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The University of Utah women's basketball team gave March Madness aficionados something to cheer about this year that no other Utah collegiate team could do. They made it all the way to the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA tournament before losing in overtime for a spot in the Final Four.
In a word, wow!
Indeed, the Utes made athletic history as they advanced farther in the annual national tournament than any previous local women's basketball team, and they became the first team from the Mountain West Conference to reach the Elite Eight.
Veteran coach Elaine Elliot and all of her team members deserve credit, but especially the big three: seniors Kim Smith, Shona Thorburn and Julie Larsen. During their four years at Utah, the women compiled an impressive record of 103 wins with just 29 losses. Coach Elliott appropriately called it "the best four-year span we've ever had."
To top things off, on Tuesday Kim Smith was selected as an Associated Press Third-Team All-American, a deserving honor for the high scoring senior.
KSL joins sports fans across the state, both casual and avid, in extending congratulations to Coach Elliot and the Utes, and we thank them for giving us something to cheer about during the season called March Madness.
