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Show 6 Wednesday April 23, 2014 SPORTS UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS TODAY: Men's Tennis Utah vs. Arizona 11 a.m. Ojai, Calif THURSDAY: Men's Tennis Pac-12 Championships TBA Ojai, Calif FRIDAY: Baseball Utah vs. Nevada 6 p.m. Smith's Ballpark Track & Field Robison Invitational All Day Provo FUTURE POWER RANKINGS RANK SPORT 1. Men's Basketball 2. Gymnastics 3. Skiing 4. Swimming & Diving 5. Soccer 6. Volleyball 7. Track & Field 8. Women's Tennis 9. Cross Country 10. Men's Tennis 11. Golf 12. Women's Basketball 13. Football 14. Softball 15. Baseball GYMNASTICS www.dailyutahchronicle.corn PROFILE `The best four years of my life' Brandon Barlow STAFF WRITER The wait is over, and a new chapter begins very soon for former Utah forward, Michelle Plouffe. With a new career waiting for her in the WNBA, Plouffe looks back on a record-setting career and the growth she has made both on and off of the court. Last Monday, Plouffe was selected in the second round as the 19th overall pick in the WNBA draft. She leaves Thursday to officially join the Seattle Storm, as training camp begins on Sunday. With her teammates leaning in to watch the screen, Plouffe felt it was appropriate the team she has played with for the last four years be by her side to take in the scene. "There was a lot of excitement in the moment," Plouffe said. Plouffe has become the fifth Ute to be drafted to the WNBA, the first since 2009. In her time at Utah, she had assembled an impressive résumé with staggering numbers. She is one of three Utes to ever have more than 2,000 career points and over woo career rebounds. She finished with totals of 2,100 points and set the all-time record for most rebounds ever by a Ute with 1,171 boards. In addition to her many personal accolades, Plouffe has been named an All-American three times and played for Canada's Olympic team, proving her value as a top player in the Pac-i2 conference. Despite her consistent numbers and passion for the sport, Plouffe never truly thought about turning pro until her senior year. She has always taken things day-by-day and faced the ups and the downs one at a time. All of the honors and recognitions, as good as they may seem, are just rewards for doing better every day, every season and every year. "I never really realized it," Plouffe said. "What you realize is that in the moment you get caught up in how it is just another team and you PRESTON ZUBAL/The Daily Utah Chronicle Michelle Plouffe was selected by the Seattle Storm with the 19th overall pick in the WNBA draft on April 14. got to keep playing. But when I take a second and realize that this opportunity that has been given to me and how much of blessing that it really is ... It is a dream come true, for sure, to move onto the next level." Upon her arrival at Utah, Plouffe felt like she was a raw player and that Salt Lake City was the best fit for her. Plouffe's first and final seasons were very much the same, full of injuries and battles to win consistently. As a freshman, Plouffe felt the pressure, as a young'un, that she needed to step up and be a leader. The maturation process kicked into hyperdrive as she stepped up her game and was awarded the Mountain West Freshman Player of the Year award. Head coach Anthony Levrets admitted that Plouffe needed some work when she first arrived at the U. He was delighted when she started to come into her own and really take charge, not just with her game but with her character as well. To Levrets, what is more valuable about Plouffe and her basketball skills is her calm and collected mentality. "Her level-headedness is a trait that is going to help her in everything that she does," Levrets said. "To not get too high or too low. She takes losses hard, but she knows that she is going to work. It comes from an incredible work ethic. I think that is what separates good players from great players." Plouffe gives credit to her faith and her family for the mentality that she has, especially in some of her most challenging times. Plouffe suffered a severe tragedy when her brother passed away last December. Within that same week, Plouffe played in one of her best games of her career as she led her team to defeat a previously undefeated BYU squad in double overtime. In that contest, she scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and her performance earned her an ESPN Player of the Week honor. Though basketball has been her passion — and in this case, an outlet for escape — it was at this moment when Plouffe really understood how it is just a game. Plouffe's mother, Laurie, said her daughter knew where to draw her strength to carry on and move forward. "She has an excellent faith base to help her work through struggles," said Laurie Plouffe. "She is connected to key people in the community through church, her team and other friends that help keep her grounded that are inspiring to her and for her to keep going." After that BYU game, Plouffe was then absent for the next couple of weeks to spend time with her family during the loss. When she returned, she was understandably still coping with the loss, but after continually receiving support from her family, friends and teammates, she soon returned that love and See PLOUFFE page 7 THE GREAT DEBATE -1 Red Rocks: What was the best Utah sports moment? #ShockStanford makes Utes heroes Gymnastics dominate sports scene a strong E season, a shaky end Griffin Adams ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Every season in every sport has its ups and downs, and the Red Rocks certainly had their fair share in 2014, concluding competition on a negative note last weekend at nationals. Looking back, things started similarly to the way they finished for Utah. After losing Corrie Lothrop and Kailah Delaney to injury in 2013, the Red Rocks saw junior Kassandra Lopez go down in pre-meet warmups just before the first meet of this campaign. She tore her Achilles and wound up missing the entire season. She was on target to compete on vault, bars and beam, so the rest of the team was tasked with making up for the loss. One gymnast in particular who stepped up throughout the course of the season was junior Georgia Dabritz. She wound up being one of the best gymnasts not only in the Pac12, but the nation, as she was ranked highly in nearly all of her individual events. Dabritz recorded not one but two perfect io.os during the season, See GYMNASTICS page 7 ver since joining the Pac-12, Ute fans have been searching for a moment RYAN that validated their inclusion, MILLER a signature victory that proved they belonged. 111114■111111 It took three years, but Utah got their moment. StaffWriter On October 12, the Ute football team finally got their elusive vicboth games, the Utes couldn't get tory defeating then-No. 5 Stanford. out of their own way, giving their This was it — the chance for opponents the chance to fans to rush the field, lift up eventually beat them. their heroes and proclaim to the That all changed against conference and nation they were Stanford. Of course, Utah — in the upper echelon of college in clear Ute fashion — made football. The victory was big sigh it interesting at the end, of relief for coaches, players and having to hold off a late rally by the fans alike. It showed Utah could Cardinal, but when Stanford quarnot only play with the big boys, terback Kevin Hogan's fourth down but it could beat them, too. pass fell incomplete in the final For the first two years in the Pacminute, the celebration was on. 12, the Utes fought, scrapped and Fans stormed the field and lifted competed, but ultimately lost to Travis Wilson into the air. Dres the top teams in the conference. In Anderson proclaimed he felt like their first-ever Pac-12 game against the Utes had just won the national USC, Utah had a game-tying field championship. All the weight that goal blocked in the waning sechad been on the coaching staff, playonds. The next season against the ers and even the fans was lifted off Trojans, the Utes jumped to a quick — vanishing in a sea of celebration. two-touchdown advantage before The momentum didn't last eventually faltering later in the though. Utah would go on to lose game and losing the contest. their next five games, some in The frustration, irritation and the same heartbreaking fashion annoyance continued into 2013. they conquered against Stanford. A three-point overtime loss to Though it wasn't a launch pad Oregon State was followed by See MILLER page 7 a seven-point loss to UCLA. In w hen Utah moved to the Pac-12 a few seasons ago, the hope GRIFFIN was that its teams would thrive, ADAMS or at least be able to compete, in the power conference. The transition has been a little rougher than most would have Asst. Sports Editor hoped, as many of the big sports have struggled with the shift. The able to push through the finish line football team has gotten progresand garner a Pac-12 championship sively worse each year in trophy was huge for not only Greg the conference, baseball and and Megan Marsden's bunch, but softball dwell in the cellar the entire athletics program. and although improvement Maybe it will be somewhat of was shown this season, the a domino effect. Maybe all the men's basketball team still other Ute teams just needed to has trouble contending with the see a conference championship be top conference teams. captured once by another squad. One squad that was able to break This is probably more wishful through the barrier this season and thinking than anything, but hey, it win the school's first ever Pac-12 might just be the motivation that team championship was the gymthe other teams need. nastics team. Out of all the great Sure, there were some big things things that happened in Utah aththat happened this year within letics during the 2013-2014 school Utah athletics. The football team year, this accomplishment easily beating Stanford was quite a takes the cake as the best. feat and something I will always The Red Rocks have been a remember. The men's basketball perennial powerhouse in collegiate team being on the bubble of the gymnastics for decades, so it may NCAA Tournament for a brief monot come as a surprise that they ment and providing the MUSS with are the first Utah team to win a some solid games was a step in the conference title. But the squad had right direction. But ultimately, the two chances before this year to win football team ended 5-7, and the at the Pac-12 Championships and basketball team had early bow-outs was unable to do so. The fact that See ADAMS page 7 the gymnastics team was finally V S. Vote on who won this week » www.dailyutahchronicle.com .). |