2015 Utah Gymnastics Prepares to Celebrate its 40th Season

Dec. 4, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY--

Editor's Note: UtahUtes.com sat down with Coach Greg Marsden on the eve of his--and the University's--40th season of gymnastics and talked about the 2015 Utes. Marsden thinks this year's team has the potential to be even stronger than the 2014 squad that won the school's first Pac-12 Championship. Ute fans can get an early look at four newcomers and nine returners in the annual Red Rocks Preview on Dec. 12. The season begins on Jan. 9 at BYU and Utah's first home meet is Jan. 16 against Southern Utah, Boise State and UC Davis. Season Tickets are on sale now. Read on to learn more on the 2015 Red Rocks.

It's the 40-year anniversary of the Utah gymnastics program but you won't find founding father Greg Marsden spending much time reminiscing. "We are proud of the incredible legacy left by our past teams, but our attention is focused on our present team making its own mark," says the winningest coach in college gymnastics history.

"It is evident from preseason training that we have a very good team. We lost only eight routines from last year and much of the backend of our lineup returns on all four events. Where we can really pick up tenths will come early in the lineup as our depth chart across the board is deeper than it has been in several years," says Marsden, who has coached the team since its inception in 1975-76.

"The contenders for our first three positions on each event are much stronger than a year ago--to the point where they are pushing the end of the lineup every day in the gym. To make the Super Six, you need big scores from top to bottom in your lineup and it appears we will have that capability this year," projects Marsden.

The backend of the lineups include six returning All-Americans, among them 2014 Pac-12 all-around champion and Gymnast of the Year Tory Wilson, four-time Pac-12 event titlist Georgia Dabritz and 2012 Pac-12 all-around champion Corrie Lothrop. The acknowledged team leaders off the mat, as well, they were elected team tri-captains.

The coaching staff also has "tri-captains" in head coaches Greg and Megan Marsden and assistant coach Tom Farden.

"We have three experienced head coaches on our staff (Farden is a former head coach at Southeast Missouri State) and we don't think any other team can make that claim," said Greg Marsden. "I still love coaching and look forward to coming to the gym every day, but Megan and Tom are the future of this program and that is a great thing for Utah gymnastics. We have the same goals and vision for keeping Utah in the top tier of college gymnastics."

There are rare moments...when forces collide...to unleash...The Perfect Storm! #Flip4U #GoUtes #PerfectStorm pic.twitter.com/HvXxM1wbDp

-- Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) December 3, 2014

Utah stands alone at the top of the tier when it comes to national championship appearances. The Utes have qualified for all 39 national championships in their history, something no other school can claim.

For the Utes to not only keep their qualifying streak alive, but return to the Super Six and make a run at the championship, they must stay on the balance beam. Mistakes on the beam kept Utah out of team finals in each of the last two years.

"It's no secret that balance beam has been our Achilles heel for the past few years but we think it will actually help us this year," says Marsden. "Freshmen Maddie Stover (a two-time Junior Olympic beam champion) and Kari Lee are `beamers,' no question about it. And Samantha Partyka is a strong minded competitor who has shown great consistency on beam in the preseason."

Beam coach Megan Marsden loves that she has a `bench' for the first time in years. "We have at least nine gymnasts competing for the six spots, including five starters from last year," she says. "Maddie and Kari have brought a performance quality to the balance beam that we've been lacking recently and I'm seeing the returners upping their standards in that area now that they have examples to follow."

There has been no questioning Utah's talent or results on the other three events, where the Utes have consistently ranked among the nation's best.

"We should continue to be very good on vault, bars and floor," says Greg Marsden. "Our routines have a high level of difficulty without compromising execution."

The back half of Utah's vault lineup poses a triple threat for NCAA medals in first-team All-Americans Kailah Delaney, Dabritz and Wilson. They will benefit from some great lead-in scores as all four freshmen are strong on vault. Partyka and Lee are J.O. champions on the event.

Intra-squad competition on bars runs so deep that the only guaranteed starters are All-Americans Dabritz and Lothrop. Dabritz, a two-time Pac-12 and NCAA regional champion and the 2013 NCAA runner-up, is a leading contender to win the NCAA title. Kassandra Lopez is back from injury and strong preseason showings by Delaney, Baely Rowe and freshman Tiffani Lewis have inspired returning starters Breanna Hughes and Wilson.

Floor favorites include All-Americans Dabritz, Becky Tutka and Lothrop, as well as the high-flying Wilson. Dabritz is the reigning Pac-12 floor champion, Tutka made event finals at last year's NCAA Championships and Wilson is just the third college gymnast ever to successfully execute a full twisting double layout on floor in competition. Partyka was a J.O. champion on floor in 2013.

AN INSIDER'S GUIDE TO THE UTES

All-Around

Corrie Lothrop First-team All-American, 2012 Pac-12 Champion Georgia Dabritz First-team All-American Tory Wilson 2014 Pac-12 Champion, Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year Kari Lee 2013 Junior Olympic Champion (Senior A Division) Maddy Stover 2013 Junior Olympic Champion (Senior B Division)

Vault
Kailah Delaney First-team All-American Georgia Dabritz First-team All-American Tory Wilson First-team All-American Samantha Partyka Two-time Junior Olympic Champion Kari Lee 2014 Junior Olympic Champion

Bars
Georgia Dabritz 2013 NCAA Runner-up, First-team All-American Corrie Lothrop Second-team All-American

Beam
Corrie Lothrop Second-team All-American Breanna Hughes Second-team All-American Maddy Stover 2011 and 2014 Junior Olympic Champion

Floor
Becky Tutka First-team All-American Georgia Dabritz First-team All-American (regular season), 2014 Pac-12 Champion Corrie Lothrop Second-team All-American Samantha Partyka 2013 Junior Olympic Champion

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