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The University of Utah Athletics
2000 Women's Gymnastics Season Outlook
11/15/1999 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Nov. 15, 1999
SALT LAKE CITY - It's the 25-year celebration of women's athletics at the University of Utah-reason enough to reflect on former Ute gymnastics teams and titles. Names like Missy Marlowe, Megan McCunniff, Lisa Mitzel, Shelly Schaerrer, Kristen Kenoyer, Suzanne Metz and Aimee Trepanier, among so many others, invoke championship memories. Rarely in college sports has a dynasty straddled two decades so successfully as the Utah gymnastics program, which won six national titles in the 1980s and another four in the '90s.
But you won't find Utah Head Coach Greg Marsden, the mastermind behind each of those 10 national championships, partying with his past. Rather than celebrate what came before, he's already moved on to the next generation of Ute gymnasts.
Meet Theresa Kulikowski, Shannon Bowles and Company.
"While we're certainly proud of our tradition of success at Utah, we're not interested in resting on past laurels," says Marsden. "With the athletes we have involved in the program now and our incredible new training facility, we look forward to continuing that winning tradition in the years to come."
When Marsden does peek at the past, it's usually at last year's seventh-place national finish rather than previous years' championships. "While we were disappointed with the outcome at last year's nationals, we aren't discouraged, because we had a great season with the exception of one bad beam performance," he contends. "I think we all feel very positive about the talent on our team and its determination to get back to nationals again with a chance to win."
The Utes had a chance at an 11th national championship last year after rolling up a 12-1 regular season record, which included two of the five highest scores in school history, and advancing to nationals out of the toughest regional in the nation. And, on three events at nationals, they showed they indeed had the makings of a champion. Unfortunately, Utah opened NCAA Championship competition with three falls on beam and couldn't recover to make the Super Six and get a crack at the title. The good news? Utah finished with three individual championships*two of them by then-freshman Theresa Kulikowski, who won the all-around and the balance beam titles. The other Ute gold went to 1999 senior Angie Leonard on the uneven bars.
Kulikowski is back for her sophomore year and she is joined by three other All-Americans. They are: junior Shannon Bowles, a four-time first-team All-American, sophomore Deidra Graham, who made bar finals as a freshman last year, placing 10th, and senior Denise Jones, a second-team All-America all-arounder as a sophomore in 1998 (12th).
Those All-Americans highlight a 13-member squad comprised of four seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen. It starts with Kulikowski, the first alternate on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team and the nation's best collegiate gymnast as a freshman. "Kulio" turned in one of the most dominating performances ever at an NCAA Championships by winning the all-around and balance beam (tie) and finishing second on vault and floor. Her 37 wins last season broke the school record held by former Ute NCAA champion and 1988 U.S. Olympian Missy Marlowe, who had 36 wins in 1991.
"What can I say?" asks Marsden. "Along with Missy Marlowe and a small handful of others, Theresa is one of the most talented and hard-working athletes that has ever been involved with our program. I really think the sky is the limit for Kulio. The only concern I have with her is she is so determined and intense about her gymnastics, I want to make sure she keeps a good perspective and continues to enjoy it. I don't want everyone's expectations to become a burden to her. She's going to accomplish a lot over the next three years if she stays healthy, but I want her to have fun while she's doing it."
Bowles, another U.S. National Team product, will keep Kulikowski company at the top. Bowles had a sensational freshman campaign, placing eighth all-around and fourth on bars and beam at the 1998 NCAA Championships, before shoulder problems struck as a sophomore. She still finished fourth in the nation on the balance beam a year ago, but never hit her stride as an all-arounder. Expect that to change this year following successful off-season shoulder surgery.
"Shannon is finally healthy and back to 100 percent strength and she's had a spectacular preseason," says Marsden. "She looks better than ever on all four events and when she's healthy and at her best, she is capable of challenging anybody in the all-around. Shannon is coming off a season that was difficult because she had to compete each week with very little preparation, which is something she's not comfortable with. She is diligent with her preparation and that's part of her confidence going into a competition," says Marsden, adding, "She and all of us are very excited about what lies ahead for her."
Another of Utah's recent recruiting coups is Graham, who starred alongside Kulikowski as a freshman last year. A first-team All-American on bars, Graham is also a dynamic tumbler and vaulter.
"Deidra has really added a spark to our team," says Marsden of the best local product since Marlowe and Schaerrer led Utah to NCAA Championships in 1990 and '92. "She has such a cute, energetic personality and it comes out on the competitive floor. Her almost childlike enthusiasm energizes her teammates and the crowd, and hopefully even the judges, with the way she performs her routines. She's already a national contender on bars, she's an exceptional floor worker and she's a good and improving vaulter. If Deidra can become consistent on balance beam and make that a strength, she suddenly becomes a national contender for the all-around," asserts Marsden.
The senior class has a big gun too in Jones, who has gone all-around since her freshman year and finished 12th in the nation in 1998. She won five events, including one all-around, as a junior and has 18 career 39.00 or better all-around scores. Jones has improved her technique and execution each year, raising Marsden's expectation level accordingly.
"Denise was chosen team captain by her peers, which tells you what her teammates think of her. She and Ashley (Kever) are the emotional leaders of this team. Both have very strong personalities and are extremely dedicated and hard working," lauds Marsden. "Denise has gone all-around for us more than any other gymnast over the last two years and people are starting to take notice of the tremendous contribution she makes to this team week in and week out."
She'll get assistance leading the team from classmates Ashley Kever, Angelika Schatton and Jenny Schmidt. Kever has been a two-event specialist for most of her career, due to a shoulder injury she came with to Utah. One of Utah's best performers on floor and beam since her freshman year, Kever also added a 10.0 vault to Utah's lineup last year before a knee injury dropped her back to two events. Look for her to compete on two and maybe three events again this year.
"Ashley is healthier than at any time since she arrived on our campus," says Marsden. "She can't do bars because of the shoulder problem she came here with, but she is someone you can really count on in the other three events. Ashley's spirit is contagious, her determination makes her an aggressive competitor and she's capable of scoring the big score."
Someone who could make a giant leap from event specialist to the all-around is Schatton. "Angelika probably made the most improvement in the off-season of the returning people. It's by far the best preseason she's had since she's been here," raves Marsden. "While up to now, she's been a vault specialist, I really see her challenging for a spot on all four events this year. She's learned some new skills, has a really positive attitude and has the confidence she's lacked in the past."
Then there's Schmidt, whose once promising all-around career has been sidetracked by knee injuries. A three-event star before injuring her knee midway through her freshman campaign, Schmidt missed the entire 1998 campaign after two surgeries. Last year, she returned on bars, although mostly in an exhibition capacity. That could change this year notes Marsden.
"Now that Jenny's accepted her (injury) situation, she's doing great on bars," says Marsden. "She learned a new skill in the off-season and we've re-composed her bar routine in a way we think will make her more competitive. I think Jenny could be a real force in the bar lineup this year."
Another upperclassman Marsden hopes will return to pre-injury form is junior Theresa Wolf. Wolf was one of the nation's top all-arounders at the beginning of the 1999 season before injuries sidelined her. She went all-around in three meets, winning one and placing second in the other two. Wolf's success this year hinges upon her ability to stay healthy: She has missed 11 meets in the last two years with injuries.
"Probably one of the most disappointing things that happened last year was when Theresa hurt her knee," says Marsden. "She was as good as anyone on the team at the time and was really coming into her own. I'm hoping Theresa can recapture the success she had early on last year. If we have Theresa healthy at the end of the year, we're going to be a much better team going into the NCAA Championships."
Rounding out the returners are sophomores Kylee Wagner and Lindsay Tanner, who Marsden predicts will step out of the shadows this year. Wagner has a leg up, having worked her way into the regular rotation on vault and floor last year. Tanner, a latecomer to gymnastics who came to Utah on an academic scholarship, showed promise too, especially on floor.
Says Marsden of Wagner, "Kylee is the most exciting thing to come along for me in a long time. She is someone who came in very unheralded and who we took a chance on offering a scholarship. Her improvement has been just incredible. I can see Kylee, somewhere down the line, going all-around for us. She is someone who never had many advantages before coming to college and is now like a sponge," marvels Marsden.
As for Tanner, while experience is still the missing ingredient, she too is making big strides. "Lindsay filled in late last year on floor and had some spectacular scores," recalls Marsden. "I've challenged Lindsay, telling her if she's ready early and is consistent, I'll give her a shot on floor. She could really help us there."
Lost to graduation were Angie Leonard and Molly and Sarah Northrop*a trio Marsden hopes he has replaced with three incoming freshmen. "You're not going to do better than Angie," concedes Marsden, "In that you can't anticipate replacing the NCAA uneven bar champion who night in and night out scored between a 9.90 and a 10.0. With that exception, I think we'll be able to replace five of the six routines we lost from the team that competed for us at nationals.
Critical to that end are three freshmen: Kim Allan (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), Erin Prewitt (Tallmadge, Ohio) and Leah Sabo (Hubbard, Ohio). Allan, a member of the Canadian National team who was third in the all-around at the 1998 Senior Elite Nationals, lends power to the Ute lineup. Prewitt, a member of the U.S. Junior National Team who placed fifth in the all-around at the 1998 J.O. Nationals, must work around a pre-existing ankle injury. Sabo, also a member of the J.O. National team, won the floor exercise at the 1998 J.O. national meet and excels in dance.
"Personality-wise, Kim is our new Deidra (Graham)," says Marsden. "Our fans are going to like her a lot because her personality really comes out in her gymnastics. She's really added some excitement and energy to the gym and is also a very talented athlete. She is powerful, which makes her very good on floor and vault, but she also swings nice bars and has an international style about her beam work. I'm excited about the possibilities for Kim," says Marsden.
Ditto for Prewitt, whose only limitation appears to be her bum ankle. "Erin is an extremely talented athlete on all four events," stresses Marsden, "But she came to us with an ankle problem that will probably require surgery so we've made a decision to compete her only on bars and beam this year. On those two events, I think she'll make a big contribution. She just has a phenomenal array of skills," Marsden notes.
Another Ohio native, Sabo, will help Utah immediately on floor, according to Marsden, and increased confidence and consistency could be the keys for her on other events. "Leah is our dancer. The thing that appealed to us so much was her attention to detail and execution and her exquisite dance on floor," says Marsden. "I think she'll really help our floor lineup and she is very capable on the other three events as well."
Marsden's deep, talented lineup will come in handy against the stiff competition the Utes will face in the first year of the new millennium. "Our regular season schedule is one of the toughest in years," he says. "It's sprinkled with national championship contenders like Alabama, UCLA and Arizona State, other typical NCAA qualifiers like LSU, Oregon State and Washington, Big 10 contender Minnesota and traditional rivals like Utah State and BYU.
Marsden's team is training for the loaded schedule in the nation's newest, most state-of-the-art facility*the Dumke Gymnastics Center*which opened its doors late last December.
"The thing we're discovering now that we didn't enjoy last year was what we can accomplish in the preseason with our new training facility," says Marsden. "Last year, we moved in right before the season started, so we were preparing for competition, which is a much different scenario than preseason training. I think we're farther ahead and accomplishing more because of it," he claims.
With tradition, quality athletes, a strong schedule and a top notch training environment on Utah's side, Marsden anticipates big things from his team."We should be there with anybody," he says.
If that happens, the 25th version of Utah gymnastics will take its place with its celebrated predecessors on the NCAA podium.
Vault
Marsden says this year's team will be stronger than the last on vault, which says a lot since the 1999 team was second in its session at the national championships. "We improved tremendously on vault last year," says Marsden, "And I really think we'll be better this year. We have everyone back except Angie (Leonard) and we're going to be relatively deep in terms of people who can do 10.0 vaults."
Bars
The best team in the nation on bars for the past two years, Marsden anticipates similar results this year. "I think bars will probably be our strongest event again this year, as it has for the past few years. It's going to be really competitive making our lineup, which means we'll be good. Theresa Kulikowski and Deidra Graham were both (NCAA) bar finalists last year and, after her successful shoulder surgery, we expect Shannon Bowles to return to her freshman form when she was an All-American," says Marsden, adding, "Bars is the strongest event for two of our three freshmen."
Beam
Two of the best beam workers in the nation return in Kulikowski, the defending NCAA champ, and Bowles, a two-time first-team All-American, but Utah must bounce back mentally after last year's disaster at nationals. "This will be a psychological challenge for us if for no other reason than what happened at nationals," admits Marsden. "Like a batter in a slump, sometimes the harder you try, the worse it gets. We need to make sure we take the right mental approach and are relaxed. When we do that, we are an exceptional beam team."
Floor
Like vault, Utah shored up its floor exercise routines a year ago and more improvement is on the way. "Floor was our second most improved event to vault last year and two of the three freshmen we brought in (Kim Allan and Leah Sabo) are exceptional on floor," says Marsden. "Again, this was an area where Shannon's (Bowles) injury last year was very limiting for her. As a freshman, she was our best performer on floor." Kulikowski, the NCAA runner-up on floor in 1999, takes the lineup from very good to great.
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