The Arizona gymnastics team hopes to end its last few meets on a high note as it prepares for the Pacific 10 Conference Championships, which it will host beginning March 27. The team will aim to improve from last week, when they placed second out of four teams at the University of Nebraska. The No. 21 Gymcats (2-5) are performing against the University of Washington tonight at 7 in McKale Center. The Huskies (1-5) are the first unranked opponent the Gymcats will have faced in the last month.
“”We need to have a good home meet — that’s for sure, because our first few home meets weren’t good,”” said senior Sarah Tomczyk. “”I think we need to go at least 195 this weekend at home.””
The team will have to compete in today’s meet with only two days of practice this week, as head coach Bill Ryden is choosing rest over training.
“”We would like more training,”” Ryden said. “”Right now at this point in the season we have to rely on all the months that we have already put in. We have to give them time to recover.””
This will be the first home meet in a month for the Gymcats, something that the gymnasts are welcoming in the waning weeks of the season.
“”I think that one thing I am looking forward to is the team just getting really excited about it,”” said Deanna Graham. “”I just want to get out there and have everyone cheering, everybody really excited for everything.””
The home crowd is not the only positive from having a home meet this week. Arizona is also looking forward to reducing injuries and fatigue by being at home.
“”If we had to get on another plane on Thursday, it would be like, ‘again?'”” Ryden said.
According to Ryden, the team gets more rest during the week if they have a home meet because they do not have to worry about traveling. The team still has to go to class when they are competing at home, but, at away meets, they are taken away from everything.
The entire team agrees that it needs to perform better on beam and floor, as the Gymcats have had falls in two consecutive weeks on beam.
“”What was unfortunate was that people who fell two weeks ago stuck this last week, but then other people fell,”” Tomczyk said. “”You can’t get upset when people fall because it’s not like they are always messing up.””
The Gymcats are having a solid week in practice. Katie Matusik has been practicing a floor routine, and Mykle Douglas has been looking good on the vault, but Ryden does not know if he will use them in the meet yet.
“”We are a really good team, and when we practice, we practice amazingly well,”” Graham said. “”We just have to keep that in mind. We just have to compete like we practice.””
