Completed Event: Gymnastics versus NCAA Championships on April 16, 2026 ,
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Gymnastics
vs NCAA Championships
The University of Utah Athletics
No. 2 Ute Gymnasts Open Season at No. 5 UCLA
1/4/2010 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Jan. 4, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY--
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THIS WEEK
The No. 2 ranked Utah gymnastics team opens its 2010 season on Saturday, Jan. 9 against No. 5 UCLA in Los Angeles. The meet will start at 4 p.m. PT (5 p.m. MT) in Pauley Pavilion. Live scores and commentary will be available on UtahUtes.com.FIT TO BE TIED
The last time these two teams squared off, they finished tied for third in the preliminary session of the 2009 NCAA Championships. Utah won the tiebreaker (which was determined by counting all 24 scores) and the right to advance into the Super Six team finals, while UCLA had to settle for seventh place. Utah went on to finish third behind Georgia and Alabama in a down-to-the-wire finish.QUICK STICKS
Utah and UCLA have combined to win 15 national titles. Utah has won 10 national championships, including nine NCAA titles, while the Bruins own five NCAA titles ... ... This Saturday's meet is the opener for both teams and marks the seventh time in the last eight years that Utah has opened its season against UCLA. Utah has won its last five season openers against UCLA--beating the Bruins in L.A. in 2004 and 2006, and in SLC in 2005, 2007 and 2009. UCLA won in Salt Lake in 2003 and the two did not open against each other in 2008 ... Prior to their tie at the NCAA Championships last April, Utah had won nine straight against the Bruins.TOP TWO
After 34 years as Utah's head coach, Greg Marsden now shares that title with wife and longtime assistant coach Megan Marsden. Greg is the only 900-win coach in gymnastics history and enters his 35th season at Utah (and in his career) with a 922-160-6 record. Megan is in her 26th year on the staff. She served as an assistant coach from 1985-96 and the associate head coach from 1997-2009.PRESEASON RANKINGS
Utah, which has placed third at the 2009 NCAA Championships after three-straight runner-up finishes from 2006-08, was ranked second in the 2010 preseason poll. Utah received 718 total points and six first-place votes, behind Georgia with 739 points and 13 first-place votes. Leading the rest of the top-five is last year's runner-up Alabama (680 points, 8 first-place votes), followed by Florida (676/2) and UCLA (632/2).UTE NOTES
Utah returns five All-Americans, led by six-time All-America senior Daria Bijak. Other returning All-Americans are seniors Jamie Deetscreek, Annie DiLuzio and Beth Rizzo, and junior Kyndal Robarts ... Scheduled to go all-around this Saturday are Bijak (39.55 career best), Deetscreek (39.50 best) and Robarts. Robarts has never gone all-around, although she has competed to count on all four events in her career. She is projected to anchor Utah's vault, beam and floor lineups, while leading off on the bars ... Salt Lake City native Fumina Kobayashi joined the team at the semester break after graduating early from Brighton High School. Koybashi is one of three freshmen, joining Katelyn Mohr (Carmichael, Calif.) and Meg Whitney (Mesa, Ariz.). Mohr and Whitney could debut this week at UCLA--Mohr on beam and floor and Whitney on vault ... After missing last season with ankle surgery, Beth Rizzo returned to training on vault and floor in the preseason. Rizzo will vault against UCLA.SERIES SHORTS
Utah leads the series with UCLA 42-13-1 but it's been a virtual dead heat since 1995, with Utah holding a 14-12-1 edge. The two teams tied the last time they met at the 2009 NCAA Championships, with Utah winning the tiebreaker to advance to the Super Six. Prior to the tie, Utah had won nine straight, dating back to the 2005 season opener. The Utes are 11-4 against UCLA in Los Angeles and 9-1 in regular season meets in Pauley Pavilion. UCLA's last wins against Utah came in the 2004 NCAA Championships, when the Bruins beat the Utes twice in Pauley en route to the NCAA title.SCOUTING UCLA
Coach: Valorie Kondos FieldCoach's Record/Year: 372-83-1 (19 years)
2009 NCAA Finish: 7th
2009 Record: 21-4
Preseason National Rank: 5
Team Notes: Return all but one gymnast and 20-of-24 routines from last year's NCAA Championships' lineup ... Five returning All-Americans: Vanessa Zamarripa (5), Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs (4), Anna Li (4), Niki Tom (1), Brittani McCullough (1) ... Li returns to the all-around after competing on just bars last season due to injury.
Players Mentioned
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Gymnastics Media Availability | Pre-NCAA Championships
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