Utah Utes gymnastics: Red Rocks confident, ready for UCLA meet

Armed with the excitement on campus from the football team's attention-grabbing victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl last week, the second-ranked University of Utah gymnastics team opens its 2009 season tonight at 7 against No. 4 UCLA in the Huntsman Center on a real high.

"I think it's a good sign Utah can compete with the SEC (Southeast Conference)," said senior Kristina Baskett, the Utes' top all-arounder. The SEC has some of the country's top football and gymnastics teams. "I think it was really good for them. It's good for our school, which is therefore good for us. It was like motivation for us, that if they can do it, we can do it, you know?"

"They (the football team) just set us up. Go, Utah," said senior Nina Kim, who has blossomed into a strong leadership role and a much stronger gymnast than she's ever been, said coach Greg Marsden.

"She's just a different person.

I've never seen her so ready," he said — one of the reasons the Utes think they'll be just fine carrying on this season after losing 20-time All-American Ashley Postell and two other seniors to graduation, as well as the loss of junior Stephanie Neff to medical retirement.

"We miss them. They'll never be able to be replaced. But I think we'll be just fine," said Kim. "I think season and postseason will be just fine because we know we have to lift our own weights, and we can't do it without each other."

Tonight is the sixth time in the last seven years the two national powers, UCLA and Utah, have opened the season against each other, 2008 being the only exception. Utah, Georgia, UCLA and Alabama are the only teams to have ever won NCAA championships.

Last year, the Utes beat two-time defending NCAA champion Georgia in the season opener in the Huntsman, 196.30-196.20, and the Gym Dogs went on to win their third straight national title.

The Utes have finished No. 2 to Georgia for three straight years but carry hope — thanks in part to the football team — of doing better this season, even without Postell's tremendous scores.

"I love how they proved everybody wrong," Kim said of the footballers and of trying to follow in their footsteps. "I was just like, 'You know what? New year — our year.'"

Baskett and Marsden see big improvement from a number of Utes, such as Kim, Jamie Deetscreek and Daria Bijak, with sophomores Gael Mackie and Jacquelyn Johnson finally healthy and expected to make big contributions.