Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Fifth-ranked Utah gymnastics finished its regular season with perfection, literally.
Breanna Hughes sealed the Red Rocks’ last meet with a 10.0 on floor. Yet, somehow they believe they have things to work on before they travel to Seattle for the Pac-12 championship Saturday.
“We still have some things to improve. During this week, we’ll work on them going into the championship,” said Baely Rowe after the Utes’ meet.
Step inside the Dumke Center for a Utah gymnastics practice and you’ll again find perfection. Co-head coach Tom Farden, who does a lot of the team’s practice planning, said he likes throwing a lot of adversity at the gymnasts during practice.
“We’ve thrown a lot of plans and a lot of adversity during practice, so when they come to pressure situations, whether it be on the road for three weeks straight or the Huntsman with 15,500 fans watching you, we can prepare them for anything,” said Farden.
Last week, Farden welcomed the gymnasts to practice by telling them they had four minutes to warm up. They jogged around the mat, worked on each event and then they had to hit their routines in lineup order.
“It worked, so thank the gymnastics gods,” Farden said smiling.
The scheme has worked all season. The Utes have lost just once this season, at UCLA Feb. 6, despite using a different lineup, either personnel or order of competitors, in every meet. They led the entire meet until the last Bruin gymnast scored a 9.950 on floor to snatch a 197.200-197.075 win.
Utah’s 9-1 record is exactly what the program is used to, considering it has qualified for nationals all 41 years of its existence. But in Farden’s first year as head coach — he spent the last five seasons as the team’s assistant coach — he’s finding some relief.
“I’m the guy following the legend, so it’s a little bit of a relief,” said Farden, referring to Greg Marsden, who founded and coached the Red Rocks for 40 years before retiring last April.
Now it’s time for Farden to take the reins into the postseason alongside seventh-year and fellow co-head coach Megan Marsden. They lead the two-time defending Pac-12 champion team into the championship as the No. 1 seed for the fourth-straight year. The Red Rocks enter hoping to redeem themselves by beating No. 2 seed UCLA.
“They’re hungry. They don’t like the taste of loss in their mouths,” Farden of his team.
It will come with its challenges, though.
While dismounting from the beam in last week’s meet, sophomore Maddy Stover suffered a shoulder subluxation.
“That’s why she couldn’t lift her chest up,” Farden said of Stover’s salute after her routine.
Stover continued to compete, performing on floor in the last rotation, but it was clear she wasn’t 100 percent after she fell on her first tumbling pass.
“(Her shoulder) went out on the first pass and back in the last pass,” said Farden.
The nationally ninth-ranked beam anchor won’t compete in the Pac-12 championship. Her status for the rest of the postseason is uncertain. Samantha Partyka, who is returning from a lower leg injury that cut her from the floor lineup for three weeks, will take Stover’s place on floor. Freshman MaKenna Merrell will be Stover’s replacement on beam.
“It’s a devastating loss,” said Farden.
“Maddy is a quiet confidant with a lot of the athletes. She’s a great teammate. She’ll be missed if we don’t have her down the stretch,” he added.
Perhaps the Utes will use Stover’s absence on the competition floor as motivation. It’s worked before, when the team lost All-American Kari Lee for the season Jan. 26, when she tore her left Achilles in practice. They scored a season-high 197.150 against Arizona, starting their current seven-meet streak of scoring at least 197.
“We have to keep trusting ourselves and our teammates. We can do anything we set our minds to,” said senior Breanna Hughes.
With their “quiet confidant” supporting them off the competition floor, the Red Rocks will strive for yet another conference title and finish with another perfect performance.
Utah will compete in the second session of the Pac-12 championship, facing No. 2 seed UCLA, No. 3 California and No. 4 Oregon State at 7 p.m. MDT. The first session — including No. 5 seed Washington, No. 6 Stanford, No. 7 Arizona and No. 8 Arizona State — will take place at 2 p.m. MDT. Both sessions will air live on Pac-12 Networks Saturday, March 19.
