Women's Gymnastics 1994 National Champs
] 994 NATIO Front Row (L to R): Meredith King, Megan Caudle, Kelli Wolsey Middle Row: Suzanne Metz, Missy Wells-Taylor,Jennifer Mercier Back Row: Amiee Trepanier, Amber Doi, Kelley Delaney, Alysa Frenz, Sandy Woolsey y Vow! That’s al you can say after learning the details about Women’s Gymnastics at the University of Utah. Greg Marsden started the program from scratch in 1976 as a graduate student. Now, after 19 seasons, he has achieved a unique and unprecedented stature in the world of women’s sports. His regular season career mark is 291-35-1- a success rate of 89 percent. Counting postseason competition that ledger jumps to might never be matched.
record with more than 13,000 fans per home meet! ence and six-time national coach-of-the- Henschen as a Sport Psychologist consulinclude being recognized in 1986 as “The tant for 16 years.
Athletics.” In 1983, Marsden was named the TV Guide/Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Sportsman of the Year. However, the truly amazing fact is the attendance record. More people come to Fenton, nutrition consultant are in their 9th years. They also have a team physician, trainer, physiology consultant, academic advisor, meet director, two assistant coaches and strength coach. front in most areas in collegiate gymnasmore reps and more sets for definition, losing bodyfat and injury prevention. “I have seen a lot of changes from do dangerous skills that require a lot of of-the-year recipient. upper body but lower body. “We never did anything like weights arch, they told me my career was over.
My injured calf was 2 1/2 inches smaller than my other calf. I built it up but after three months I still couldn’t run. Finally, routines. My parents never doubted me. There’s been so many times where the doctors would tell me to quit.
Chamber of Commerce Sportsman of the Year. to quit. I couldn’t handle that.” Suzanne beautiful state-of-the-art strength room. Head strength coach Dwight Daub and dard. All of their training points to the year, in spite of being seeded fifth in a but are expected to get after it. ous business. That is one of the reasons the Utes have one of the top strength proagain. grams nationwide. The University of 1,500 acre campus in Salt Lake City and against the Wasatch Mountain Range. ored her as the nation’s top female athate programs, draws its 26,000-plus stuaround score of 39.90. She was the first dent population from all 50 states and 90 foreign countries.
It ranks in the top 25 on three events in a single meet. two loose foam pits, which facilitate tam- Medical Center. systems (one over a trampoline and one over a 12-inch port-a-pit), overhead spotpush so hard, because when someone tells you that you can’t do something, you want that much more to do that much better.”
Before the 1994 season was over Suzanne commented, “In college gymties in funded research. The first total is of state-of-the-art quality. It features mounts. They also have six bar stations, Suzanne continued, “My luck hasn’t been the greatest. I think that’s why I injuries: Bone fractures on the feet, three elbows and a hefty share ofdislocations. grams are what others use as their stanhad to fight through a plethora of.
Greg Marsden tics including strength training. His proappalled me- how dare you tell me I have The following are exclusive interviews with two Utah gymnasts who will be returning for the 1995 season:
Suzanne Metz and Jen Mercier. ting (for bars, beam and floor), six fitness cycles and two Stairmasters (for rehab) and a team locker room and training area which houses portable EGS, Ultrasound, Hydroculator and a taping table.
“We don’t think about losing femininity at all because our team lifts weights.
Strength & Conditioning Coach Dwight Daub is to just do what I can for the team to chances. We look out for each other.
“As far as drugs and alcohol,” advised Suzanne, “We are a very smart team. win the national championship.” ties. “But a lot of us,” revealed Suzanne, don’t risk it.” also won nine all-around victories in 12 time.” attempts during the season.
One of the things that are important to Suzanne in life are her parents. “After a successes, Suzanne stated, “Everything’s an honor but it’s not going to mean anyelite athlete. She was recruited by everythan [ have. I hope they got as much out thing until the national championship in April, really.” ents lost their jobs at one point during her those possible career ending injuries. in things she could have let get her down. trips,” remembered Suzanne. was still on crutches with my foot and it meet, the first thing I do is call my par- She’s had some very difÏcult things happen in her first year, things lesser people couldn’t have worked through.”
There are four events in women’s gymnastics: Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam and Floor Exercise. An all-around athlete competes in all four events. highest score in each event is 10.0 and therefore, the perfect all-around score would be 40.0. around high of 39.6 both in 1993 and 1994, The national NCAA championships were held at the University of Utah this year. Suzanne had a fall in the all-around competition and finished a disappointing 20th but she made up for it the next day. Each team selects their five best athletes to compete in each event. A perfect team score would be 5 X 40 or 200.0.
Suzanne tied for second in two events. Every fraction of a point was needed. The University of Utah totaled 196.4 and nosed out the University of Alabama which scored 196.35 points, slimmest of margins, the Utes were again national champions.
“No one has a problem with us in the weight room. We are not looked down upon by the guys. with the football team. In fact they take care of us. It’s like a sister-brother situation.”
Suzanne is an Exercise and Sport Science major with an emphasis in Sports Psychology She carries a solid 3.1 GPA and would like to work with athletes in the future. She raves about Coach The Ute’s Suzanne Metz All-Around Specialist, All-American Jen Mercier Doing One Legged Squats. This Requires Tremendous Balance and Jen Doing Dumbbell just seemed like everything came down at once,” said Suzanne strongly. admits this was a huge sacrifice for her “Everybody has those times. isn’t any different from anyone else’s.
EDITOR’S COMMENT:
Body Strength 1:00 to 7:00 PM five days per week. feels all the hard work was worth it. another.”
Then, on Saturdays, the practice was only 2-3 hours. ipating in the 1992 Olympics. But injuries and politics dashed those hopes. way, to get through the next day. peted anyway. this important attitude towards life. because of her hand she didn’t. Petitions were filed but were denied or perhaps Jen may have qualified for our Olympic Team.
Jen will be a junior at Utah. She startdisplayed unusual talent in her hometown in her senior year. She came out to Utah of China, Maine. on a recruiting trip and loved everything American. and they cooperated with the club.
“They knew I was training for a high level of gymnastics.” Jen’s parents paid for the tuition and were pleased that the By Jen Mercier. lost some skills. ment,” remembered Jen. academics at Allentown were good.
Mercier has really come on strong at the “My priorities in life are school first, gymnastics second flexibility exercises. We were even taught how to sprint last year. That realand social life third. Each one is important. I need to ly helped my vault.” have some time to hang out with my friends but as far as drinking and drugs? Gymnastics have always been the first priority. I have never had a drink in my life.”
That concluded our interview but I decided to ask one more personal question: what is true success and happiness? responded, “True happiness is feeling good inside.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: end of the season and has earned an at a point when we had a lot of injuries able. and every time I asked her to do something, even at the last minute, Jen did a nice job for us.” world!” and sacrificed as much as any athletes we have ever interviewed. explained. “I love animals and ecology. work on all phases of training just like a football player: Speed, strength, power, events in the preliminaries.
9.65 on floor exercise to help Utah to the final team round. being paid for and I'll get to start out life on my own debt free.
“My priorities in life are school first, gymnastics second and social life third.
Each one is important. I need to have some time to hang out with my friends but as far as drinking and drugs? Gymnastics have always been the first priority. I have never had a drink in my life. Also, women’s gymnastics is, I’m quite sure, free from steroids. want to get big or bulky “T'll tell you what can be a problem. It’s anorexia or bulimia. that problem but I know girls who have. Right now I’m 5-1 and 112 pounds When I was 14-16, I weighed less than 100 pounds. We get tested for body fat percentages once a week during the season. But, you know, sometimes I wish I were taller.”
Jen started lifting weights at age 16 but didn’t take it seriously until college. “T should have lifted more seriously in high school if the time had been balanced Notice the Excellent Chest, Lower Back, and Head Positions. Her Stance is Narrow Which Duplicates Strength Positions out,” Jen offered, different. then we get time off. Weights are more accepted now. of me because | lift weights. I never feel unfeminine and I’ve never heard any-
From BFS Magazine — Fall 1994. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
