The No. 4 U gymnastics team (1-0) will get a stiff early test to its 22-year regular season home winning streak Friday night.
No. 7 Arizona (5-0) visits the Huntsman Center after beating a host of ranked teams, while the U looks to plug in reserve gymnasts after the injury bug hit the team in its season-opening defeat of Ohio State.
Former NCAA champion and Utah’s 2001 victories leader Theresa Kulikowski is scheduled to go three events for the Utes after her injury. Kulio’s knee is black and blue after she flung off the bars against Ohio State.
Coach Greg Marsden said Kulio was tumbling in practice and will go on floor as well as bars and beam, unless by some freakish practice accident it gets worse.
One Red Rock the U will be without is Kylee Wagner. Wagner, a senior, had her ankle buckle after her first tumbling pass on the floor exercise against OSU. Wagner, who was filling in for an injured Kulikowski on the event, will be out three to four weeks with a bad sprain.
Prior to the floor, Wagner had competed in the vault and beam, earning scores of 9.700 and 9.775, respectively.
Her replacement on the two events will be junior Kim Allan. Allan, who is coming off Achilles surgery which sidelined her during her sophomore year, was a three-event performer as a freshman. Allan, a Second Team All American on beam as a freshman, scored a 9.800 on bars in her only event last week.
Two more gymnasts will join seniors Deidra Graham and four-event winner Shannon Bowles in the all-around.
Sophomores Veronique LeClerc and Melissa Vituj are scheduled to go all four events.
Their stiffest challenge may come from Bowles, who won the all-around (39.450), beam (9.950) and floor (9.875) and tied for first on bars (9.900).
Marsden said some gymnasts will do upgrades in their routines, including LeClerc on bars and floor and Bowles on floor and bars.
In Arizona, the U will be challenging a team that has catapulted from a preseason No. 17 ranking to a current No. 7.
“Arizona beat No. 3 Michigan and Oklahoma, who made it to Nationals last year, both at a neutral site,” Marsden said.
The Wildcats beat both teams at the season-opening Maui Invitational Jan. 4, in which it scored a 194.650.
Arizona followed that with an easy win over Boise State and Brown in its home opener.
But even with the Wildcats’ success, Arizona coach Bill Ryden knows escaping the Huntsman Center with a win is a whole ‘nother ballpark.
“Utah will be the biggest test for our team so far this season. Utah is a quality team and competes in an environment found nowhere else in collegiate gymnastics. How we handle the pressure of a large crowd will determine our performance,” he said.
Ryden realized, with Utah’s talent and 165-meet home win streak, a win may not be in the cards.
“Our plan is to go out there and compete, and limit our mistakes,” he said.
Utah faced off against Arizona last year, squeezing by the ‘Cats 196.400 to 193.925.
The key to the new-look Wildcats this year is a trio of freshmen. Jamie Duce, Katie Johnson and Monica Bisordi all rank in the top 20 nationally on bars, floor and beam, respectively.