University of Utah Student Newspapers--The Chronicle | 2013-02-07 | Page 8

8 DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE Thursday, February 7, 2013 GYMNASTICS Continued from page 7 After Corrie Lothrop tore her Achilles tendon last week, co-head coach Megan Marsden said it is a definite possibility that Del Priore will compete on floor on a more regular basis. Marsden said she has been impressed with Del Priore's improvement from her freshman year, but work remains for her to achieve her potential. "Since [Del Priore's] freshman year one thing she's done is really get herself in tip-top shape," Marsden said. "But [she] needs to work more on her mental approach, because many times some of her best work happens here in the gym. We're waiting to see her really emerge in competition and hopefully, with this new opportunity on floor, she'll have a chance to really hone in on that and get more confident out in front of people." Del Priore said she has enjoyed being a junior on a senior-less team, even though it's "kind of weird." She likes being in a position where her younger teammates can look to her for leadership or ask questions if they need guidance. She sees the loss of Lothrop as an opportunity for the Utes to overcome adversity. She also said she doesn't think much about being in vault rotation or possibly having her role on the team expanded to include the floor exercise. She likes to prepare the same way every week, as she has for the past two seasons, and just be ready when she is needed. In that regard, she learned a valuable lesson from her experience last year. "I think I definitely grew from doing that and learned to appreciate the spot that you're given," she said. [e-mail] Twitter: @mattellis utah ERIN BURNS/The Daily Utah Chronicle Junior Lia Del Priore scored a 9.70 after earning a starting spot on the floor against Arizona State last Saturday. CROZON Continued from page 6 Even though Crozon didn't start playing basketball until seventh grade, her basketball talent quickly emerged and she was playing competitively in ninth grade. She represented Canada at the 2011 U19 World Championship, where she was the team's second youngest player. She also played in the U18 and U17 World Championships, as well as the 2011 Pan American games. One of her goals is to play on the Senior National Team and compete at the highest level of international basketball. Growing up in Humboldt was quite different compared to Crozon's life in Salt Lake City now She could walk to everywhere in town and every resident knew one another. "Things moved a lot slower," Crozon said. "Because it was a small town, I always had the support of my community." In 2011, Crozon was voted Humboldt Junior Citizen of the Year. She said because her whole town knew she had the potential to go somewhere in athletics, it motivated her more. She said it didn't feel like pressure — it was support. Now that she's here in a big city, she has the support of her teammates to motivate her. "Paige is great," said junior Michelle Plouffe. "She's just a really hard worker, and you can see that in practice." Plouffe said Crozon has a strong work ethic and is coachable, which is a big benefit for the team. Crozon's relationship with Plouffe isn't just on the court. The teammates are good friends on and off it and hang out regularly outside of basketball activities. "She's fun and she's funny," Plouffe said. "She is always making me laugh." Crozon wasn't always sure she would come to the United States to play basketball. She was originally looking to go to school back home at the University of Sas- katchewan in Saskatoon, but Levrets didn't let that happen. Since arriving in Utah, Crozon's dynamic athletic ability has been an asset to the team this season. When the Utes started struggling, she was inserted into the starting lineup at the shooting guard position and remained there for three games. After Taryn Wicijowski went down with an injury, Crozon moved over to the power forward position. It's not often you see the same player switching between those two spots. "It's fun being down low in the post and in the paint, but I also like being on the outside," Crozon said. "I can't pick my favorite between the two positions because they're so different." When she first found out she was getting the start, she was happy and called her mother to tell her the good news. Then she started preparing. "I told myself 'Paige, you're a freshman, but you can't play like one,"' Crozon said. Since being put into the starting lineup, Crozon has emerged as one of Utah's best three-point shooters. She has scored 13 points in three separate games this season, but hasn't cracked anything higher than that. She finds this ironic, as she wanted to wear 13 to go along with her black headband and ponytail when she came here, but senior Rachel Messer was already wearing it. It's only a matter of time before she scores more than 13 in a game. It's clear she'll remain in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. The Utes will need her to play her best during the next four years. With the ultracompetitive conference they're in, the Utes need all the talent and athleticism they can get. Crozon's past accomplishments have proven herself and her play this season has further cemented her abilities — she has both. And that's what the Utes will need to win in the Pac-12. [e-mail] Twitter: @smithmichael8 Read more at .. ~ CDMaChrOFIk mr Student Account Representatives with the University Media Sales Group On Campus 20 Hours per Week Up to 22% Commissions To Apply Contact: Paul Kennard [phone] [e-mail] BULLINGER Continued from page 6 include a date with BYU. A few years back, a season without the Holy War would be unthinkable. Now moves like this are becoming commonplace and — believe it or not — a legislator is the one trying to put a stop to it. Of course, there are issues with what McCay is asking for, scheduling being the main concern in football. Utah, for example, has to play nine games each year against Pac12 opponents, leaving three nonconference dates open. According to Pac-12 rules, those three games must fall in the first four weeks of the season, so Utah would have to schedule two games against in-state opponents in the compacted first few weeks of the season. If scheduling conflicts arose and Utah couldn't find two opponents with open dates, it would face a hefty penalty. But if the legislation passed and the schools found a way to make it work, what a great result we would have. On the football side of things, we wouldn't have to give up the Holy War, which is easily the best football rivalry in the Rocky Mountain region. Fans both north and south of Point of the Mountain would be in favor of this. In basketball, schools could get creative. Many teams occupy themselves with tournaments during nonconference play, and Utah schools could set up a Utah-only tournament to be held in Salt Lake City every year. Not only would this knock out the scheduling requirement, but it would be entertaining basketball. Never before has there been more parity in the state, and it's not ridiculous to think Weber State could walk away with a Utah tournament title or two. Most importantly, McCay's legislation is centered on the drivers of sports — the fans. What separates college football from the pros is the rivalries. Fans have long been accustomed to watching teams with local ties duke it out to earn in-state supremacy. Utah and BYU players have long said no matter how the rest of the season goes, finishing the year with a Holy War win makes the season worthwhile. It's in the public interest to keep these rivalries alive. And, who knows, perhaps that public interest will be withheld by a legislator, generally a person the public despises. j.bullinger@ chronicle.utah.edu Twitter: @jakebullinger