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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah gymnastics has some depth, which has the program excited about the upcoming season.
“We’ve got some talent to work with,” Utah co-head coach Tom Farden said after the team’s annual Red Rocks Preview on Friday.
The intra-squad is two-fold. The gymnasts get to perform their routines on a hard surface for the first time, showing off their talents to fans — 5,200 of them to be exact — and the coaches get to see who does well under pressure.
“(Co-head coach) Megan (Marsden) and I wanted to be open-minded going into tonight and really start narrowing down who we think is going to compete under pressure,” Farden said.
Headlining Utah’s lineup is junior two-time NCAA champion MyKayla Skinner and senior All-Americans Kari Lee and MaKenna Merrell-Giles. The team features 10 returning gymnasts and four freshmen, who are making strong cases for spots in each lineup.
Farden thinks each of the freshmen will contribute this season, with the exception of Cammy Hall who tore her Achilles during practice. Hall was slated to be a key contributor on vault and floor.
Hunter Dula is expected to “make a strong case” on bars and perhaps floor. She and junior Kim Tessen have been battling mono in the preseason. Adrienne Randall earned herself a spot in the beam lineup, according to Farden. Her poise as a freshman really sticks out to the coaches.
“(She) is a fantastic balance beam worker,” Farden said.
Cristal Isa is a “utility worker” in Farden’s eyes and she can compete on any event.
“Cristal is the one freshman of the four that we can put anywhere,” Farden said.
Isa is currently deep in the bars lineup, which comes as no surprise as she’s a two-time Junior Olympics national bars champion.
“She’s going to be able to hold up with anybody,” Farden added.
Utah’s talented depth will compete for the first time of the season on Sat., Jan. 5 against Penn State at 7 p.m. MST in the Huntsman Center.
