SALT LAKE CITY — The night was going perfectly for the Red Rocks.
They entered the last event of the night with a 0.55 lead over second-place Stanford and looked to be walking to their second straight Pac-12 Championship.
Then tragedy struck.
On her first tumbling pass on floor, senior Tory Wilson didn’t get her normal pop off the mat. During the takeoff on a flipping sequence, Wilson’s Achilles went out causing her to severely under rotate and land on her knees and stomach. Utah co-head coach confirmed post meet what everyone feared — Wilson had ruptured her Achilles, ending her season and career. She rolled onto her back and signaled that she could not finish the routine.
The music stopped, the Huntsman Center went silent and assistant coach Tom Farden came on to the floor to pick up Wilson and carry her into the locker room. This was the last routine Wilson would perform at the arena she has electrified for four years, including earlier in the night with a perfect 10.00 on vault, and the fans honored her one last time.
As she was being carried away, the crowd rose and gave her one last standing ovation.
Despite all the emotions of the moment, the Utes still had a title to win, and suddenly another mistake could cost them the meet. If there was ever a time for the Utes to demonstrate championship mettle, this was it.
The Utes had three gymnasts remaining, all of whom were Wilson’s fellow seniors. Corrie Lothrop went first, sticking a 9.90, Georgia Dabritz followed that up with a 9.95 and Becky Tutka sealed the championship with a 9.925, sending the Utah team and crowd into celebration. The Red Rocks finished the event with a 49.525 and finished the meet with a 198.15 to claim the Pac-12 Championship. UCLA (197.350) and Stanford (197.350) rounded out the top three.
“It was really hard,” Lothrop said. “I could feel sad for a little bit, but I had to get back because I had a floor routine to do and the meet wasn’t over. Afterwards I was all sorts of emotions. I think that floor routine was for her.”
It marked the second straight Pac-12 Championship for the Red Rocks, but this one was bittersweet.
“This is a tough one. It’s hard,” Utah co-coach Greg Marsden said. “I am happy for our team, happy for our fans, but I’m devastated for Tory. It’s hard to think about, going forward.”
Utah began the meet with a dominant performance on vault, with the Utes taking the three top spots. WIlson won the event with her 10.0, Dabritz claimed second with a 9.975 and Kari Lee rounded out the top three with a 9.950.
The performance got the Utes off to a good start, and they just kept rolling from there.
Utah went to the bars next, where Lothrop was a surprise winner, tying Stanford’s Elizabeth Price with a 9.950.
“It’s kind of weird, but I was excited,” Lothrop said. “I have had bar routines where the actual bar routine has been really good, but I didn’t have the dismount. So I was more proud of myself than happy that I put a full bar routine together.”
The Utes proved once again they have conquered their former troubles on beam, and one gymnast especially — who has been prone to falls on the apparatus — led the charge for Utah. Dabritz took second with a 9.925 for a new career-high on beam.
“It was a great night to do that,” Dabritz said. “I have been working really hard on my consistency on beam all four years I’ve been here, and it’s finally coming all together.”
Dabrtiz’s 9.950 on the floor was good enough to share that event title and also clinch the all-around win. She was also named the Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year following the event. Marsden and his wife and co-coach Megan Marsden won Coach of the Year.
The win marked the second straight conference title for the Utes, but it did not come without a price.
Following the meet, Tutka walked into the training room searching for Wilson, but she had already left for the hospital for treatment.
“It’s every gymnasts’ nightmare,” Greg Marsden said about the Achilles injury. “To their credit, they handled it as well as you possibly could, and that’s what Tory would want them to do.”
Individual winners:
All-Around: Georgia Dabrtiz (Utah) — 39.775
Vault: Tory Wilson (Utah) — 10.00
Bars: Corrie Lothrop (Utah), Elizabeth Price (Stanford) — 9.950
Beam: Samantha Peszek (UCLA) — 9.950
Floor: Georgia Dabritz (Utah), Jessica Sisler (Arizona), Samantha Peszek (UCLA) — 9.950
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