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Utah's gymnastics team doesn't make a big deal about who competes in the all-around and who doesn't, but the category is fast becoming a big deal for the Utes in the Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships.
Since the league started holding the championships in 2012, the Utes have clinched two of the three titles, with Corrie Lothrop winning the title in 2012 and Tory Wilson winning it last year.
UCLA's Vanessa Zamarripa won the 2013 championship to prevent a Utah sweep.
Wilson, a senior, enters the Pac-12 Championships as the highest ranked gymnast in the all-around, with a No. 9 national ranking and 39.485 average.
However, there are several gymnasts who could contend for the title but haven't competed enough to earn a national ranking.
Among them is UCLA's fifth-year senior Samantha Peszek, who averaged 39.494 in her four all-around competitions. Utah's Georgia Dabritz is in the conversation, though she is ranked just 21st, thanks to a fall off the balance beam, which made her average plummet.
Wilson said winning the all-around was fun last season, but she viewed it as an added bonus since the team competition was more important to her.
She is taking the same approach Saturday when the Utes host the Pac-12 Championships. Utah competes against Stanford, UCLA and Oregon State in the 7 p.m. session.
"Last year was a confidence-booster for me, but it's a new year and there are new people who are also working hard," she said. "I'll just have to see how it goes and just try and do my best."
Many years ago, winning the all-around title was considered as big of a reward as the team championship. The importance has lessened as coaches have put more and more emphasis on team success, but claiming the all-around title, or even participating in the all-around, is a point of pride for gymnasts.
"Our sport has gotten so competitive, there can be 25 girls on a team and some of them aren't even competing, never mind competing in the all-around," Dabritz said. "It is tough to get those spots, so if you can get into a lineup in four places, you really appreciate that."
One who appreciates those spots is Lothrop, who won the title as a sophomore, then suffered a season-ending Achilles injury as a junior.
Only now, two years later, does she feel like her old self.
Lothrop has competed in the all-around five times this season, including the past two meets.
She is competitive enough to want a chance at the all-around, but said she understood the coaches had a difficult decision to make whether to use her in all four events or not.
"We want to win a national title, and we need to do what it takes," she said.
As for her first all-around title, Lothrop joked that it was a nice perk, but that it wasn't a life-changing moment. In fact, she isn't even sure what happened to the medal she received, since it looked like so many other ones she had earned prior to college.
"It wasn't until the second year they started giving those nice glass trophies and plaques," she said. "I have the memories — all those medals are at my parents'. I didn't come to college with all my hardware."
With any luck, she and the other Utah gymnasts could be leaving with some.
Twitter: @lyawodraska —
Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships
P At the Huntsman Center
Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m.
Tickets • http://www.utahutes.com
Afternoon session • Arizona, California, Washington, Arizona State
Evening session • Utah, UCLA, Oregon State, Stanford —
Pac-12 gymnastics all-around rankings
National ranking Gymnast School Avg
No. 9 Tory Wilson Utah 39.485
No. 10 Toni-Ann Williams California 39.47
No. 14 Taylor Rice Stanford 39.395
No. 21 Georgia Dabritz Utah 39.37
No. 29 Madeline Gardiner Oregon St. 39.255