So much for the U gymnastics team overlooking a weaker opponent Friday night at the Huntsman Center.
The Red Rocks stayed focused on the competition at hand despite anticipation for their meet on Sunday against No. 9 UCLA and improve to 8-0 on the season with wins over Southern Utah and Utah State.
Utah earned its second highest score of the year with a 197.200. SUU finished second with 193.100 and USU placed third with 189.650.
Utah ignited the night, and the crowd, with its exceptional beginning on vault. Kristina Baskett scored a 9.95 on the Red Rocks’ opening events as the crowd begged the judges for a 10.0. The fans were sated when Ashley Postell earned a perfect score moments later.
Although vault hasn’t been Postell’s strongest event in her time with Utah, the 10.0 is her second of the season on that event. Baskett’s vault featured a one-and-a-half on-a first for her in 2008-although she has used it in the past.
“The people early in the lineup have to set it up,” Marsden said of the high scores. He believes that judges tend to score higher later in the lineup if the first two or three scores are properly set the rest of the team up.
Daria Bijak kept things rolling for Utah on the beam. Her 9.925 marked a career high and kept the crowd energized.
Utah State struggled through its beam routines and suffered multiple falls. Neither the Aggies nor the Thunderbirds could get into a groove.
The 12,000 plus fans filling the stands stayed noisy all meet long. They were fueled by six U football players expressing their love for the gymnastics team with paint on their chests. Among the football players were safety Robert Johnson and wide receiver Jereme Brooks.
The Utah volleyball team and men’s basketball team were also represented in the crowd. The athletes in the crowd started the wave through the stands and led other students in cheers. One spectator sitting in the same area even did her best “Bubbles” impression, imitating the famous U football fan’s dance.
“I don’t remember students showing up to meets like they have this year and being so animated,” Marsden said.
Baskett said that she and the other gymnasts feed off of the energy in the Huntsman Center and that it is fun to interact with the crowd.
“I think they’ve taken it up a notch this year,” Postell said.Marsden feels that Utah fans and the gymnasts sense that this season could be special. Postell has much to do with that. The senior won her sixth all-around crown of the season with a 39.750, her second best mark of the year. The score also tied for the sixth best score in team history.
Baskett took a step in the right direction by not taking a step out of bounds on her floor routine. She has stepped out of bounds twice this season including last week against Washington, but corralled all her maneuvers Friday.
“I do think they feel?there’s something special about this group,” Marsden said.
The team has another chance to prove that on Sunday when it will be hosted by No. 9 UCLA. The Bruins improved to 12-0 on the season Friday by defeating Arizona in Tucson, Ariz.
Both Utah and UCLA are relatively healthy right now. Nina Kim, who sat out Friday’s meet with an injured foot, could be back in the lineup. Stephanie Neff and Jacq Johnson are still out with leg injuries.
UCLA features sophomore Anna Li. The all-around competitor is ranked No. 2 in the country. She is flanked by a solid cast of performers.
“That’s a team we have to be at our very best to beat especially on their home floor,” Marsden said.
Utah might not use all of its upgrades Sunday. Postell performed a double Arabian on the first pass of her floor routine for the second week in a row. She has not tried to impliment the triple twist at the backend of that routine yet, and Marsden expects to wait until Utah’s March 7 meeting with Oregon State to do so.
What moves are actually used and which ones get left out will be determined by the gymnasts’ state before the meet against UCLA.
“Hopefully we recover enough to have our legs again by Sunday,” Marsden said.
The meet starts at 3 p.m. local time.