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Show 6 Thursday February 27, 2014 SPORTS UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS Marsden: www.dailyutahchronicle.corn put my bets on Baely' TODAY: Women's Bastetball Utah vs. USC 7 p.m. Huntsman Center Swimming/Diving Utah vs. Pac-12 Women's Championship All day. Federal Way, Washington FRIDAY: Baseball Utah @ Loyola Marymount 7 p.m. Los Angeles, Calif Softball Utah @ Colorado State 9 a.m. San Diego, Calif Women's Gymnastics Utah vs. Washington 6 p.m. Salt Lake City, Utah NCAA TOP 25 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL 1 Connecticut 28-0 2 Notre Dame 27-0 3 Louisville 27-2 4 South Carolina 25-2 Griffin Adams 5 Stanford 26-2 ASST. SPORTS EDITOR 6 Baylor 24-3 7 Duke 24-4 8 Penn St. 21-5 9 Maryland 22-5 10 Tennessee 22-5 11 West Virginia 24-3 12 Kentucky 20-7 13 North Carolina St. 23-5 14 North Carolina 21-7 15 Oklahoma St. 21-5 16 Nebraska 20-5 17 Texas A&M 21-7 18 California 20-7 19 Purdue 20-7 20 Arizona St. 22-6 21 Michigan St. 18-8 22 Gonzaga 24-4 23 Middle Tennessee 23-4 24 Rutgers 20-6 25 Iowa 21-7 When Utah took the floor for the first time in 2014, the Red Rocks' lineups looked quite familiar. The team did not graduate a single gymnast in 2013 and even returned some athletes who were hurt a year ago. Because of this, one face stuck out — lone freshman Baely Rowe. Fans got their first look at the Federal Way, Wash. native when she was Utah's second competitor on beam that night. In front of more than 14,000 fans, Rowe delivered her first college routine without a fall. She received a 9.750 on the event, and cheers ensued. "It was absolutely amazing," Rowe said. "When I was up there on the beam, I didn't realize how many people were up there in the stands. I just did my own thing, but after, when everyone cheered, it was just an amazing atmosphere and so honoring to be out there competing for Utah." One of the big reasons Rowe chose to be a Red Rock was because of the atmosphere in the BRENT LIBERTY/The Daily Utah Chronicle Huntsman Center. She had offers from other big-name schools such as Alabama, Georgia and UCLA coming out of high school, but the big crowds at every Utah meet helped sway her. That wasn't the only reason she chose Utah, though. "When I visited here, I absolutely loved the atmosphere around campus," she said. "The team was like a family, and I really liked that, and the coaches were awesome." With only one scholarship available this season, those coaches, Greg and Megan Marsden, had to choose carefully who they were going to sign for 2014. Fortunately for them, Rowe made the decision easy. "I really felt like she owned her gymnastics," Greg Marsden said. "She enjoyed being out in front of people, which both are really important qualities." Despite the many attractive factors of joining the Red Rocks, the decision was not easy for Rowe. Other schools were not only offering a scholarship but also a greater chance to compete right away. With Utah's entire squad re- turning this season, Rowe knew it was going to be hard to crack the lineup on even one event, but she was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen. "I knew I was going to try and compete at least one or two events," she said. "I knew that everyone was coming back and a couple that were injured that also came back, so I knew it was going to be tough, but if I worked hard and was consistent, I knew that I could potentially get in the lineup." While Rowe already competes as the leadoff gymnast on beam, she has been knocking on the door of other events as well. Before her time at Utah, she was a two-time Junior Olympic national champion on bars and was the 2013 J.O. national all-around champion. Though she proved her prowess on all four events prior to starting her collegiate career, Rowe is starting to do the same on this stage. Marsden has said he has considered her for the lineup on both bars and vault, and even though she is content with her role in the beam rotation, Rowe said she would welcome the chance to contribute elsewhere. "I would love to get out there on the floor," she said. "I know the coaches really want me to do that too, so I'm trying really hard to get consistent on that event. Hopefully, sometime this year, maybe I can get an exhibition in or something." Most athletes who transition from high school to college have fellow freshmen to go through the experience with them, but Rowe has been flying solo in that regard this season. She credits her older teammates for helping her feel comfortable during her first year in Salt Lake City. "In the beginning it was a little tough because I feel like I was the only one struggling at times," she said. "They all knew what was happening and going on, and I didn't have anyone there to help me go through it. Once I got into it, though, they really helped me out. Like I said, it's really like a family here." Rowe's teammates, or "sisSee ROWE page 8 `Shining on and off the court' Renan Lenz is a role model for the Runnin' Utes Ryan Miller STAFF WRITER Sometimes the best leaders aren't the people who score the most points, play the most minutes or hit the game-winning shots. Sometimes they are the role players — the ones who cheer from the sidelines or the ones who will sacrifice personal glory for team success. Such is the case with senior big man Renan Lenz. The Brazilian-born Lenz came to Utah not just to showcase his talents on the court, but to improve his life off of it. When he steps on the Huntsman Center court Saturday for what may be his last home game, he will know he has accomplished both. Lenz has always had a great work ethic and his team immediately took notice. "He is the first one here at practice," said junior Dallin Bachynski. "He doesn't just fool around when he is here, he works hard and improves his game. He has been a little bit of a role model for me." For as long as Lenz can remember, he has been a quiet player, allowing his work ethic to speak for him. Being one of the few veterans on a young Utah team has forced the big man to start speaking up. It began last season when Bachynski was dealing with the weight of expectations and Lenz said he took too much on himself. "Sometimes last year, Dallin had a hard time with his mind and stuff," Lenz said. "I tried to help him with that. I tried to help him feel like there wasn't that much pressure on him." As the lone senior big man, Lenz has taken it upon himself to be a mentor for the rest of the bruisers on the team more this season than in seasons past. "I think the other bigs, they kind of look to me as the more experienced guy and try to listen to me when I say stuff," Lenz said. "That's just the respect that we have for each other." That respect was clearly seen last Saturday when Lenz had one of his best games of the season, scoring 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting in Utah's win over Arizona State, and his big man brethren couldn't have been happier. "Renan is one of the guys that is most team-oriented," Bachynski said. "He doesn't care if he only gets a minute, but we do really well and get the win. So the fact that he helped us get a win last Saturday was huge for me personally, because he was able to help us out and get the blessing of putting the team first." Despite a push from his father to play volleyball, Lenz started playing basketball at the age of II and never looked back. The passion he gained from playing this sport ultimately led the senior to play for the Runnin' Utes. "It seems like it was only yesterday that I got here," Lenz said. "All the good moments with the people that I met, all the relationships that I will take away. I know I will have lifelong friends from Utah." Time didn't just fly for Lenz, but for his coach as well. "It's a culmination of a process, and it goes by fast before you see these guys become seniors," said head coach Larry Krystkowiak. "What you tell their parents about, when you recruit, is that you would like to be an extension of them and take the reins from their parents and help them become men. That's what you hope for." Lenz might not be the brightest star on the court for the Utes, but for some players on the team, he is the brightest off of it. "I try to be more like him," Bachynski said. "I have just been really lucky to be his teammate." r.miller@chronicle.utah.edu CHRIS AYERS/The Daily Utah Chronicle Senior Renan Lenz blocks a shot against the ASU Sun Devils in last week's game at the Huntsman Center |