Completed Event: Gymnastics versus NCAA Championships on April 16, 2026 ,
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Gymnastics
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The University of Utah Athletics
No. 4 Ute Gymnasts Open Season Friday vs. BYU
1/4/2016 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Jan. 4, 2016
2015 NCAA Finish: DNQ
Preseason Rank: NR
2016 Record: 0-0
Notes: Senior Makenzie Johnson Halliday is married to Utah football player Jon Halliday … Guard Young, an assistant men's gymnastics coach at Oklahoma from 2000-05 and 2011-15, takes over as the head BYU coach, replacing Brad Cattermole, the Cougars' coach for the past 27 years.
SALT LAKE CITY--
This Week in Utah Gymnastics
The No. 4-ranked Utah gymnastics team (0-0, 0-0 Pac-12) opens its 2016 season on Friday, Jan. 8, hosting Brigham Young (0-0) in the annual Deseret Duel rivalry meet at 6 p.m. in the Huntsman Center. With the meet televised live on the Pac-12 Networks, fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 5:45 p.m. for team introductions. Tickets may be purchased at UtahUtes.com, the Huntsman Center box office and by calling 801-581-UTIX. Live scores can be found at UtahUtes.com.Quick Sticks
Friday's meet marks the debut of co-head coaching tandem Megan Marsden and Tom Farden. Marsden is in her seventh year as co-head coach and her 32nd year overall on the Utah coaching staff. Farden, formerly the head coach at Southeast Missouri State, begins his sixth season at Utah and his first as its co-head coach … The 2016 Utes have already surpassed their previous school record for season tickets. The current total of 7,266 season tickets breaks the old mark of 7,142 set in 2014. The 2015 Utes broke their own NCAA attendance record last year, averaging 14,950 fans to their home meets … Two-time defending Pac-12 champion Utah was picked to win the conference title again this season by vote of the coaches. The 2015 NCAA runner-up Utes were ranked No. 4 in the national preseason poll-receiving 14 first-place votes. See page 3 for the preseason top 25.Fan Fun
A pre-meet ceremony will honor the Utes for their back-to-back Pac-12 Championships in 2014-15 and their runner-up finish at the 2015 NCAA Championships … Friday's meet vs. BYU is worth three points in the Deseret Duel rivalry series … The Kid Zone by portal 5 on the concourse features a balloon artist, face painting, a poster making station and more.Chalk Talk
The NCAA Gymnastics Committee revised the vault code in the offseason and the Yurchenko full performed by the majority of college gymnasts has been downgraded from a 10.0 start value to a 9.95. One who has benefitted from the rule change is senior Breanna Hughes, who has vaulted to count just once in her career, but has 10.0-valued Yurchenko one-and-a-half that she is performing extremely well … Utah looks to replace four All-Americans from its 2015 team, including three Pac-12 all-around champions-Corrie Lothrop (2012), Tory Wilson (2014) and Georgia Dabritz (2015)-and an NCAA champion (Dabritz on bars, 2015).Lineup Look
The current roster features five All-Americans: seniors Kailah Delaney, Breanna Hughes and Kassandra Lopez and sophomores Kari Lee and Samantha Partyka. Lee qualified for NCAA event finals on vault and floor last year as a first-team All-American … Other returning starters include junior Baely Rowe and sophomores Tiffani Lewis and Maddy Stover … Including exhibition routines, 11 gymnasts are expected to compete in this week's opener, including freshmen MaKenna Merrell, Erika Muhaw and Sabrina Schwab.Ute Insider
Freshman MaKenna Merrell's sister Mickell was a BYU gymnast from 2008-12 … The Utes did not elect team captains this year, instead opting for a Leadership Council. Members of the Leadership Council are Kailah Delaney, Breanna Hughes, Kassandra Lopez and Baely Rowe … Sophomore Kari Lee is tentatively scheduled to make her first career all-around appearance on Friday. A three-event performer last season, Lee will also be competing to count on bar for the first time. Scheduled to start on three events: Delaney, Hughes, Rowe, Tiffany Lewis and Samantha Partyka.Series Shorts
Utah leads the series with BYU 93-2 (43-0 in Salt Lake City) … The Utes have won 35 straight against the Cougars since getting edged 196.050-195.975 in Provo in 1998 … For complete series results, see page 2.Scouting BYU
Coach: Guard Young (1st season)2015 NCAA Finish: DNQ
Preseason Rank: NR
2016 Record: 0-0
Notes: Senior Makenzie Johnson Halliday is married to Utah football player Jon Halliday … Guard Young, an assistant men's gymnastics coach at Oklahoma from 2000-05 and 2011-15, takes over as the head BYU coach, replacing Brad Cattermole, the Cougars' coach for the past 27 years.
Utah Co-Coaches
Megan Marsden and Tom Farden are in their first season as a co-head coaching tandem. It is Marsden's seventh year as Utah's co-head coach and her 32nd year overall on the staff. Farden, Utah's assistant coach for the past five seasons, is in his first year as its co-head coach. Marsden, the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2015 (with Greg Marsden, who retired after 40 years as Utah's head coach in April), has a 132-47-2 record in six years as the co-coach. Farden, the head coach at Southwest Missouri State from 2004-09, has a 70-46 career record (0-0 at Utah). He was the 2008 NCAA Sou Central Region Coach of the Year and a four-time conference coach of the year. Start your new year out right by reading through our brand new interactive 2016 Fan Guide @ https://t.co/KJnuxS7WUs pic.twitter.com/mb6Y7Kxyyj
- Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) January 1, 2016
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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