Ute Gymnasts Host BYU in Deseret Duel on Friday

March 22, 2010

SALT LAKE CITY--

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THIS WEEK IN UTAH GYMNASTICS

No. 11 Utah (10-3) hosts Brigham Young (4-9, prior to a Mar. 22 meet at Southern Utah) on Friday, Mar. 26 in the Deseret Duel. The meet starts at 7 p.m. in the Huntsman Center. It is the final regular season home meet for the Utes, who will host an NCAA Regional on Saturday, Apr. 10. The Utah-BYU meet is "Senior Night." The meet will be televised by ABC-4 (Sunday, Mar. 28 at 11 a.m. MT) and The Mtn. (Mar. 31 at 8 p.m. MT). Live scores and video can be found on www.utahutes.com.

SENIOR SEND-OFF

Ute senior All-Americans Daria Bijak, Jamie Deetscreek, Annie DiLuzio and Beth Rizzo will be honored prior to the meet. The quartet has contributed to two NCAA runner-up team finishes (2007 and 2008) and one third-place finish (2009) to date. Four BYU seniors will also be recognized.

NCAA FIRST

Utah is on track to win the NCAA attendance title for all women's sports this season, which would be a first for a gymnastics team. No sport other than basketball has ever produced the highest average attendance for a women's team. The Utes are currently averaging 14,049 fans per home meet. Tennessee women's basketball (12,393) and Alabama gymnastics (13,786) are Utah's closest competitors. Both Tennessee and Alabama are finished with their regular season home events. The Utes need a crowd of 12,474 this Friday to finish first (their smallest so far this season was 12,605).

FOR THE RECORD

Utah, which currently averages 14,049 fans per meet, would not only win the 2009-10 NCAA women's attendance title with a good crowd this Friday, it could also break its own gymnastics season attendance record of 13,861 set last year. While the Utes need to draw 12,474 to win the all-sport attendance title, they need a few more (12,925) to set the new NCAA gymnastics season attendance record. Utah's biggest crowds have come against Georgia (NCAA record 15,552), Nebraska (14,726) and in a quad meet with Oregon State, Penn State and Southern Utah (14,411).

QUICK STICKS

Utah slipped two places to No. 11 in the national rankings, despite its best road score of the season last week at Florida ... The Utes are 2-2 against teams ranked ahead of them, with wins over No. 5 Georgia and No. 7 Oregon State, and losses to No. 4 Florida and No. 9 Michigan ... This Friday's meet is worth three points in the annual Deseret Duel Rivalry Series. Utah earned three points with its win a month ago in Provo ... Utah has not lost to BYU in gymnastics since 1998 and the Utes are 40-0 against the Cougars in Salt Lake City (for more on the series, see the sidebar on this page) ... The Utes have put up their two best scores, as well as their best road score, in the last three weeks. The Utes scored a 196.575 against Nebraska on Mar. 5, a season-high 196.975 in a quad meet on Mar. 12 and a 196.500 at Florida on Mar. 19 ... Utah starts the week with all 12 gymnasts available to compete. Gael Mackie returned from injury to the bar lineup last week and Beth Rizzo did an exhibition floor routine after missing three meets with injury ... Annie DiLuzio has seven wins on floor, where she is currently ranked No. 9 in the nation with a 9.915 RQS ... Utah's highest ranked individual is Kyndal Robarts on vault (seventh, 9.920 RQS) ... Utah has three all-arounders ranked in the top 25: Daria Bijak is tied for 13th (39.405 RQS), Robarts is 21st (39.265) and Jamie Deetscreek is tied for 22nd (39.230 RQS) ... In its three losses, Utah won just one individual title (Robarts on vault vs. Michigan). In the eight competitions that Utah took first place, a Ute has won 38 of the 40 event/all-around titles ... Ute winners are Bijak (12), DiLuzio (12), Deetscreek (11), Robarts (9) and Cortni Beers (1) ... Two Utes haven't fallen this season: Robarts (42-42) and Rizzo (9-9).

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