A season ago, the Red Rocks realized the hard way just how difficult this event can be for even the best of gymnasts. Because of the struggles on beam in 2013, the team paid it extra attention during preseason training. After one meet, reviews are somewhat mixed about where Utah is in regards to being an elite beam team.
“I feel like this year has gone better,” said co-head coach Megan Marsden. “It started with our training in the preseason. The team as a whole made a commitment to up their standards and up their approach by approaching things with more purpose and intent.”
In the Red Rocks’ opener last Saturday, no falls occurred on the apparatus, though multiple gymnasts had balance checks as Utah tallied a 49.075 on the event.
“I think it went OK,” said senior Mary Beth Lofgren. “We weren’t thrilled with the outcome, but I think it was a step forward in the right direction. If we can build off of that, things will go well [this season].”
Lofgren attributed some of the problems to not being aggressive enough.
“We were definitely a little tentative,” she said. “We were holding back a little bit instead of going all out, so hopefully that improves through the season. It will just take8a lot of practice, especially in pressure situations. We all felt more pressure after the falls on bars, so we just need to get used to that situation.”
Marsden said she doesn’t expect her team to become the nation’s leader on the event right away, but she hopes the Red Rocks can eventually get to the point where they’re among the country’s elite.
“I’ve appreciated their efforts,” Marsden said. “I feel like they have had more positive days of beam workouts, and those will translate to better meets this year. I’m not sure it will be 100 percent turnaround overnight, and that’s how I felt at the meet — that we made progress, but still not where I want us to be.”
With the final tally of 49.075 Saturday, Marsden knows scores will have to get higher as the season goes on. In 2013, Utah consistently hovered around the 49 mark. She said that to be elite, that number will have to get in the 49.4 range.
As physical of a sport as gymnastics is, the Red Rocks are showing a focus on their mental approach to the beam just as much, if not more, than their physical approach.
“We have some athletes who try harder or they want it more and want to be perfect,” Marsden said. “All those things can set you up for problems because the more you want to try, the harder it is to let your body do what you need to do. We spend a lot of time on their mental approach, because we are big believers in ‘turning it on to automatic’ — which is much easier said than done.”
g.adams@chronicle.utah.edu