Red Rocks beat BYU with best season-opening score since 2005


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PROVO — The sixth-ranked Utah gymnastics team started its season with a 196.900-193.350 victory over BYU Friday night at the Marriott Center.

It is the largest margin between the two teams since 2009 when the Utes won by 5.075.

“It was definitely a promising start,” said senior co-captain Georgia Dabritz.

Utah began the night on uneven bars where it received its lowest score of all the events (49.175). All-American senior Corrie Lothrop had the first fall of the meet. She let go a little early making it so she couldn’t reach the upper bar, but her teammates made up for the mishap.

Junior Kassandra Lopez scored a 9.875 in her first appearance since her 2013 Achilles injury. All-American and NCAA runner-up Dabritz performed as though it were late in the season. Her dismount was perfect and she received a 9.900.


We're better this year because our returning people have improved, and we're better because of recruiting.

–Greg Marsden


Freshman Tiffani Lewis made her Ute debut a good one. On vault she had great flight, but leaned on her landing. Her toes held on and she received a 9.750. The high scores on vault go to first-team All-Americans Tory Wilson (9.925), Dabrtiz (9.925) and Kailah Delaney (9.85).

Wilson and Pac-12 champion Dabritz’s floor routines included big-time tumbling. Wilson opened with an amazing double layout and finished with a big double back. It appeared that Dabritz’s second pass was off. Nonetheless the pair earned a 9.900 and 9.875, respectively.

The seniors weren't the only ones with impressive tumbling in their floor routines. Freshman Kari Lee opened her routine with a triple twist. Sophomore Baely Rowe scored a 9.875 in her floor debut. Rowe’s only mishap: her bow flying out of her hair mid-tumble.

The balance beam has long been known as the Red Rocks’ weak spot. It has cost the team moving into the Super Six for the past two years. Friday's 49.200 effort proved that the preseason speculations of improving were correct.

“We’re better this year because our returning people have improved, and we’re better because of recruiting,” said co-head coach Greg Marsden.

Lothrop and Lee’s 9.850, along with the help of Wilson and Delaney’s back-to-back 9.800s, allowed Rowe to let loose on the beam. She sang along to the music and scored her career-high 9.900. Freshman Maddy Stover (9.775) also had a great debut as a Ute on the event.

Friday's stellar performance in front of 2,527 fans was the best season-opening score since 2005. Utah’s next meet is its home opener against Boise State, Southern Utah and UC Davis Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.

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Holli Joyce

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