Now, if Marsden can just get senior captain Nicolle Ford to start acting like a freshman - or at least a sophomore.

The Utes won their season-opening meet over UCLA 196.325-195.975 at the Huntsman Center with a lot of help from DiLuzio and not much contribution from Ford, which is not exactly how these things are supposed to work.

In its own way, that's encouraging. Once the All-American finds herself, these Utes will be NCAA championship contenders.

DiLuzio, the only member of a six-athlete recruiting class who was ready for the opening night lineup, delivered in each of her three events, posting one of the Utes' top three scores on vault, beam and floor.

"I don't know how she could have been more solid than she was for us," Marsden said.

It's always the question that accompanies these Ute freshmen into their first home meets: Do they know what they're in for?

There's nothing quite like walking into a revved-up atmosphere with spotlights and fireworks during the introductions and 11,000-plus fans expecting big-time performances.

Utah's Nina Kim takes on the beam vs. UCLA in their first meet of the season.

Many of them, including DiLuzio, have competed in the U.S. Championships and other major meets, yet there's nothing quite like walking into a revved-up atmosphere with spotlights and fireworks during the introductions and 11,000-plus fans expecting big-time performances.

The recruiting visit eases some of the adjustment, but not all of it.

"I kind of knew what to expect," said DiLuzio, who came from Northern California to attend a meet last season, "but it was totally different being on the floor, competing. The energy from the crowd was awesome."

She was nervous, but her teammates helped keep her calm down before each routine. It was a performance that made Marsden all the more eager for her elbow to heal so she can add the bars event.

Ford's issues are different. For the Utes' only senior, the coach is prescribing a lot of lightening up.

"I just think she's putting way too much pressure on herself," Marsden said. "She's not in a good place. I can't crawl in somebody's head, but that's what it seems like to me."

Ford was subdued afterward, while speaking of being glad to have the season-opening meet over, so the gymnasts could learn where to go from here. "Some of us," she said, "have more to work on than others."

To summarize: It's OK to be a freshman, as long as your skills, health and confidence are at the level of DiLuzio's. It's difficult to be a senior, demanding so much of yourself in trying to justify the team's No. 2 ranking.

It's best of all to be a sophomore, like Kristina Baskett, with the experience of having won an NCAA co-championship on bars last April, yet still free from unreasonable expectations that can take the fun out of gymnastics.

Ford and junior Ashley Postell kept talking about how they have to avoid grimacing so much at the end of routines, knowing that if they appear unhappy with themselves, what are the judges supposed to think? Baskett accused herself of the same thing, only different: sticking out her tongue in an overt expression of joy and relief.

Then there was DiLuzio, who was too concerned about everything else to know if she was making faces at all. Maybe she'll notice next week, when the shock of her collegiate debut will have worn off. And by then, maybe Ford will have forgotten that she's a senior.

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* KURT KRAGTHORPE can be reached at kkragthorpe@sltrib.com. To write a letter about this or any sports topic, send an e-mail to sportseditor@sltrib.com.