Gymnasts gear up for No. 1 Utes
The Utah State gymnastics team dusted off the mat Monday for an intrasquad meet, its final warm up for No. 1 Utah on Friday.
“What we accomplished tonight was, in my mind, extremely successful,” Head Coach Ray Corn said.
The intrasquad meet was the team’s chance to let the fans know what to expect in the season.
“It got us more prepared for Utah on Friday,” freshman Jackie Fogli said.
She said it was good practice for everyone because it helped them get used to the equipment and the Spectrum. Especially the freshmen who had never competed there before.
The night started just as any other season meet with each of the gymnasts being introduced. Although most of the gymnasts got the opportunity to perform at each event, Corn did not let all of them perform because some were at risk of getting hurt.
For example, Alex Martin did not perform in either the floor or the vault because of a sprained ankle that could have gotten worse.
Jessica Parenti was also sick with strep throat.
The night was also about teaching the fans about each event and showing them what to look for in the performances.
Corn got the opportunity to host the event, as he explained the different ways of scoring each event, the requirements and deductions for everything from falling to not having all the required skills in the routines.
“Everytime we get out on the floor we’ve got to try to accomplish something,” said Corn. “We have to get to the next level.”
As opposed to last season’s team, which consisted of a total of two upperclassmen, this year the experience is split between four upperclassmen and 10 underclassmen, six of whom are freshmen.
“They are a great group of girls,” Ashley Barr said about the freshmen. She said that they get along well and that they meshed immediatly.
“They truly appreciate and respect each other for what they do,” Coach Corn said of the gymnasts. He said that the team was very close.
Along with the new freshmen, the team is also welcoming back Parenti and Megan Nelson. The two were unable to compete last season because of injuries.
“They’re back and they showed [tonight] that they are going to be tremendous contributors,” Corn said.
The team will tumble into the new season on Friday, when they take on the University of Utah. The meet will be in the Spectrum at 6:45 p.m.
“I think that we’re going to surprise a lot of people,” Barr said. “We’re going to show them what we’re made of.”
-vramirez@cc.usu.edu
USU gymnast Alex Martin balances on the beam during her routine Monday night in the Spectrum. (Photo by John Zsiray)