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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Gymnasts Open Season Friday Against UCLA
1/5/2009 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Jan. 5, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY - Buy Utah Gymnastics Tickets
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THIS WEEK
The No. 2 ranked Utah gymnastics team kicks off its 2009 season against No. 4 UCLA on Friday, Jan. 9 in the Huntsman Center starting at 7 p.m. Tickets to the meet are available online at UtahUtes.com, the Rice-Eccles Stadium box office and by calling 801-581-UTIX. The meet, which is sponsored by the Deseret News, will be televised tape delayed on ABC 4 on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 11:00 a.m., and on The Mtn. on Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. Free live video streaming and scores will be available at UtahUtes.com.STAR STUDDED OPENER
Utah and UCLA have combined to win 15 national titles. Utah has a record 10 national championships, including nine NCAA titles, while the Bruins own five NCAA titles. Utah has placed second at the last three NCAA Championships and has finished in the top two 18 times in its history. Utah and UCLA's rosters include an NCAA individual champion (Utah's Kristina Baskett); seven All-Americans (Utah's Baskett, Daria Bijak, Annie DiLuzio, Beth Rizzo and Kyndal Robarts, and UCLA's Anna Li and Kristina Comforte); and three Olympians (Bijak and Gael Mackie of Utah, and Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs of UCLA).QUICK STICKS
Friday's meet is the opener for both teams and marks the sixth time in the last seven years that Utah has opened its season against UCLA. Utah is 4-1 in the five previous openers against the Bruins--losing at home in 2003, before reeling off wins in Los Angeles in 2004 and 2006, and in Salt Lake City in 2005 and 2007 ... Including regionals and nationals, Utah has won eight straight against the Bruins ... Utah head coach Greg Marsden is the only 900-win coach in NCAA gymnastics history. Marsden is 900-155-5 heading into his 34th year at the U.NEW TO U.
Freshmen Cortni Beers and Stephanie McAllister will make their Utah debuts this Friday. Beers (Tulsa, Okla.) is a two-year USA National Team member. McAllister (Indianapolis, Ind.) was the 2005 Junior Olympic all-around champion and the 2007 J.O. uneven bar champ.PRESEASON RANKINGS
Utah, which has placed second at the last three NCAA Championships, starts the season in the same position. Utah received 770 points and two first-place votes in the preseason poll, trailing only Georgia, which garnered 814 points and 26 first-place votes. In third is Florida (742), followed by UCLA (699, four first-place votes), Stanford (676) and Alabama (640).UTE NOTES
Utah sophomore All-American Kyndal Robarts is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury. Robarts, who injured her right shoulder during finals week, will attempt to rehab the shoulder in hopes of returning on vault, beam and floor. She is out for the year on the uneven bars ... Junior Jamie Deetscreek is slated to go all-around for the first time in her career. Deetscreek competed on bars and beam last year ... Also projected to compete in the all-around this Friday are seniors Kristina Baskett and Nina Kim ... Junior Daria Bijak, who has trained without a break for over a year thanks to her participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, will ease into the season on bars and beam. Bijak was an all-arounder for the German National Team ... Freshman Cortni Beers is projected to lead off Utah's bar and beam lineups this Friday, while classmate Stephanie McAllister is listed as the No. 2 competitor on vault and floor.
Players Mentioned
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Gymnastics Media Availability | Pre-NCAA Championships
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