With freshmen stepping up, Ute gymnasts wallop Michigan

Maybe it's the color blue that ignites the fire in Utah's Red Rocks.

The Utes breezed through the first three rotations before stumbling on floor, but before then, there were plenty of positives to take from Friday's meet. With wins over UCLA, Utah State and BYU — all blue schools — was it any wonder the Michigan meet loomed large?

Utah's big three — Nicole Ford, Kristina Baskett and Ashley Postell — got plenty of support from the young freshmen, not the least of whom was Sarah Shire, who scored season-high 9.9s on vault and beam.

The emergence of the young freshmen as solid performers gives coach Greg Marsden both confidence and flexibility in his team's rotation, as he awaits word on Ford's injury next week. (See story on D1.).

For Shire, her confidence is sky high after a bout with stomach flu, a racing heart beat and dehydration that sent her to the hospital only days before Friday's meet against the Wolverines.

"I felt calm and in control of myself," she said Friday after landing her beam dismount. "When they posted 9.9, I didn't think it was mine. I even added in some dance routines on beam so I could save my energy."

On vault, she said she felt more comfortable going second in the rotation and watching Jessica Duke get the Utes off to a solid start, posting a 9.8. Shire followed with a 9.875, and with Michigan's gymnasts struggling with falls on bars, the rout was on. (The Utes ended up winning by a monstrous 2.4 points.)

Shire likes her teammates' new attitude that developed following the loss last week to Georgia.

"We are stepping up our practices and we are getting more depth, and that makes us a better team," Postell said.

Shire agrees. "I think it's the mental part right now that we're focusing on and that makes us more determined to do better." She said she's confident with her skill levels and her routines and is anxious the continue to perfect them.

Marsden said he likes his team's overall toughness and their ability the past week to pull together. Both veterans and newcomers are getting more comfortable in their roles, both coach and gymnasts say, and "the girls are pulling a lot more for each other."

That attitude — as well as upcoming meets against No. 8 Nebraska (red) and No. 1 Florida (orange and blue) — could determine how successful this group of Utes will be.

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E-mail: jringwood@desnews.com