Because of the mishaps, the Utes will have had just two practices, on Tuesday and today, in preparation for Friday's meet against Minnesota.

However, the unexpected days off may not have been all bad, Marsden said.

"Sometimes maybe there is someone on your shoulder as a coach who knows better what a team needs than you do," he joked.

The Utes, who came into the season in such great shape, are at the point now where they need to make necessary adjustments to routines and start adding upgrades, but also hold back a little and not peak too soon.

In that respect, a few days off, even if they were unplanned, might have been the best thing for the Utes to keep them fresh.

"It could have been a blessing in disguise," Marsden said. "I feel really good about where we are right now. Everyone is working really hard, whether it's to stay in the lineup or get into the lineup."

Utah's immediate focus is to get upgrades in its floor routines. Annie DiLuzio and Kyndal Robarts are upgrading to double Arabians in their routines while others are also adding difficulty.

What new elements Ute fans will see Friday will be left up to the gymnasts to a great extent, Marsden said.

"I want them to feel ready and comfortable with what they're doing," he said.

The Utes have earned scores of 49.025, 49.050 and 49.125 on the event. Marsden would like to see those scores raise to around the 49.2, 49.3 range to put the Utes on more equal standing with the rest of the top teams in the nation.

"It depends on how tight the panel of judges are for each meet, but if we can score in that range, we should be competitive on that event in every meet," he said.

Possible lineup changes

Marsden hasn't decided on which events DiLuzio will compete Friday. She has the beginnings of a stress fracture in her left leg and may be used sparingly in the next several weeks.

"As much as I'd like to have her for every meet, I really want to have her for the UCLA meet and Michigan and Florida in March. We really need her to be healthy and ready at the end of the season."

Making an appearance in the all-around for the first time in two seasons could be junior Nina Kim. She competed in the all-around in the final nine meets of her freshman year, but entered the 2007 season out of shape and never broke into the lineup.

"She didn't feel quite ready last week," Marsden said. "The main thing is for her to go out and be aggressive."

lwodraska@sltrib.com