Aggies search for upset in SLC
The Utah State women’s gymnastics team will compete in the North Central Regional Championships Saturday in Salt Lake City in the Huntsman Center. Hoping for either a first- or second-place finish, the Aggies will be vying for a trip to the 2001 NCAA Nationals in Athens, Ga.
Besides meet host University of Utah, the Aggies will compete against Iowa State University, West Virginia University, Denver University and the Air Force Academy.
“I don’t believe anyone is going to beat Utah in their home arena at their regional meet unless something freakish happens,” said Aggie coach Ray Corn. “I am very confident and very positive about this meet.”
The Aggies earned a spot at the regional meet by compiling a Regional Qualifying Score of 195.00. The Aggies also won the Big West Championships on March 24 in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Concentrating on a second place finish because Utes have the home advantage, Corn said it is essential for the second place team that goes to Nationals to hit 20 out of 24 routines.
“They must hit [the routines] with great precision. I really don’t believe that it can be done by hitting routines but looking sloppy. It must be done with precision.”
The regional meet consists of six rotations, four events and two byes. The rotations were determined by a random draw at the NCAA office.
The Aggies will begin the meet on the event they struggled with all season – balance beam. Utah State will then sit out during the second rotation, followed by floor and vault for the third and fourth rotations. The team will have another bye during the fifth rotation and finish out competition on the uneven bars.
The Aggies will be lead in the all-around competition by sophomores Tina Ellis and Nicole Kilpatrick.
Ellis competed in the all-around competition for the Aggies in all but three meets this season. Placing third with a score of 38.925, she earned all-Big West honors in the all-around at the conference meet.
Kilpatrick has competed eight times in the all-around competition this season for Utah State, winning two all-around titles. Kilpatrick scored 39.325, a career best, in the all-around against Brigham Young University. The score is the highest all-around score for an Aggie gymnast this season.
An advantage for Utah State, as well as the University of Utah, in the meet is that the competition will be very accessible to fans.
“I hope that our students come down and support us,” Corn said.
The Aggie gymnasts are encouraging fans to come and support the team by wearing all blue.