It’s been clear through the first three meets of the season that the No. 4 Red Rocks are one of the strongest teams in the nation. What might not be so immediately recognized is how Utah has employed its great depth en route to its nice start.
Already in 2014, the Red Rocks have tinkered with different lineups either out of necessity or by choice. Some of these changes have come just minutes before an event, but the team has excelled nonetheless.
‘’The depth is a good thing,” co-head coach Megan Marsden said. “It’s may be tough on the girls a little bit in terms of maybe hurting their feelings in the moment, but for our team to be really strong this year, having options will help us. If someone is not on top of their game, we have an option of someone that can go in and be equal to them.”
Such a situation occurred last weekend as Utah took on UCLA. Lia Del Priore was taken out of the vault lineup but was still expected to compete on floor. Once the Red Rocks reached that event, however, co-head coach Greg Marsden opted to go with Kailah Delaney on the mat rather than Del Priore.
“It definitely gets at you a little bit,” Del Priore said. “I was very upset after floor, but at the same time, I’m using it as motivation in the gym this week.”
The substitution clearly didn’t come down to a question of Del Priore’s skill, as she once received aperfect ‘10’ on floor in 2013, but Marsden just felt he needed to make a change.
“It was a gut feeling,” he said. “It’s really coming down to who is doing the best job in practice and earning their way in.”
Even though gymnasts are trying to work their hardest to break into event lineups, they all put trust in the coaches and want what’s best for the team.
“Greg’s got 999 wins, so I think we have to trust that he knows what he’s doing,” Del Priore said.
Utah coaches typically don’t set lineups until the day before a meet, giving the gymnasts every opportunity to prove themselves in practice. Like last weekend proved, even those lineups are subject to change during the meet.
“You just have to be ready for it,” said Mary Beth Lofgren, who cracked the vault lineup against the Bruins. “The reason we have an alternate is so that you can be thrown in at any moment, so you need to be ready.”
With the team being so deep and coaches already making changes, gymnasts recognize one mistake could cause them to lose their spot in the lineup, but Lofgren said all personnel moves are made with the good of the team in mind.
“[Getting taken out] might be in the back of your mind, but the good thing is, with the depth of this team, is that you know whoever’s going to be thrown in is gonna be ready and prepared,” Lofgren said. “You trust the team that’s up there.”
g.adams@ chronicle.utah.edu