No. 4 Ranked Utah Gymasts Host Utah State This Friday

Feb. 23, 2004

SALT LAKE CITY -

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QUICKLY

The No. 4 ranked Utah gymnasts (7-1) return home this week for a Friday, Feb. 27 contest with Utah State (7-6) ... The R.C. Willey Invitational starts at 7:00 p.m. in the Huntsman Center ... Two-for-one tickets are available at all R.C. Willey locations and two free general admission tickets are available with any purchase ... Utah is 3-0 at home this year ... Utah is ranked No. 4 in the nation for the fourth straight week. The Utes, who have not dipped below No. 4 the entire season, were ranked as high as No. 1 for two weeks.

THE RANKINGS

This week's Top 25 poll is based on regional qualifying score (RQS) for the first time this season: 1. UCLA 197.745, 2. Georgia 197.395, 3. Alabama 197.285, 4. Utah 196.810, 5. Florida 196.670, 6. Iowa State 196.660, 7. Nebraska 196.625, 8. Oklahoma 196.62, 9. Stanford 196.560, 10. Louisiana State 196.525, 11. Arizona 196.425, 12. Iowa 196.390, 13. Michigan 196.280, 14. Missouri 196.230, 15. Washington 196.220, 16. Oregon State 196.065, 17. Arkansas 195.950, 18. Auburn 195.935, 19. North Carolina 195.910, 20. Denver 195.850, 21. Penn State 195.305, 22. Michigan State 195.280, 23. Kent State 195.275, 24. Brigham Young 195.230, 25. Maryland 195.220.

LAST WEEK

Three good events proved just enough for the Utes in Tempe last Friday, where Utah defeated No. 24 Arizona State 196.850-196.500. In third was Air Force (190.600). Melissa Vituj had her best meet of the year, scoring a 39.650 to place second in the all-around, and winning two events. Her first-ever career 10.0 came on floor and she also won vault with a 9.925. Nicolle Ford took third in the all-around (39.525) and Rachel Tidd tied for first on bars (9.925). Utah posted season highs on bars (49.400) and floor (49.550) and also had a good night on vault (49.350), despite missing All-America vaulter Annabeth Eberle (ankle injury). The Utes had to count a fall on beam, however, for the second straight week, and their 48.550 was their worst event score of the season.

HITTING 1.000

Four Utes have yet to suffer a fall off an apparatus this year. They are: Annabeth Eberle (22-22), Kristen Riffanacht (14-14), Natalie Nicoloff (8-8) and Gritt Hofmann (5-5).

RANKING THE UTES

Eberle, ranked No. 4 in the nation in the all-around prior to the ankle injury that has forced her to miss the last meet and a half, is not eligible for this week's all-around rankings. She needs one more road score to obtain a regional qualifying score (RQS), which is the new basis for the rankings. Eberle is one of three Utes ranked in the top 20 on vault this week: The junior vault All-American is No. 3 (9.95 RQS), while freshmen Nicolle Ford (9.90) and Rachel Tidd (9.885) are tied for No. 10 and 20, respectively. Ford is also ranked 15th in the all-around (39.275). Senior Melissa Vituj is tied for 22nd on beam (9.855) and 24th on floor (9.895), and Tidd is tied for 25th on bars (9.860).

UTE NOTES

All of Utah's best team scores have come on the road, including a vault at UCLA (49.625), bars at Arizona State (49.40 tied with a home best), beam at Brigham Young (49.45) and floor at Arizona State (49.55) ... The Utes will compete for the second straight week without the services of its top all-arounder, junior All-American Annabeth Eberle. Barring another setback to the ankle she first injured in the preseason, Eberle will return to the lineup on Mar. 5 at Washington ... Eberle leads Utah with 16 victories, has "hit" all 22 routines she has performed and is 6-0 in vault competitions this season ... Melissa Vituj has six victories, second to Eberle ... Gritt Hofmann could return from the injured list on the floor exercise or vault this week but still cannot train on the beam.

SERIES SHORTS

Utah leads 78-3 ... Utes lead 33-0 in Salt Lake City ... Utes lead 53-3 in regular season competition ... last Utah win was on Feb. 7, 2003 (197.825-196.150) in Logan ... Aggie wins were in 1978 (in Logan) and 1979 (in Logan and in Tucson).

USU REVIEW

7-6 ... unranked ... season-high 196.00 scored twice, both times against Southern Utah (Feb. 6 at home and Feb. 16 in Cedar City) ... top all-arounders and their season highs: Gretchen Goerlitz (39.35) and Alex Martin (39.35) ... head coach Ray Corn is 413-378 in his 27th year.

UTAH COACH Greg Marsden

Greg Marsden, the most successful coach in collegiate gymnastics history, is in his 29th year at Utah. He is college gymnastics' only 700 win coach (787-131-5). In regular season competition, Marsden is 392-57-2. He has spent his entire career at Utah and has won 10 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 at the national championships, most recently in 2000 (second). Marsden is a seven-time National Coach of the Year recipient.

MARSDEN SAYS

"I feel pretty good about everything except our consistency on balance beam. We've done a good job with successfully getting most of our upgrades in on every event. Kristen Riffanacht did beam for the first time of her career at ASU and did a great job. I think she's definitely earned consideration for a spot in that lineup, which helps us with our depth. Obviously, when we get Annabeth Eberle back, that will help our consistency and scores, so I'm optimistic we can solve all of our issues there.

"Three of our next four meets are at home, and since we have to compete regionals on the road, the scheduling is not ideal for postseason preparation. In addition, road scores help your seeding into regionals more than home scores. On the other hand, it's fun to compete here in the Huntsman Center.

"We could use A.B. (Eberle) this week if we needed to because the foot seems to be improving, but we made a decision to hold her out for two weeks in an effort to give her an opportunity to finish strong. Gritt (Hofmann) is back training again on floor and vault. If she can get her sharpness back, she could go this week. Doing her side somi on beam hurts her hip so she's not practicing on that event."

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