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SALT LAKE CITY — The last time fourth-ranked Utah competed against 16th-ranked Stanford in the regular season, the Cardinal handed the Red Rocks their only conference loss.
“They are a team that can come into the Huntsman Center and do a great job,” co-head coach Megan Marsden said of Stanford’s gymnastics team.
The Utes (8-0, 4-0 Pac-12) lead the series 22-6 all-time and 10-1 in Salt Lake City. Stanford’s (4-5, 2-3 Pac-12) only win in Utah came in 2011.
“They’ve had good meets here, and we need to be on our A-game if we expect to win against Stanford,” added Marsden.
The Red Rocks' loss to the Cardinal last season was devastating. Utah came into the meet undefeated, much like they will this week, and led 147.775-147.225 after three rotations.
Utah's falter came on the beam when two gymnasts, Mary Beth Lofgren and Kailah Delaney, fell on back-to-back routines and earned 9.150 and 9.025, respectively.
The Utes have greatly improved on the event since then, but last week’s beam performance at Washington has the team hoping it doesn't return to the habits of last season.
Georgia Dabritz fell off the beam earning a 9.300. Her score didn’t count, thanks to her teammates earning higher scores, averaging 9.800. The Red Rocks have yet to count a fall this season. Maddy Stover followed Dabritz’s uncharacteristic performance with a career-tying 9.875.
Marsden wasn’t thrilled with the low total score on beam (49.000). She said she wasn’t sure if the team didn’t handle Dabritz’s fall well or if it was just by chance.
“What you don’t want to happen is have it snowball into happening more than once or twice in a row,” she said. “It can get in your head.”
Dabritz is on the beam’s tentative lineup against Stanford, but the decision won’t be made until the meet is about to begin. Marsden said if they feel she can’t nail her performance in warm ups they will have her in an exhibition to get her back on track.
However, if Dabritz doesn’t compete to count this week, coaches may return Delaney to the lineup. Dabritz was a last-minute replacement for Delaney on Jan. 16 after she was feeling ill.
Delaney is proving to coaches her confidence is back. She’s had two stellar vault performances the past two weeks (9.925 and 9.950).
“It’s nice to have options. I don’t know what way we’ll go at this point," Marsden said. "We still have a couple trainings this week and we’ll continue to watch and make some decisions at meet time."
This week’s competition takes place in the Huntsman Center Saturday at 7 p.m. and is the annual Short People Appreciation Night. Fans 5 feet or shorter will receive a free general admission ticket. Pac-12 Networks will broadcast the meet.
