Trying to save their season
In reality, it hasn’t been the best season for the USU gymnastics squad. In fact, you could say at times that it hasn’t been fun.
After finding out that there was no way they could make it to post-season play – only the fourth time in 29 years the Ags haven’t extended their season – the gymnastics squad is already prepping for next season, which starts with the WAC gymnastics championships Saturday in the Spectrum at 2 p.m.
“It would be a great tribute to these ladies to begin next year with winning the conference meet to save this season,” USU Head Coach Ray Corn said. “This is the fourth time in 29 years that USU has not made it into post-season play. USU has been involved in 13 conference championships since turning NCAA, and we have won six of those 13. Of the 13, we were probably favored in only one of them.”
The No. 37 Aggies will be hosting Boise State, San Jose State, CS Fullerton, Sacramento State and Southern Utah. Corn said at this point that Southern Utah is picked to win the meet, while USU is picked to finish fifth in the meet.
But USU isn’t going to let that stop them, Corn said. Especially not in its home turf.
“I think we will have two advantages,” Corn said. “One: the home court. Two: no one is expecting us to do anything since we have been so dominating in the past and we have yet to win any meet against any conference opponent. I hope this sleeping giant awakens.”
He said he thinks the team that is the most determined to hit its routines is the team that will come out on top. In the past, Corn said, the conference championships have been fairly low-scoring.
The Aggies have struggled this season for a number of reasons, Corn said, one of the main ones being injuries.
Because of the number of injuries, Corn said he had to use competition to condition some of the athletes, something he said he wasn’t used to. The Ags are 4-15 on the season so far, and haven’t won a conference meet yet. But Corn said he hopes that will change Saturday.
If for nothing other than showing the team it can do it, especially at home.
“I think it’s huge a validation for a team that has worked very hard and has been banged up – to finally prove to themselves that they are of a championship caliber,” he said. “I think it’s huge to get them into the 2006-’07 season. I think it’s huge for our fans that we bring home another conference championship. It would be the second one this year. [And] it certainly would bring a smile to my face.”
The meet starts at 2 p.m. in the Spectrum. Tickets for students are $5 and are $8 for adults.
-aedmunds@cc.usu.edu