Later-than-usual Red Rocks Preview will have a meetlike atmosphere

To allow late-comer Gael Mackie to participate and to give his team a little prep for next Friday's season opener against top-ranked and three-time defending NCAA-champion Georgia, Utah gymnastics coach Greg Marsden held off until tonight for the team's annual Red Rocks Preview.

Usually the Preview was held prior to Christmas, but this time it will be tonight at 7 in the Huntsman Center. Admission and parking are free to see the nation's No. 3-ranked team that placed second in the 2007 NCAAs last April at Utah. This year's NCAAs are at Georgia in late April.

Mackie is the British Columbian who had originally planned to join the team for 2009 but last summer decided to graduate early from high school and become a Ute for 2008, since an injury prevented her from competing for Canada, which ended up not qualifying for next summer's Olympics. Mackie quickly finished her schoolwork and then had to wait to be issued a diploma by the Canadian government and then be cleared by the NCAA, which took until a few weeks ago.

She had to train on her own until being cleared and will not be completely ready, though she will perform in two events tonight, said Marsden. She's had about five or six practices, and he said it's been "a little overwhelming for her. It's a lot of changes all at once." She moved into the dorms today and begins classes Monday.

With Georgia coming to the Huntsman Center next Friday, Marsden will make tonight's Preview more like a meet situation than it's been in the past to help get his team more preparation for the season opener. For the first time, there will be Red and White teams (though no scores will be kept and no winner declared), and there will be a more crisp, businesslike approach to the exhibition routines tonight.

Also, obviously, most of the athletes will be much closer to doing complete routines than they have been in the past when the Previews were held in early or mid-December.

The fireworks, face-painting services, school band, mascot Swoop and cheerleaders that are at home meets will be there tonight — some Previews haven't had those things — as Marsden tries to make the evening a little more meetlike. Audience members will still be allowed onto the floor following the Preview for autographs.