January 28, 2007

UTAH GYMNASTICS NOTES: Freshman Shire answers the call

By Lya Wodraska
Salt Lake Tribune

MINNEAPOLIS - Usually Utah's gymnasts have to prove they're ready to earn a spot in the lineup with one or two good exhibition routines.

Not Sarah Shire; she didn't have that luxury. The freshman was inserted into the balance beam lineup at the last second Saturday in place of struggling senior Nicolle Ford.

Shire's debut was as good as the Utah coaches could have hoped for, as she earned a 9.8 competing third in the lineup.

Previously, about the most Shire had done in a meet was hold the "red rocks" sign to lead Utah's crowd in cheers.

"I was shocked at first," said Shire, of learning she was going to compete. "I was going to treat my exhibition routine like I was competing for real, so I just kept that focus, but it was for real."

Shire's routine was solid from start to finish and she didn't show the nerves she was feeling. She credited Ford for giving her a key pep talk seconds before she competed.

"She told me to be strong and aggressive, then she reminded me we were going shopping tomorrow, which made me laugh," Shire said. "I needed that comfort, because I was starting to get really nervous. What she did was perfect."

Shire said now that she is in the lineup, she'd like to stay there. Her high score at least will make it a tough decision for Utah coach Greg Marsden.

"To score a 9.8 like that was something," he said. "She was a rock."

Down to one

Weber High graduate Kim Womack is in her final year with the Minnesota team, focusing on a role as a vault specialist.

On Saturday, she scored a 9.675 against the program she grew up watching and hoping to be a part of when she became eligible.

However, Womack fell into the large group of Utah gymnasts who were good, but not quite good enough to earn a scholarship to Utah.

Womack came to Minnesota instead, becoming an Academic All-American in addition to earning a role on the gymnastics team.

Womack has competed on the bars and floor sporadically in the past, but isn't working those other events this year even in practice.

"I miss bars and floor, but it's good because I can focus on vault," she said. "I'm trying to be a good team leader too and help them out whenever they need me."

A natural fit

With Marsden (knee) and assistant Jeff Graba (biceps) unable to spot because of their injuries, the NCAA allowed Utah to bring in another coach strictly to spot this season.

Filling those duties is former assistant Aki Hummel, who stepped down after the 2005 season to run his own massage clinics. He helps on a limited basis at some practices and meets.

"I'm glad to help," Hummel said. "When I heard they got hurt, I told them I would do anything I could to help."

Briefly

Minnesota took several minutes after the teams were introduced to congratulate last year's team, which won the Big Ten title, the first for the school since 1998. . . . Katie Kivisto got a career high with a 9.825 on the floor. . . .Freshman Jamie Deetscreek was penciled in to go in exhibition on the vault, but Marsden took her out of the lineup after watching her warm up. "If she had had a good warmup, we would have let her go," Marsden said. "But there is no sense pushing it, especially on the road."