Utah Utes gymnasts ranked No. 9

SALT LAKE CITY ?— Being ranked ninth is better than being ranked 11th, an all-time low for a University of Utah gymnastics team that was reached on Jan. 11.

But by this time of the year — with the rankings system having moved to the Regional Qualifying Score from raw season average — the Utes are reaching a point where there may not be a whole lot they can do to better their poll numbers.

The 5-2 Utes, coming off their poorest score of the season, 195.10 at Michigan last Friday, have just two road meets left, including Friday at 7 p.m. at No. 31, 2-7 BYU, to try and raise their RQS.

The RQS is an average of a team's six best scores, three of which must be from road meets, and Ute road scores have included 195.10, 195.125 and 195.85, with only the 196.475 at Arizona State Feb. 5 to improve that average.

The Utes either have to get better fast, "Or just live with it and have to be good when we get to postseason," said coach Greg Marsden Monday.

"We're running out of opportunities on the road."

The only other road meet is at Florida, currently ranked fourth, on March 19. That is also the site of the 2010 NCAA Championships April 22-24.

"We're going to run out of opportunities and not going to be able to do much about our ranking," Marsden said, "so then it's a matter of you've just go to regional and do a good job."

Luckily, the regional is at Utah this year, on April 10.

"That's always a good thing," Marsden said, noting that not only will Utah fans be numerous in the Huntsman Center, but his team won't have the stress of traveling. It will also save the Ute budget $12,000-$15,000. The NCAA does not pay for teams to go to regionals; it only pays travel for the 12 teams that earn their way to the national championships.

FALLOUT: The Ute coach was still harsh in comments Monday about Friday's poor results at Michigan after singling out senior Jamie Deetscreek and sophomore Stephanie McAllister that night.

"We've just got to be better," Marsden said. Asked how that would transpire, he said, "Not have a senior meltdown. Not hit our feet on the bars and take any deductions. Not fall off the balance beam. Pretty simple.

It's not rocket science."

But he said it is fixable, and he called Friday another "mixed bag" of results, pretty similar to what he'd said after the 196.225-178.25 win at home Feb. 12 over Utah State.