Utah has fared well over the years against BYU. However, despite carrying an impressive 81-2 record against the Cougars, one meet sticks out above the rest.
In 1994, BYU defeated Utah 194.125-125.800 in Provo. As the meet progressed, Utah head coach Greg Marsden didn’t like how the judges were scoring. After expressing his obvious displeasure to the meet referee, his team received a deduction.
“I didn’t feel like I had done anything wrong,” Marsden said.
The move only further frustrated Marsden, and the coach made the conscious decision to pull his team off the mats in protest. The move led to one of the two losses to the Red Rocks’ in-state rivals.
It’s unlikely that Marsden will let anything of that sort happen on Senior Night tonight in the Huntsman Center when No. 2 Utah takes on BYU.
The Utes will celebrate the careers of Jessica Duke, Katie Kivisto and Ashley Postell before the meet, and everyone wants the night to go as smoothly as possible.”I always get very emotional,” Marsden said. “I never think I’m going to, but I always do.”
Members of the team expect to show their emotions as well during the ceremony. Nina Kim said that she was petitioning for it to be moved to after the meet so that she wouldn’t have to regroup for the competition.
All three seniors expressed that there isn’t much pressure on tonight’s meet and that they are more concerned about the postseason.
Kivisto is just happy that she will have family there to support her. Her mom, dad and one of two sisters will be in the crowd. She is also hoping to get her boyfriend access to the mats.
For Duke, a Sandy native, four years of competing in front of hometown fans is coming to a close.
“We’re going to go out with a bang,” she said.
Postell has been turning heads since she stepped onto campus four years ago. She has marched her way into the Utah and national record books with her performances and doesn’t have anything else to prove, she said.
“I’m satisfied with what I’ve done,” Postell said. “I’m glad I’m on this team. I don’t think I would fit in anywhere else.”Utah will try to gain momentum tonight for Regionals and not have a let down after meets at No. 3 Florida and No. 4 Michigan the past two weeks.