COLUMN: Action-packed Spectrum weekend
A weekend at the spectrum.
That is what is on my mind. The weather is finally warming up and spring is beckoning, but I can’t wait to spend all weekend indoors.
Saturday the Western Athletic Conference Gymnastics Championships descends upon Logan. The shiny basketball floor of the Spectrum will be converted into mats and gymnastics apparatuses before five teams pit their skills against one another in the culmination of their seasons.
The Aggies will take on San Jose State University, Southern Utah University, Sacramento State University and, for the first time, the University of Denver.
This is the first time the five teams will be together in competition, but most of them are familiar with each other. The only undefeated team in WAC action is San Jose State, who is a perfect 3-0 in WAC matchups.
Other than San Jose’s conference dominance, the teams seem to be evenly matched. The unknown variable in the meet is the University of Denver.
I grew up watching DU gymnastics, so the team’s trip to Logan is a bit nostalgic for me.
Since head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart took over the program 14 years ago, Denver has been a force in the gymnastics world. This year the Pioneers are ranked No. 18 in the nation, and there is no doubt the rest of the teams in the WAC are ready to take on the challenge.
The Pioneers have no WAC history, as they backed out of their only conference meet of the season.
The Aggies beat the SUU Thunderbirds just two meets ago for the first time in seven years, so maybe there’s a bit of a rivalry there.
Aggies fans have a unique opportunity to see their gymnasts take on some really good competition this weekend.
When someone asks me what my favorite season is, I simply respond, “Postseason.” It’s that time of year. March Madness is going on, professional sports are reaching crunch time, and the men’s basketball team is still in a postseason tournament. Wait, what?
All jokes aside about playing a game in Utah on a Sunday, the Aggies are taking on Oakland University. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon than watching Kyisean Reed throw down huge dunks, Preston Medlin’s face when he makes a huge basket and Jordan Stone’s face pretty much all the time.
Now we just need to get the Spectrum full on a Sunday. This could be interesting.
Maybe it’s the CIT’s way of taking the fan variable out of the game in a setting like Utah State. That’s all the more reason to get the Spectrum.
And it’s our faithful editor’s birthday. That’s a pretty good reason, too.
– Meredith Kinney is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism and an avid hockey and lacrosse fan. She hopes one day to be a big-shot sideline reporter working for ESPN. Send comments to meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu.