The Utah gymnastics team couldn’t have entered the postseason on a better note.
The Red Rocks are coming off a herculean school record 198.425 team score, the highest score in women’s gymnastics this year as well as the second highest score in NCAA history.
“It definitely puts us into the postseason with confidence,” senior Shannon Bowles said. “We need to maintain that confidence.”
The Utes try to preserve that confidence as they enter the NCAA’s West Regional Saturday in Corvallis, Ore. The field in the regional meet includes No. 4 Utah, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 13 Oregon State, No. 24 Southern Utah, Washington and Boise State.
The top two teams from six regionals across the country advance to the NCAA Championships.
Utah’s draw in competition order is floor, vault, bye, bars, beam, bye. Utah finishes on beam, an event in which it ranked No. 1 in the country for the 2002 season.
The last time the Utes were in Corvallis for an NCAA Regional was 1999, where it advanced to the NCAA Championships after placing second behind UCLA.
Coach Greg Marsden knows if his team can perform to its potential, advancing this season will not be a problem.
“Everybody’s as healthy as you can expect them to be at the end of the season, and everyone looks as good as they have all year,” Marsden said. “It makes me optimistic.”
“We’re going to treat it as the same as a regular season meet. We’re not going to put more pressure on ourselves since it’s regionals,” senior Deidra Graham said.
Graham will compete in her second straight all-around despite lingering back pain due to bulging disks in her back.
With his team peaking at the right time and Graham back in the line-up, Marsden is encouraged.
“Practices have been really, really good the last two weeks, I’d say the best of the season. I feel good going into Regionals.”
“I’m trying to find reasons why to put people in the line up,” Marsden said. “The first person up is every bit as good as the last person up. “
Utah’s difficulty will lie in continuing the momentum away from the comfort of the Huntsman Center, discrediting the notion that the U’s midseason struggles were due to a five-week road trip.
“I always felt we went through that while we were on the road, not because we were on the road,” Marsden said.
“We know we’re really good, and [during the slump] we tried to show it too much. We don’t need to think too much about [performing],” freshman Annabeth Eberle said.
“In some ways, it’s more difficult [to compete on the road] than at home. We have the fan support, and you relax more at home, naturally,” said Bowles.
“But we can do it on the road, if we let ourselves.”
Utah’s opponents don’t measure up in talent, but cannot be overlooked.
In No. 9 Oklahoma, Utah competes against a team that pushed No. 3 Georgia to the last couple routines on the Bulldogs’ home floor.
Oklahoma qualified to nationals last year, and Marsden said this year’s edition of the Sooners are even better.
Oklahoma boasts a high score of 197.000, and are led in the all-around by Kasie Tamayo (39.675 all-around high) and Mariana Goncalves (39.625).
Marsden said Utah’s other stiff competition, regional host No. 13 Oregon State Beavers, are a much better team at home than on the road.
OSU owns a high score of 196.475, and is led by Annie Campbell (39.575) and Jerra Lopez (39.400).
The Utes already possess a 197.350 to 195.475 victory over the Beavers in Salt Lake City March 9.
“If we don’t have to count falls, we’re fine. But if we do, we open doors. Oregon State and Oklahoma are good enough to make it scary,” Marsden said.
The meet begins Saturday at 7 p.m. (MST). Live stats are posted on the U athletic Web site at www.utahutes.com.