Ute gymnasts ready for season

With a big freshman group that has been called the best recruiting class in the country, the already-present tension of hosting the NCAA Championships in April and with several setbacks that will keep people idle a bit longer, the No. 2-ranked University of Utah gymnasts have as many questions as answers as they open the 2007 season tonight.

Fifth-ranked UCLA, which has battled injuries the past year-plus but is coming off a win at Washington last week, is in the Huntsman Center starting at 7 tonight to test a Ute team that last April moved up a spot at nationals, taking second place to Georgia, with current sophomore Kristina Baskett winning the uneven bars championship and current junior Ashley Postell placing second all-around after taking third as a freshman.

"What I expect (tonight) is that we go in and hit routines and do what we're planning to do, and I think we're well-prepared to do that," said Ute coach Greg Marsden, who likely can show off only two of his five-person recruiting class tonight due to injuries and a fall surgery.

Marsden and the Utes may also be minus sophomore Nina Kim in some events as she's had a stomach virus. Junior Katie Kivisto also had a stomach flu last week. Both are weakened, but Marsden won't know till tonight how much they can do.

The good news is that Postell, who bruised a heel last Friday, said she was much better and planned to compete all-around, as does senior Nicolle Ford, who developed a cartilage problem in her left hip a few weeks ago. A cortisone shot had her feeling fine Thursday.

Freshmen expected to compete tonight are Annie DiLuzio in three events and Jamie Deetscreek in anywhere from no events to all four — much of it depending upon Kim's status. Deetscreek will at least be an alternate on each event and perhaps do exhibition routines.

"She'll definitely be out there doing routines because I need to see her in front of a crowd and see how she's going to handle the competition and to begin to get her experience because she'll definitely compete for us," Marsden said.

Others in his prized recruiting class are in various stages of readiness but won't likely perform tonight.

German World Championships veteran Daria Bijak is almost ready to compete on bars after having November knee surgery to clean up from a surgery last summer. She's not yet comfortable with a dismount but could be a last resort tonight.

"Only in emergency, and then she'd do a really rinky-dink dismount," Marsden said. But she should be ready soon.