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Gymnasts take on tough Utes in season opener
By Wade Denniston
Without the services of junior Jessenia Abrego, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during practice two weeks ago and will miss the entire year, the 21st-ranked Utah State University women's gymnastics team will open its 2000 campaign at fifth-ranked University of Utah at 7 p.m. Friday at the Huntsman Center. The Utes will also be without one of their star gymnasts as junior All-American Shannon Bowles sustained a neck injury on Nov. 2, but hopes to return sometime in February. Bowles fractured her seventh cervical vertebrae while attempting a Yurchenko front half vault during practice. Utah State and Utah have met 74 times, with the Utes holding a 71-3 advantage, 30-0 at home. Utah's 71 wins against USU are the most it has against any opponent. The last time the Aggies defeated the Utes was during the 1978-79 season, which is when Utah State got all of its wins against Utah. In last year's meet between the two schools, the U of U recorded its third highest score in school history (197.625) in a three-way win over USU (195.675, a school record) and Boise State University (194.200). Winning in Salt Lake City may be a daunting task for the Aggies, considering the Utes are the best home team in the nation in any sport with a winning streak of 151 meets at home, which spans 20 years of regular seasons. Utah's last regular season home loss was on Feb. 20, 1979, to California State University at Fullerton. In the last 15 seasons, only three opponents have come within a point and one-half of Utah in a regular season meet in the Huntsman Center. The U of U defeated Oregon State University by .75 in 1996, Louisiana State University by 1.225 in 1999 and the University of Georgia by 1.4 in 1991. Besides Abrego not being able to compete for the Aggies, freshman Nicole Kilpatrick suffered a torn Achillies tendon during summer training, which required surgery. She hopes to be competing on bars and beam by midseason. After the Utah meet, USU will return to the Spectrum for its home
opener vs. Big West Conference rival Boise State University on Jan.
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Archived Months:
September
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