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Show 10 THURSDAY, JANUARY iO, THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE 2002 ae looking fur uw.ntfd. We .Kj!y aid fa'JxiaWo v to join ot pfogresvic, team for two at the Catt-walaa and Park Cfty The following seasonal oppof t unities are available r ffftail .J kx.axn if s, , "V . to Tooele on Sunday. My mom would cry when I went back to Salt "The biggest challenge in club sports was to stay motivated," Graham said. Being a member of a club team meant a lot of individual pressure. "In club, you don't compete as a team, it's all individual. Plus, it is more hours and high stress. There skills you arc a lot of high-levneed to learn. It's a lot of pressure on you alone," she said. The exhilarating schedule led to a burnout. For a short period during her junior year at Brighton High School, Graham quit her club team and was on the verge of quitting the sport she had given up the bulk of her youth for. That's when former Utah gymnast Meredith King stepped in. on King, a three-tim- e vault (1992 to '94), kept Graham's interest piqued. "When I would have a rough day, she would tell me how great college was and how totally different it was from club. She helped me through the hard days," Graham said. King's inspirational talks kept Graham on the team. She was back in the loop, but now faced another tough decision where to compete at the collegiate level. Graham was courted by King's alma mater, but also received gymnastics scholarship offers from Georgia, Washington and Arizona State. She teetered toward the traditional excellence of the Ute program, but the bidding was not over. "Utah had a great training facility (the Dumke Gymnastics Center), and the coaches were great and I liked the team," Graham said. "Georgia came in and made her think twice about going back East," Marsden said. Ultimately, it was her family that tipped the scales. "I wanted my parents to be able to come watch my competitions," she said. Graham chose to stay close to home, which history has proven to be a wise decision. Graham has claimed six awards since arriving at the U, and has hit 136 of 148 (92 percent) routines. She was an on bars in 1999, her freshman year. She broke out in 2000 for the same honor in the the beam and the floor. Un buiWirv a refutation (or quality and sww.c smce 1973 Our success relies on our team of dedicated Associates wtiosr; comrnrtmf to quality and service help position Hoots as a tradin lifestyle brand a member o( our team, you Mill enjoy variety of rewards including an exciting fast paced work environment. schedules, shopping discounts and incentives In a i. --- r i s ; . 1 f S f ,.;" - i , ! lend your resume, quoting file DUC0102, to: hr0roots.com or apply in person at the Part City Store (408 Main Street) or the Gateway Plata Store in Salt Lake City I 2 . thank all afuMK ant; m adv.inLV. Itnwt-vionly ttKfe rf for an Kilwnor mil be contorted vff ; . " I : - ' ' rtf all rrr it ii minWr nmij y .. . J- co-MV- all-arou- all-arou- el m ARE YOU READY TO REPRESENT THE ROOTS BRAND? VVe All-Ameri- ca Lake City," she said. Cas7ers Pleas d, continued from page 8 Saes Issocafes Koots has Most recently, she tied for eighth at the NCAAs in last year's and added a seventh-plac- e finish in the second session of bars title. In for another addition, she was named the NCAA Regional Gymnast of the Year for a second straight year, and was P named the of the team with Melissa Vituj. Graham totaled 15 victories during her junior year, trailing only Theresa Kulikowrski. wins were Her six tops on the team, and her 39 725 against Arizona State in the is tied for fifth-beon the Ute list. In addition, she set career-hig- h scores in every event and in the She set new highs of 9.950 on vault, bars and floor in meets with ASU, Utah StateBoise State and Washington, respectively. She set a career-hig9 925 on the beam in a Utah win over Arizona Jan. 26, GRAHAM X n The U's only native Utahn, Graham e is a six-tim- Roots is an equal opportunity employer. st all-ti- d. h 2001. of the same in year's team the best of your goals compete to She expects more 2002. Beyond the an 17. QfO m- - . i t,i f t I 11 y"buy1Fbecau'Se'Cllfy$a49- - t ( ( D cJ'fsamitec,offer D D f the above.. r 1 Microsoft4 Office XP Standard for Student and Teachers is now available low price. With all the tools to help students get more done, faster and easier. It's a Buy it today at one of the retailers below. at a special r. ability every night and improve meet to meet Graham has personal goals she would like to fulfill. "I would like to place as an individual in an event at Nationals, and I would like to improve on my placing at the NCAAs," Graham said. Marsden said Graham has never put together the kind of performance she is capable of at the NCAA Championships. "She has always done good at nationals, but she has never peaked. I'd like to see her reach her peak this year in time for Nationals. If she does, she has a chance to get Marsfirst place in the den said. No matter the outcome of the NCAAs, Marsden's investment in Graham has paid off. "Oh yeah, big time," Marsden said. "She's been our most consistent and one of the most competitive gymnasts the last couple years. You can count on her week in and week out." Graham, who will receive a degree in sociologycriminology in May, agrees in her choice of the U, and for sticking it out. "College competition is everything Meredith said it would be. I have a great time, I am relaxed and I have more time. I enjoy it a lot. I can't imagine having gone anywhere else," Graham said. A little persistence, with occasional pep talks from an can go a long way. rbrunnerchronicle. utah. edu all-arou- nd All-Ameri- ca microsoft.comofficeforstudent an Offi.cn otticsm TARGET n0 n d, trW CsmsStop Predictions Weren't Totally My no wmmmam Perl had her bubble burst one too many tines busy signals anil rate hikes. Then she found X Out of Whack with ISP mercers, LANCE GAMERO i and was Chronicle blown away by their service. 3- V- Mention this ad and well waive all set-u- f p fees, and with your first month of service, we'll w you a second month free. ( ( .J) 1 ry ).- . 801.539.0852 XMISSION' vwv.xmission.com X- 51 East 400 South, Suite 200 Salt lake Dir. UT 84111-271- 1 INTERNET A BETTER TORM OF J - y ? . t - . ; ll Un in tU 1 Ln Ss p7. f on my predictions. Here is the way I thought the AFC Central Division would figure out now ' 4 '. V r , f it, Sports Columnist As my colleague, Rory Brunner, did several days ago, I will give people a chance to laugh at the NFL predictions I made at the beginning of the season. Although I didn't do as poorly as Brunner did, I probably wouldn't have been able to make bank in Las Vegas had bet v if - Baltimore Ravens My Prediction: First 1 "VA (14-- 2) Finish; Second (9-To quote Jim Carrey in the movie "Dumb and Dumber," "I was way off!" The smashmouth defense wasn't so 7) see GAMERO, page 11 |
