Gymnast Profile
Senior Deidra Graham is readying herself for another great season and for life beyond gymnastics. Graham has been Utah's top all-arounder for the past two seasons, making first-team All-American both years by finishing 10th at the 2000 NCAA Championships and eighth at the 2001 NCAA meet. The native of Tooele, Utah, is a two-time NCAA "Regional Gymnast of the Year," and a five-time All-American. Graham is having a great preseason-with new skills ready to go on floor, beam, and bars-and a brand new floor exercise routine. She is not only poised to lead the team again this season, she appears poised for much more. Last summer, she interned with the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance. Her responsibilities included working in minority affairs dealing with issues faced by minority groups in Salt Lake City and with federally mandated labor laws. Graham will graduate this spring with a degree in sociology and a certificate in criminology. After graduation, she hopes to work in the fields of labor compliance or human resources and begin graduate work in the fields of social psychology, deviant behavior or gender and race relations.
Gymnastics Chalk Talks
The Crimson Club has announced that it will hold Gymnastics Team Chalk Talks on Tuesday, January 8, and Tuesday, March 19 in the Jon M. Huntsman Center Lounge at 7:00 p.m. In the January Chalk Talk, the coaching staff will introduce the 2002 team, explain new rule changes and discuss the outlook for the coming season. There will also be a question and answer session with the student-athletes and autographed team posters will be available. In the March session, the coaching staff will discuss the pending postseason competition, Utah's chances for its 11th national title and other contending teams. Members of the Utah team will also be present to answer questions and give their impressions of postseason competition.
Season Tickets
Season Ticket renewals will go out this week. The schedule is designed to inconvenience gymnastics fans as little as possible during the Olympic Winter Games (February 8-24). The Utes will open their season with three home meets in January, then go on the road for five consecutive weeks. They'll finish the regular season with three home meets in March. Parking maps will be provided with ticket packages and free shuttles will run from outlying areas and from the West Stadium Trax station.
Follow the Utes to the NCAA Championships
The Crimson Club is putting together a travel package for the NCAA Gymnastics Championships that will include airfare, car rental, hotel, and tickets to the event. This year's NCAA Championships will be held at the University of Alabama from April 18-20. For more information contact Amy Alcorn at 585-0446.
Recruiting
The early signing date for National Letters of Intent is Wednesday, November 14. Utah expect to sign two talented gymnastics. Look for more information in next week's release.