The Great Debate |
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Will Utah qualify for the Super Six? |
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Team holds potential for an upset |
Odds stacked against a Utes win |
 With the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships taking place this weekend in Los Angeles, the question has risen once again of whether the Utes can return to the top of the podium. Utah has now qualified for nationals 38 years in a row and the Super Six 18 times but has been in a bit of a lull for the last decade. Yes, it has come close to winning having placed second four times since 2000 and third twice. Unfortunately, the Utes have not been able to come out on top since 1995. But Utah can absolutely win this weekend. I know the topic of this debate is whether or not the Utes will make it to the Super Six, but I believe they have a shot at winning it all. The main reason is Utah has little to lose and everything to gain. The Utes will definitely be a dark horse, but they have the talent to pull off the ultimate upset. They bring into the championships three NCAA All-Americans in sophomores Georgia Dabritz, Tory Wilson and Becky Tutka. Utah might be young, but it is every bit as talented as any team in the country. The underdog role could also benefit the Utes this weekend. They have no seniors, and they might not be the favorites to win according to the national pundits, but being favored has caused Utah to get flustered in the past. Perhaps being a dark horse this time around could be the best thing for this young team. If the Utes can string together solid routines throughout the weekend, they have the same chance to win as anyone else. Although their semifinal round looks to be the more difficult of the two meets since they face two-time defending champ Alabama as well as UCLA. If the Utes can qualify for Saturday’s finals, they will be poised to pull off the upset. Utah might be coming into the championships with its lowest seed ever at No. 10, but this last weekend could be the time this talented team can finally pull together a perfect meet, win it all and put the Utes back on top. |
 The Utes will be making their 38th consecutive trip to the national championships this weekend. They finished the regular season with a 5-2-1 record in eight head-to-head meets and won both of their quad meets. After placing third out of eight teams at the Pac-12 Championships, Utah took second out of six teams at the Tuscaloosa Regional to advance to the NCAA Championships. While making the final 12 proves the Utes are a great team, they will not do enough to qualify for their 14th consecutive Super Six. Unlike the regular season when head-to-head scores did not matter in meets, the Utes will have to beat multiple teams who are ranked higher than them. In hopes of securing a win, Utah will need to rely on the sensational Tory Wilson. She went undefeated on the vault during the regular season (10-0) and was the first Ute to ever finish the season without a loss on an individual event. Although Wilson’s magic could give the Utes a better shot at making the Super Six, there are too many other factors going against them. Hampered by having two key injured players, Utah has struggled when compared to many of the top teams in the country it will see again this week. Utah will be competing without two reigning All-Americans, as Corrie Lothrop ruptured her Achilles tendon in the fourth meet of the season and Kailah Delaney missed the entire season with a knee injury. The Utes did well without them during the regular season, but their absence will be more noticeable this weekend. Experience and skill are two of the most important factors in winning, and the Utes will be without a lot of that this weekend at Pauley Pavilion. This isn’t to say the Utes who are healthy are chopped liver. Wilson, Georgia Dabritz and Becky Tutka were named regular season All-Americans in the first year of the award. Utah has competitors, but it is still behind some of the other programs. The Utes are the 10th seed this weekend, which is their lowest at nationals in program history. Utah is 0-3 this season against teams in their semifinal, including two losses to host UCLA and once to the Crimson Tide of Alabama. It beat Florida and lost to Georgia, both of whom are competing in the opposite semifinal. With their 0-3 record against teams they will be competing against on Friday night, it will be tough for the Utes to advance to the Super Six. |
The Great Debate: Will Utah qualify for the Super Six?
April 17, 2013