski, So.-See previous section titled Way Kulio.
Tacia LaBatte, Fr.-Freshman vaulted in season opener and scored 9.65 ... has gone exhibition three times on bars, with a best score of 9.625 against Arizona ... vaulted as exhibition once (9.575) ... member of 1996 and 2000 Junior Olympic National teams ... four-time region all-around champ.
Veronique Leclerc, Fr.-Two-event performer is Utah's best vaulter ... five victories this year includes last four vault competitions ... vault wins were vs. Southern Utah (9.825), UCLA (career-best 9.90), Arizona (9.875), Utah State (9.85) and BYU (career-tying 9.90) ... scored 9.90 on bars three times ... won vault (9.825) and tied for second on bars (9.90) in first collegiate meet... has "hit" 11-12 events (miss was on vault) ... five-year Canadian National Team member was ninth all-around at 2000 Canadian Olympic Trials.
Annie Medcalf, Fr.-Has competed bars in last two meets and scored 9.825 on Feb. 9 ... last minute replacement on beam vs. BYU last week led off set with 9.625 ... did exhibition beam routine on Feb. 6 and scored 9.75 ... 1997-99 U.S. National team member did not compete last year due to injury ... won floor exercise and fourth all-around at 1998 Junior Olympic Championships.
Leah Sabo, So.-Has vaulted in every meet and competed twice on floor ... career-best 9.75 on vault vs. Utah State ... scored career-best 9.825 in both floor routines this year (Southern Utah, Utah State) ... without a fall in 8 routines this year (9.40 vault vs. Arizona was due to big step on landing) and is 8-9 in career routines.
Lindsay Tanner, Jr.-Nation's best lead-off floor exercise worker a year ago is scheduled to compete on floor this Friday after career-best 9.90 against BYU on Feb. 9 ... did not compete on Feb. 6 ... has done floor in 5 of 6 meets ... first pass features full-in.
Melissa Vituj, Fr.-Freshman three-event performer is posting consistently big scores on vault, beam and floor ... has "hit" all 17 routines ... 9.90 on floor in very first meet and again on Feb. 9 ... career-best 9.875 on beam vs. Utah State ... currently Utah's final vaulter has best vault score of 9.80 ... tied for first on floor (9.85) against Minnesota ... has gone three events in every meet but one (two vs. Arizona) ... 1999 Junior Olympic Level 10 balance beam champion.
Kylee Wagner, Jr.-Competes anywhere from 2-3 events (vault, beam, floor) ... did three events against Utah State on Feb. 6 and was scheduled to do three on Feb. 9 before scratching from beam lineup with sore calf ... career-best floor score of 9.925 on Feb. 9 at BYU ... scored 9.75 in first beam of year on Feb. 6 ... has "hit" 10-11 routines (miss was on vault) ... did not compete to count in season opener.
Theresa Wolf, Sr.-Team's lone senior and captain has gone all-around in last three meets ... ranked No. 19 in nation in all-around (39.167 average) ... all-around career-best 39.450 against BYU on Feb. 9 ... ranked No. 15 on floor (9.883 average) ... has set or tied career marks in last two meets on individual events: 9.925 on bars on Feb. 6 and 9.95 on floor on Feb. 9 ... has won last two floor competitions ... has "hit" 18-21 routines this year and 106-123 (86%) for her career ... Utah's top all-arounder at last year's NCAA team finals scored 39.425.
UTE WINNERS IN 2001
Theresa Kulikowski (8) Bars (5) 9.950 vs. Southern Utah, Jan. 5 9.925 vs. Minnesota, Jan. 13 9.900 vs. Arizona, Jan. 26 9.925 vs. Utah State, Feb. 6 10.00 vs. Brigham Young, Feb. 9 Beam (3) 9.900 vs. Southern Utah, Jan. 5 9.900 vs. Minnesota, Jan. 13 10.00 vs. Utah State, Feb. 6Deidra Graham (8) All-Around (4) 39.200 vs. Minnesota, Jan. 13 39.325 vs. Arizona, Jan. 26 39.275 vs. Utah State, Feb. 6 39.475 vs. Brigham Young, Feb. 9 Vault (2) 9.850 vs. Minnesota, Jan. 13 9.850 vs. Utah State, Feb. 6 Floor (2) 9.850 vs. Minnesota, Jan. 13 9.900 vs. Arizona, Jan. 26
Shannon Bowles (6) Beam (4) 9.900 vs. Southern Utah, Jan. 5 9.925 vs. UCLA, Jan. 21 10.00 vs. Arizona, Jan. 26 9.900 vs. Brigham Young, Feb. 9 Floor (2) 9.925 vs. Southern Utah, Jan. 5 9.950 vs. Brigham Young, Feb. 9
Veronique Leclerc (5) Vault (5) 9.825 vs. Southern Utah, Jan. 5 9.900 vs. UCLA, Jan. 21 9.875 vs. Arizona, Jan. 26 9.850 vs. Utah State, Feb. 6 9.900 vs. Brigham Young, Feb. 9
Theresa Wolf (3) Bars (1) 9.925 vs. Utah State, Feb. 6 Floor (2) 9.925 vs. Utah State, Feb. 6 9.950 vs. Brigham Young, Feb. 9
ASU REVIEW
3-3 ... Biggest win was over No. 1 UCLA on Jan. 26 (196.35-196.00) ... season-best score was 196.725 last week at Stanford ... best all-arounders are Maryland transfer and Tempe native Laura Moon (39.325 vs. UCLA) and Maggie Germaine (39.325) ... ASU has made the NCAA Championships field 13 times and finished as national runner-up four times (three times to national champ Utah) ... Head Coach John Spini is 253-87-1 in his 21st year.
MARSDEN SAYS
"Arizona State is a very good team and getting better each week. They're the only team to beat UCLA this season. The tradition of our rivalry goes back to the beginning of both programs over 25 years ago. I know that (ASU coach) John Spini would like to be the one to break our home win streak ... This will hopefully be a healing week for us. Kylee Wagner landed short on her vault and strained her calf and Leah Sabo landed on the corner of the balance beam in practice and her foot is very sore. Those injuries are why we pulled Kylee out of beam and Leah out of floor at BYU. Since we have so much of the season left, we need to try and let those minor injuries heal ... Last week was a mixed blessing for us. We lost Kim Allan to an injury on Sunday, which was really bad for us, but the team responded well and had two good meets on Tuesday and Friday. I think we're at a good place at the season's midpoint. We need to stay healthy so we can continue to train in practice and have an opportunity to improve. Really, I think we've improved in each of the last three meets. Upgrading our vaults and becoming more competitive on that event has been one of our goals and I feel we've been able to accomplish that, although we certainly need to continue to get better and stick our landings."
ALLAN LOST FOR SEASON
Ute sophomore All-American Kim Allan, a three-event performer ticketed for the all-around lineup, ruptured her (left) Achilles tendon in practice on February 4. She underwent surgery to repair the tendon on February 7 and will miss the remainder of the season. The injury occurred on the takeoff for a double back on the floor exercise. Allan, an All-American on the balance beam as a freshman at last year's NCAA Championships, had "hit" all 12 of her routines this year. Her best scores this season were a 9.85 on the balance beam, a 9.80 on the uneven bars and a 9.675 on the vault. Prior to the injury, she was scheduled to do her first floor routine of the year on February 6 vs. Utah State, which would have put her in the all-around lineup. Allan was also planning to upgrade the start value of her vault to a 10.0 for the first time this year.
"WATCH" THE UTES ON THE WEB
Running scores for all Utah gymnastics meets will be posted live on the Internet. To follow the meet in progress, go to Utah's web page at
UTES WIN IN ATTENDANCE
Utah, the highest drawing gymnastics team in NCAA history, has won 18 of the last 19 attendance titles. Over the last 10 years, Utah has averaged 10,639 fans to its home meets-more than any other gymnastics team has averaged in a single season. The 2000 Utah gymnastics team averaged 9,808 spectators a meet in six home meets to finish ahead of Alabama (9,510 spectators in five home meets) and Georgia (8,857 in six meets). Last year's average was the seventh best in Utah history. The record single-season home attendance average, held by Utah, is 13,164 (in 1993). Utah, which holds the top five season attendance averages ever for a gymnastics program, also has nine of the top 12 single meet attendance marks, led by the biggest crowd ever to watch a collegiate gymnastics meet in the United States-15,238 vs. Cal State Fullerton in 1991.
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
Now in its 26th year of varsity competition, Utah is the only school in the nation to qualify for each of the last 25 national championships, including all 19 NCAA Championships. The Utes own a record 10 national championships (1981-86, 1990, 1992 and 1994-95). They have never finished lower than 10th in the nation and were second last year.
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