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Gymnasts seek 1st road win

The No. 25 Arizona gymnastics' team will be after their first road win of the season tomorrow night when they take on the fourth-ranked Utah Utes.

Earning their first road victory of the season at Utah will not be easy, though, as the Utes are 4-0 this season and have won 155 straight regular season home meets during the last 21 years.

"Utah is a model program," head coach Bill Ryden said. "They are everything other college programs want to be."

Sophomore Randi Liljenquist agreed.

"Utah has a very strong team," she said.

In order to defeat the Utes, Liljenquist said Arizona must correct the mistakes they are making, most notably the falls on the beam.

"Winning will come along if we get all the improvements taken care of," she said. "We've practiced hard this week. I think we've put in a lot of hard work and I hope our efforts will show soon."

In the Wildcats' last meet on Friday, they recorded the fourth-highest total in UA history (195.6), but still lost to No. 21 Minnesota. Arizona scored season-highs on the bars (49.2), vault (48.875) and the floor (49.375), which was the highest in school history.

"Even though we lost last week, it was a very successful effort," Ryden said.

Arizona will try to break that streak with a balanced effort. Liljenquist, senior All-American Heidi Hornbeek, junior Kara Fry and all figure to battle for top individual honors.

Paced by her first-place showing on the floor, Liljenquist won the all-around title on Friday. She also tied for second on the beam (9.85) and bars (9.875).

Hornbeek won the vault (9.875) and bars (9.925). She also placed third on the floor with a season-high 9.9.

Fry finished second in the all-around after capturing the beam (9.875) and finishing second on the bars (9.875).