SUU believes all the building it has done in recent seasons will pay off with one of its best seasons, Utah State has reworked its program from the gymnasts to the coaches, BYU should build on its good finish in 2007 and Utah feels all the trials it went through last year have only made it stronger for 2008.
"It has been as different as it possibly could be from last year's preseason to this year's preseason," Utah coach Greg Marsden said. "Maybe because last year was so hard, that has made this year's preseason more enjoyable."
The Utes, who have finished second in the nation the last two years and enter the season ranked No. 3, will find out if all their extra hard work in the offseason has paid off when they host top-ranked Georgia on Friday to open the season.
Utah hasn't gotten the better of the Gym Dogs since the 2000 NCAA Championships when the Utes took second and Georgia finished third.
Last year Georgia won its third straight national title when Utah hosted the championships. Utah could play the role of spoiler this year, since the championships are in Athens.
It's a long way until April, though, and for now the Utes just want to build on their strong finish in 2007.
"We are more motivated and excited about what we can do because we can see a lot of potential," junior Kristina Baskett said. "We are in a lot better place than we were last year."
Baskett's optimism was directed at her team, but judging by the expectations coming out of the other parts of the state, she could be speaking for the other programs, too.
Which expectations will stick like a perfect vault and which ones will slip away like a foot off the balance beam? Tighten the grips, we're soon going to find out.
lwodraska@sltrib.com
UTAH STATE
Jan. 11 at Boise State
7 p.m.
Six freshmen will compete for the Aggies, but coach Roy Corn says his team can improve upon last season's third-place finish in the WAC.
BYU
Jan 26. at New Hampshire
5 p.m.
Strong as usual on the beam, the Cougars will try to shake off their 2007 inconsistency and find their way back to the NCAA Tournament after a two-year absence.
UTAH
Jan. 11 vs. Georgia
7 p.m.
Led by senior Ashley Postell, who has 15 All-America honors, the Utes are ranked third in the nation and looking forward to another strong season.
SUU
Jan. 25 vs. Seattle Pacific
7 p.m.
After finishing second at the WAC Championships last year, the young Thunderbirds have concentrated on all-around training in the run-up to this season.
