Utah senior not questioning reasons behind her consistent performances.

By Lya Wodraska

| The Salt Lake Tribune

Gymnast Cortni Beers hesitates to spend much time deciphering why her senior year has gone so well at the University of Utah.

She doesn’t want to jinx herself by making her success a big deal, for one. Secondly, she is having too much fun to waste time wondering why everything has come together for her now.

Photos

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At a glance

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Cortni Beers file

Class » Senior

Height » 5-foot-3

Hometown » Tulsa, Okla.

Of note » Ranked 20th on the balance beam (9.829 average). … Set career highs on balance beam and uneven bars against BYU by scoring 9.9s. … Has three wins this season, which equals half of her career wins. … Has hit all 12 of her routines this year.

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Utah vs. Stanford

Friday

7 p.m.

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Beers is having the best year of her career, by far. Heading into a meet against Stanford at the Huntsman Center on Friday, she holds the No. 20 ranking on the balance beam with a 9.829 average, earned the Pac-12 Special Performance of the Week award by scoring 9.9s on the uneven bars and beam against BYU and has hit all 12 of her routines for the season.

"Everyone wishes their senior year is their best and so far the way mine has been going, it’s been a dream," she said. "I don’t know why it’s working out. I’m happy it is."

The success has given Beers exposure she had never enjoyed with the Utes in her previous seasons. A U.S. national team member from 2004 to 2006, Beers may have come to the Utah with a lot of credentials and experience, but she found breaking into the lineup nearly impossible.

She competed just twice during her freshman year, scoring a 9.7 on the beam and falling from the bars in the season opener against UCLA. The rest of the season she performed only in exhibition, and was relegated to an unfamiliar role of being a spectator instead of a performer.

"It was hard, because I put in all the work but I had none of the play," she said. "I worked hard in practice day in and day out, but Friday nights was about everyone else out there doing their thing and having fun and I was standing on the sidelines.

Beers earned more time on the two events as a sophomore and junior, but was hampered by inconsistencies.

She was 46 of 54 in made routines during the two years. The average was OK, but not enough to put her among the group of gymnasts coach Greg Marsden felt confident to put in the lineup.

"It was one extreme or the other with her, especially her sophomore year," Marsden said. "We never knew what to expect and would even joke with her that she was either a 9.9 or a 9.2. Sometimes we had to use her just because we didn’t have any other options."

This season is much different for Beers, who has earned a place in the bars and beam lineups, even though the Utes have their deepest and most talented team in years.

She didn’t do anything different in her preseason training, she said.

"I know what I want to do day-to-day in the gym, but I’ve never been one to set goals," she said. "I don’t know what the difference is, but I am more confident out there."

That confidence was on full display against BYU when Nansy Damianova fell off the bars, putting pressure on Beers to hit since she was next in the lineup.

Beers not only hit but earned a career-high 9.9. She also earned a 9.9 on the balance beam.

"I’m definitely going to remember that night," Beers said. "I’m enjoying it a lot more now that I’m not worrying about making the lineup, I’m just enjoying it."

The reason for her success doesn’t matter to Beers or her coaches, as long as it keeps up.