After winning all-around in her first meet against Michigan with the Red Rocks, freshman MyKayla Skinner won all-around for the second time, scoring a 39.6 — her highest so far this season — in the meet against the BYU Cougars. For the second week in a row, she was awarded Pac-12 Gymnast and Freshman of the Week.
For Skinner, though, her success hasn’t quite hit her. Since it has only been a couple of days, Skinner hasn’t had time to process the win, but she said that it was really fun going out there with the team.
“That’s what I go out there for is just looking forward to hit and building up our team score,” Skinner said. “I mean it is such a great opportunity to be able to to win that for the second time in a row.”
Skinner added that while it might be on the back of her mind to strive for winning all-around at every meet — and it would cool if she did — she is focusing on her team and how they perform at meets. She said that whatever happens, happens, however.
Co-coaches leading the way
Megan Marsden and Tom Farden have started their second season in co-coaching the Utah gymnastics team. In the 33 years, Marsden has been on the coaching staff for the Red Rocks, this will be her eighth season as co-head coach. In Farden’s second season as co-coach, Marsden said it has gone well.
Marsden added that it was something she and her husband, former co-coach Greg Marsden, had worked on for a period of time prior to Farden coming in. With his involvement with the program for five years as assistant coach, Marsden and her husband could see that Farden was someone they wanted to bring along, and someone Marsden felt comfortable working within a similar role as her husband.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with Tom,” Marsden said. “I think we cover each other’s weaknesses very well, and I take care of some of the things that don’t interest him as much, but Tom is good at all aspects of this program. There are some areas that I really enjoy, and he takes over on some things that really don’t interest me at all like the budget, scheduling and all those things.”
Marsden added that she is hoping to have the opportunity to be involved with the program as Farden wins his very first championship in the second season as being the co-head coach with him.
“I know that is a goal of his,” Marsden said. “I was fortunate enough to get a chance to do that as an athlete and then as a coach alongside my husband, and it would be wonderful to have that opportunity to be with Tom as he gets a chance to win his first.”
Shattering records
In their first meet this season, the Red Rocks set a new school record, selling 8,763 season tickets. Winning six all-women sports attendance titles and 32 gymnastics attendance crowns, the Red Rocks have averaged more than 14,000 fans a meet for the past seven seasons and almost 12,000 over that last 25 years.
Skinner thinks fans are excited because the Red Rocks are coming back strong this year. Skinner added they might also be excited to see how they do this season, and she finds it awesome that they have that many fans.
“It is awesome just being in that arena with all of them there,” Skinner said. “Just having that experience with everyone being so pumped and the energy that they brought, it is just amazing.”
Marsden added to what Skinner said by saying that the Red Rocks have the best gymnastics fans in the country. According to Marsden, there is no one else that has fans like theirs and she thinks it was partly they were a little slow to realize they needed to open the upper bowl, because as soon as they did, people came out to see the action in firsthand.
“Tom was the one that pushed that and really felt like it was time, and I think with all the numbers, that was obvious,” Marsden said. “I also think that it also says something about our athletes and that our fans continue to want to come and see the talent that we have.”
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