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Show DAILY THE Gymnasts Avoid Mistakes, Set New Record Vs. Cougs ERIC WALDEN Chronicle Sports Editor U gymnastics coach Greg Marsdcn loves to compete against BYU because, he said last Thursday, "it usually comes down to the final rotation." On Saturday night at the Huntsman Center, though, it was one and done. Not that the Cougars' abysmal bars performance to start things off mattered in the end, though. Little HYU did mattered toward the end result, as the Utes shattered their e school vicrecord in scoring a 198.425-195.2- 50 tory. "We have been on the edge of doing this for so long," Marsdcn said. "It feels great that wc finally got it done." Going in, the Cougs seemed good candidates to upset Utah. Not only had they scored a school record-tyin- g 197.375 in their previous meet (against Southern Utah), they'd also come closer to beating Utah in the Huntsman Center (where Utah has now won 170 straight dual meets) than any other team in the last 15 years, falling by just 0.5 points in 2000. This time, however, they could do nothing to stop a U team looking to win its first national title since 1995. And after inconsistent performances had caused the Utes to count falls in six of their previous seven meets, on Saturday, they were primed to put it all together and, consequently, had no problem in easily eclipsing their former high score of 197.925. CHRONICLE UTAH After allowing prior miscucs to affect them mentally, the U athletes said they were going into this meet relaxed, but business-lik"A lot of us just put our gymnastics on automatic, and kept our emotions out of it" said sophomore Melissa Vituj, whose 39.625 in the was a personal best It was a difficult strategy to adhere to, as they were hyped by facing BYU, Senior Night an emotional ceremony, and a frenzied crowd of in U history, 14,285 (seventh-biggeand enough to give Utah its 19th attendance title in 21 years), but it worked, as the U athletes roared out of the e. prc-me- ct st gates. Senior Lindsay Tanner, the only gymnast in U history to hit every routine she's performed, got things started on the vault with a 9.825. That the score would be Utah's low on the apparatus was a sign of things to come. By the time junior Theresa Kulikowski finished off the event and the first rotation with a high of 9.95, Utah's record-settin- g night was and its of the domination underway, all but assured. was already Cougs "It's always great to get off to a good start," said senior Shannon Bowles. "We weren't looking at the scores so much as at the performances, and everybody had a great performance tonight." As Utah's 49.500 score on the vault was its lowest event score of the evening (the Utes totaled 49.625 on the beam, and 49.650 on both bars and floor), BYU's shot at redeeming its March loss to the U in Provo became improbable. And when the Cougars started off their bars set with three falls, and an 4 " ;;;.';!: f H- 1 see gymnastics, Shannon Bowles was one of four Utes to score a 9.95 on page 9 the bars, as the Utes blasted BYU. Seniors Excel in Their Final Huntsman Center Meet RORY BRUNNER Chronicle Asst. Sports Editor Deidra Graham couldn't have summed up the Utah gymnastics team's Senior Night romp over BYU on Saturday night any better. "I can't think of a better way to go out," she said. "It felt good to go out and get a meet under our belts before Regionals." The U didn't just break, but shattered the school record score of 197.925. Utah's win was the first time in school history U gymnasts have topped the 198 plateau, and it marked the highest score in the nation this year. "We had been on the edge of doing this for so long, it feels great to have gotten it done," Marsden 198.425-195.2- U u DC Jf ..? K 3 1 v o i.J M M Z Shannon Bowles competed in three events in her final home contest. GOLF at Utah 325 All Day Irvine, Calif. 50 said. Graham echoed those sentiments. "We did what we were capable of, finally." It was a fitting finale in the final Huntsman Center meet for seniors Graham, Shannon Bowles and Lindsay Tanner (Kylce Wagner is also a senior, but is expected to be granted a medical hardship for an SOFTBALL Anteater Invitational extra year of eligibility after she badly sprained an ankle in the season opener). The three seniors gave the last three U performances on the floor exercise Saturday to rousing ovations from the 14,285 in attendance, mixing up the normal floor rotation. "It was important the three seniors had their time to shine at the end of the meet," said Melissa Vituj. Yet, the senior trio tried not to approach their last performance in the Huntsman Center differently. "I tried to think of it as just the same as any other meet," Bowles said. "I tell myself, 'I want to do this.' I get really aggressive, I want to get into it," Graham said. Get into it she did. After competing on just one event (bars) for five straight weeks after discovering she had four bulging disks in her back, Graham returned to the "It was important for her to be back for Senior Night," Marsden said. "It will be a real struggle at k Nationals, if she has to compete in vs So. Colorado Utah (13-2- 3) (10-2- 6) 326-2- 7 Ute Field CHRONICLE SPORTS EDITOR a 39.725. She won bars and floor with scores of 9.950 on each event, and she added a second place 9.925 on beam. 9.900 on vault and a sixth-plac- e "Few people could do what she's done, not training for five to six weeks. She did one set (of events) last week and one this week most kids couldn't pull that off, but that's Deidra. She's a competitor," Marsden said. all-arou- nd Graham's inspiring return to the floor of the JMHC for Senior Night was second only to Bowies'. Bowles suffered a neck injury in a Nov. 22, 1999 training accident. She suffered a fracture to her seventh cervical vertebrae, but returned to gymnastics the following year. Bowles came back to claim 14 total wins and beam status as a junior. earn Saturday night, Bowles competed on three events, scoring 9.950 on bars, 9.950 on beam (the event in which she ranks No. 3 in the nation) and 9.925 on floor. an d. back-to-bac- days." Graham tied a career high in the MEN'S TENMIS vs Idaho State (1-- Utah 327 at 8) (9-7- ) Eccles Tennis Center ERIC "WALLY" WALDEN 'S TElifllS at Utah Weber State 329 at 5 p.m. see SENIORS, page 9 with nd 1 (9-7- ) (2-6- ) WOMEN'S TEWIIS vs New Mexico ) Utah 329 at 2 p.m. (7-- 9) p.m. Eccles Tennis Center Ogden, Utah EWALDENCHRONICLE.UTAH.EDU (7-7- 581-704- 1 |