Upcoming Event: Gymnastics versus Minnesota on January 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM
7:00 PM
Gymnastics
vs Minnesota
The University of Utah Athletics
2016 Utes Looking to Stay the Course
12/2/2015 12:00 AM | Gymnastics
Dec. 2, 2015
SALT LAKE CITY -
Consistency is crucial in gymnastics-something Utah, the most consistently successful collegiate program in the sport's history-knows well. Only the Utes have qualified for every national championship since 1976 and they are one of just three schools to make the Super Six at least 19 times. They have 10 national championships-tied for the most on record-and more All-Americans than any gymnastics program.
Utah has also had the same head coach for the past 40 years, something that changed after last year's NCAA runner-up finish, when legendary coach Greg Marsden retired. But even in the absence of the winningest coach in NCAA gymnastics history, consistency remains a constant at Utah.
Returning for her seventh year as co-head coach and her 32nd year on the staff is former Ute All-American and NCAA champion Megan Marsden. New co-head coach Tom Farden (a former NCAA Region Coach of the Year as the head coach at Southeast Missouri State) has apprenticed for the top job at Utah for the past five years as an assistant coach.
Said Marsden of the change in coaching partners, "Tom and I began preparing for the transition a year ago when Greg informed us of his intent to retire and we feel like we make a great team. We have defined the roles that we think put us in the best position to keep Utah gymnastics among the elite programs in the country."
Those roles are further developed to include a new assistant coach, Meredith (King) Paulicivic, who is also well versed in Utah gymnastics as a former Ute All-American and member of two NCAA Championship teams.
Get 'em while they're RED HOT! https://t.co/Gib7RdGMTi | 801-581-UTIX pic.twitter.com/hC3CEGv3Z2
- Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) November 30, 2015
Given the familiarity of the current coaching staff, the change that will be most noticeable to spectators is the loss of a magnificent senior class that featured four All-Americans, three Pac-12 all-around champions and an NCAA champion. Even that blow won't temper Utah's expectations for the coming season assures Farden.
"While we graduated one of the best senior classes in school history, I expect some of our returners to emerge as the new stars, along with a very good freshman class. Our goal is the same as it always is at Utah; to be on the floor as a team on the last day of the NCAA Championships, competing for a national title," he said.
The "last day" will come a day earlier this year with the NCAA Championships moving from a three-day format to a two-day event. The team semifinals will be held on Friday, Apr. 15 and the Super Six a day later. The individual event finals that typically conclude the championships have been eliminated. Instead, event champions will be determined along with the all-around winner from the semifinal sessions. A panel of six judges will replace the standard four-judge panel to help eliminate ties and make the scores more equitable across both semifinals.
"This is a good change that will benefit the student-athletes," said Marsden of the move to a two-day championship. "Gymnastics is a very physically demanding sport and three straight days of competition is not in the best interest of the competitors."
Another change approved in the offseason by the NCAA Gymnastics Committee is a revised vault code, in which the Yurchenko full performed by the majority of college gymnasts has been downgraded from a 10.0 start value to a 9.95. The Utes have been training 10.0 vaults such as the Yurchenko one-and-a-half, but they, like many NCAA gymnasts, will feature several 9.95-valued vaults in their lineup this season.
While changes were being implemented for the sport at a national level, it has been business as usual in the Dumke Gymnastics Training Center since Farden was elevated to co-head coach alongside Marsden.
"We've won back-to-back Pac-12 Championships and we finished second in the nation last year, so a big part of our philosophy is 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it,'" explained Farden.
Even with the departure of last year's talented senior class, the cupboard is not bare by any means. The current roster features five All-Americans: seniors Kailah Delaney, Breanna Hughes and Kassandra Lopez, and sophomores Kari Lee and Samantha Partyka. Other starters and key contributors back from the 2015 NCAA runner-up team are junior Baely Rowe and sophomores Tiffani Lewis and Maddy Stover. Senior Haley Lange is also back.
Breanna Hughes swings a nice UB set and absolutely nails the dismount at our intra-squad yesterday. #Flip4U #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/J2KbCgbvAM
- Utah Gymnastics (@UtahGymnastics) November 29, 2015
Making their first appearance in Utah leotards in the home opener against BYU on Jan. 8 will be freshmen Shannon McNatt, MaKenna Merrell, Erika Muhaw and Sabrina Schwab. Their credentials include several impressive finishes at the Junior Olympic Championships and two (McNatt and Schwab) qualified elite during their club careers.
The Utes have five regular-season home meets in 2016 and they'll also host an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2012. There are a couple of other interesting twists to the home schedule. In order to accommodate live television coverage on the Pac-12 Network, Utah will hold one Monday meet and was also handed a 3 p.m. Saturday start time.
There have been just five Monday meets in the Huntsman Center in the last 20 years and none since 2006. The Sat., Jan. 23 meet against Oregon State is believed to be the first regular-season home gymnastics matinee in school history.
A breakdown of who Utah will pit against a schedule that includes national powers like UCLA, Stanford, Georgia and Oregon State, among others, follows with quotes from Marsden.
SENIOR CLASS
Kailah Delaney: Three-time All-American (1 at NCAA Championships, 2 regular season) … three-time first-team All-Pac-12 … member of the 2016 Utah gymnastics Leadership Council … 15 career victories … 9.95 or better on vault 10 times… has a bachelor's degree in health, society and policy.
"Kailah is really showing her maturity as a fifth-year senior. One area where we've seen a lot of improvement from Kailah throughout her career is her mental approach to competition. She has competitive routines ready on all four events, including floor exercise, where she opens with a full-in." -MM
Breanna Hughes: Second-team balance beam All-American as a freshman in 2012 … best event is bars, where she has started all three seasons ... member of the 2016 Utah gymnastics Leadership Council … has hit 60-62 career routines.
"Breanna has become more independent and has a voice in the group now. The changes to vault scoring will benefit Breanna because she does an easy one-and-a-half, which is worth a 10.0. She has the potential to be a starter on multiple events." -MM
Kassandra Lopez: Second-team All-American on bars at the 2015 NCAA Championships … also second-team All-Pac-12 on bars as a junior … two-time NCAA Regional runner-up (bars and beam) … member of the 2016 Utah gymnastics Leadership Council … has a bachelor's degree in health, society and policy.
"Kassandra has led by example in the past, but this year she has broken out of her shell and is more openly supportive and outgoing. A goal of Kassandra's is to enjoy her final season and relish in the moment and we're seeing that. She has a shot at being an all-arounder from the opening meet." -MM
Haley Lange: Has competed in 15 meets in exhibition (26 total routines) … served two years on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) … three-time NACGC Scholar All-American.
"Similar to Breanna (Hughes), the vault scoring changes could help Haley, who has always done a front handspring pike half, which is worth a 10.0. Haley continues to provide depth for us on vault, beam and floor. " -MM
JUNIOR CLASS
Baely Rowe: All-Pac-12 on beam and Utah's Most Improved Gymnast as a sophomore … member of the 2016 Utah gymnastics Leadership Council … 4 career wins … career-high 39.350 all-around score … has hit 56-59 career routines.
"Baely will be a strong all-around competitor once she works through some lower body injury issues. Immediately, we expect her to be a force on bars and beam, and we will be a stronger team once she is able to join our vault and floor lineups. She continues to improve on all four events." -MM
SOPHOMORE CLASS
Kari Lee: Three-time All-American as a freshman … first-team All-American and NCAA event finalist on vault (5th) and floor (14th) … second-team regular-season All-American on beam … first-team All-Pac-12 on floor … 6 wins … hit 40-of-42 routines.
"Kari is coming off a great freshman year and is beautiful on vault, beam and floor. We will continue to rely on her game-time, magical performances. She is also making good progress on the only event she hasn't competed-the uneven bars. If she can turn bars into a strength, she will be an all-around champion in the making." -MM
Tiffani Lewis: Superlative performance at the NCAA Championships, starting on three events and scoring season highs on bars (9.90), vault (9.875) and floor (9.875) in the Super Six … averaged a 9.856 on nine routines at regionals and nationals … hit 21-of-21 routines.
"Tiffani is extremely spirited and competitive and is not shy about verbalizing her goals for our team. She was instrumental in our postseason success as a freshman last year and is working hard to become an all-arounder for us." -MM
Samantha Partyka: Second-team All-American on vault scored a 9.90 in the NCAA semifinals … arguably the nation's best No. 2 vaulter as a freshman … averaged a 9.875 on vault in nine starts.
"Sam is extremely talented and is healthier this season, which has helped her to better prepare. She has an extremely difficult and unique opening tumbling pass on floor-a back one and one-half to a front one and one-half. She proved to be a great vaulter last season and is now in contention for a spot on bars, beam and floor." -MM
Maddy Stover: Utah's beam leadoff at the NCAA regional and nationals as a freshman … performed Utah's very first routine in the 2015 NCAA Super Six … won balance beam at Georgia … hit 14-of-14 routines.
"Maddy is a beamer and she will be in the thick of the beam lineup again this year. With the strides she has made on bars and floor, she could have a bright future on those events as well. She is a great team player and a team captain in the making." -MM
FRESHMAN CLASS
Shannon McNatt: Qualified International Elite twice … placed first on floor and sixth all-around at the 2014 Junior National Level 10 National Championships (Senior B Division) … fourth on vault at the 2015 J.O. National Championships (Senior D Division) … third on beam and eighth all-around at 2013 J.O. Nationals.
"Shannon is a natural on beam and floor because of her beautiful quality of movement on those events. She also has a Yurchenko half-on front pike vault worth a 10.0, which is valuable with the rule change." -MM
MaKenna Merrell: Four-time Junior National National Championships' qualifier … 2015 J.O. runner-up in the all-around, vault and floor (Senior C Division) … fourth on bars and beam at the 2015 J.O. Nationals … fourth on bars and beam and seventh all-around (Senior A Division) at the 2014 J.O. Nationals.
"MaKenna should make a splash immediately on this talented team and her work ethic and high level of difficulty could earn her an all-around position. We are glad to have a local gymnast on the team again, something we know our fans really enjoy as well." -MM
Erika Muhaw: Four-time Junior National National Championships' qualifier … third on vault and floor and ninth all-around at the 2015 J.O. Championships (Senior C Division) … Nine top-10 finishes at the J.O. Championships … four-time Region 7 champion.
"Erika is very powerful so her best opportunities to compete will be on vault and floor. Her dynamic personality, power and presentation are attributes that will serve her well." -MM
Sabrina Schwab: Qualified Senior Elite in 2013 on her first attempt … won compulsory all-around, vault, bars, beam and floor, and optional all-around, vault, bars and beam at the 2013 elite testing … second on floor at the 2015 WOGA Classic … won the all-around and every event at the 2013 WOGA Classic.
"Sabrina has elite-level gymnastics, both in terms of her quality of movement and difficulty. She has embraced working on her mental approach in pressure situations and has the potential to compete for lineup spots on each event." -MM
Players Mentioned
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
/ Gymnastics
Utah Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025 | Gymnastics' Georgia Dabritz
Monday, October 13
Fan Fest 2025 Coaches and Players Interviews: Gymnastics
Sunday, August 17
Seven New Inductees to Join Utah Athletics Hall of Fame in October 2025
Monday, July 28
Utah Gymnastic's Grace McCallum call out from University of Utah President Randall
Thursday, May 08