Gymnasts ready for conference finals
After four days of rainy weather, the gymnastics team has had enough.
That’s why it won’t be too tough for the team to head for Fullerton, Calif., where it will be competing in the Western Gymnastics Conference against UC Fullerton, Boise and Southern Utah.
“It’s going to have to be near perfection for us to obtain all our goals,” Utah State Head Coach Ray Corn said. “The ladies have handled [pressure] well. They’ve trained very well and they certainly deserve an opportunity to be the conference champions.”
The Aggies have never won a conference title, but are ready for their first.
Corn said that a team goal for the season was to be able to wear a championship ring. He said that in order to accomplish the goal the team would have to do three things.
The first thing is to hit 24-for-24 routines, meaning that they want to have every gymnast complete their routine without having to count a fall. The second thing is to replace their last team score of 194.550.
The final goal for the team is to put as many athletes on podiums as possible and to win as many medals as they can.
Corn said that the competition was about that. He said that the team had several individuals on every event that have an opportunity to get to that place.
He said that Parenti was one who could go all the way in the all-around.
“That would be sweet for her after all the challenges that she’s had in the last two years,” he said about Parenti going through mononucleosis and surgery. “She’s a tough trooper.”
Utah State will compete against host UC Fullerton, Boise and Southern Utah.
USU is ranked at No. 16 nationally and Southern Utah is ranked at No. 17. If the Ags can keep their No. 16 ranking, then they will qualify for regionals. The Aggies have not qualified for regionals since the start of the conference finals in 2002.
Corn said the biggest goal for the team this year was to get back into the regional meet and this weekend will tell that tale.
“The consistency of our program has gotten us to the ranking that we’ve garnered for two years,” he said. “I look forward to their character and consistency.”
He said that key points for the team to remember while they compete are keeping their heads down so they can concentrate and focus on their routines, landings on the vault and handstands on the bars.
“That is what separates the great from the good,” Corn said. “If we hit our vaults I don’t think there is going to be anything stopping us.”
The team had a rough start at the beginning of the season, starting it off at No. 31 in the pre-season poll. They then dropped as low as No. 37 before finally starting to slowly climb their way up to the position they are in now.
“We knew we were going to be good (but) we didn’t know how good,” Corn said. “It’s been an exciting year.”
As for nerves, the team is ready and prepared.
“I don’t think they’ve ever gotten nervous. Proper training and proper rest will usually lead to that,” Corn said.
The meet will be Friday at 7 p.m. at Fullerton.
-vramirez@cc.usu.edu