Short People Appreciation & Autograph Meet Saturday

Feb. 8, 2016

SALT LAKE CITY -

This Week in Utah Gymnastics

The No. 6 Utah gymnasts (4-1, 2-1 Pac-12) have two of their most popular annual promotions on tap for their Saturday, Feb. 13 meet against Washington (3-4, 2-0 Pac-12). Washington competes tonight against Oregon State in Seattle. This Saturday's meet, which starts at 7 p.m. MT, is Short People Appreciation and Autograph night. See Fan Fun for more. Tickets are available at UtahTickets.com and 801-581-UTIX … The Pac-12 Networks will televise the meet live and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6:50 p.m. for the team march-in.

Fan Fun

For Short People Appreciation, anyone standing 5-foot or shorter will receive a free upper-bowl general admission ticket to Saturday's meet. Fans can measure against life-sized cutouts of a Utah gymnast at every gate … Saturday is also the only Autograph Night of the season. Following the meet, the Utah gymnasts will host a post-meet autograph session with fans … The first 5,000 through the doors will receive a unique Valentine's Day card with a sucker … The free Kid Zone opens at 5:30 pm and features a face-painter, balloon artist, poster making station and more.

Quick Sticks

Despite a narrow loss at UCLA last week (197.100-197.075), Utah moved ahead of the Bruins in the national rankings and is the Pac-12's highest-ranked team at No. 6. UCLA slipped from No. 5 to No. 7 … The loss at UCLA-a meet the Utes led until the final Bruin routine (a 9.95)-was Utah's first Pac-12 Conference loss since 2013 … Utah has topped 197.000 in back-to-back meets with a season-best 197.150 against Arizona on Feb. 1 … Utah has never lost to Washington (49-0-2) and the ties were both in Seattle. In 2001 and 2013, the last Husky scored a 10.0 and a 9.925, respectively on floor to move into a tie with Utah ... Utah is averaging 14,578 fans at its home meets, including two crowds in excess of 15,000.

National Rankings

Utah moved up one place to No. 6 in the Feb. 8 rankings. The Utes are No. 3 on bars (49.300 average), No. 4 on beam (49.150), No. 9 on vault (49.110) and No. 12 on floor (49.090). Utah's best individual rankings are on bars, where Baely Rowe is ranked No. 3 with a 9.910 season average and Kassandra Lopez is No. 6 (9.90). Breanna Hughes is No. 7 in the all-around (39.413) and Samantha Partyka is No. 11 (39.375). Sabrina Schwab is No. 10 on floor (9.915). See sidebars on page 3 for Utah's complete rankings.

Chalk Talk

Utah's high scores this season are 9.90 on vault (Breanna Hughes twice), 9.95 on bars (Baely Rowe),9.925 on beam (Maddy Stover) and 9.975 on floor (Samantha Partyka) … Through the first five meets, Utah has won 17-of-20 individual event titles and 3-of-5 all-arounds. A Ute has won or tied for first in all five meets on vault and bars … Ute winners: Hughes (6), Partyka (4), Rowe (3), Kailah Delaney (2), Kari Lee (2), Kassandra Lopez (1), Sabrina Schwab (2) and Stover (2) and … The Utes are 114-120 in hit routines (routines without a fall). The Utes hit all 24 routines at UCLA for their first meet this season without a fall … Gymnasts who have hit every routine are Hughes (17-17), Partyka (17-17), Delaney (11-11), Schwab (10-10), MaKenna Merrell (10-10) and Lopez (8-8).

Ute Insider

Even with the loss of all-arounder Kari Lee for the season with an Achilles tear, there is competition for starting jobs. Pushing the starters particularly hard are Kassandra Lopez and Erika Muhaw on vault, Maddy Stover on bars, MaKenna Merrell on beam, and Stover and Muhaw on floor … Utes have won four Pac-12 weekly awards: Sabrina Schwab was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on Jan. 12 and Feb. 2, Breanna Hughes was Specialist of the Week on Jan. 19 and Baely Rowe Specialist of the Week on Jan. 26.

Series Shorts

Utah is 49-0-2 all-time against Washington and 21-0 in Salt Lake City. For complete series results, see page 2.

Scouting Washington

Head Coach: (Joanne Bowers, 10th year)
2015 NCAA Finish: DNQ
National Rank: NR
2016 Record: 3-4, 2-0 Pac-12
Notes: Have a meet tonight (Feb. 8) vs. Oregon State before facing Utah on Saturday … biggest win was a 196.175-196.075 upset of No. 12 Stanford at the Metroplex Challenge on Jan. 30 … 196.175 in win over Stanford was UW's season high.

VD cards + red sucker to the 1st 5K at our meet v @UWGymnastics on 2.13 @ 7PM. https://t.co/Gib7RdGMTi 801-581-UTIX pic.twitter.com/U05vr1bGWm

- Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) February 8, 2016

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