Utah gymnastics coach Megan Marsden normally lets co-coach Tom Farden handle most of the recruiting duties. But when it came to Alexia Burch, a somewhat unheralded recruit out of Nevada, Marsden wasn’t about to let Farden pass her up.
“She had such a cool story,” Marsden said. “She’d come to a meet when she was 10-years-old and stood in the autograph line and told her parents she was going to be on this team. Then when she won the Junior Olympic all-around, she went up there and flashed the ‘U.’ I told Tom it was a sign this kid has heart and is good enough to be on this team.”
Boy is she. Burch not only has proven she is worthy of a scholarship, she has made herself invaluable to the balance beam lineup.
Burch earned a spot in the lineup in the third meet of the season and has been a steady performer ever since. She earned a career-best 9.9 against Arizona and turned in a clutch effort against UCLA, scoring a 9.85.
“To get up there in all that pressure and be able to channel the nerves, she is tough,” Marsden said. “She is a good beamer and she is up for the challenge.”
UTAH AT CALIFORNIA<br>When • Sunday, noon MST<br>TV • Pac-12 Network
Burch just shrugs off her performances, believing she isn’t doing anything special since she has always been a good beam worker.
“Honestly it feels great to know that they trust me enough to put me in the lineup,” she said. “It has been a lot of fun.”
For Burch, just being a part of a team she admired for so long accomplished a goal. Now, she is just trying to enjoy the moments.
“I couldn’t imagine myself not being here,” she said. “I feel like I have a lot to live up to, but I’m settled in and feel like a part of the team.”
Beam is the one area in which the Utes have struggled some this year as Marsden experimented with lineups. But it seems the Utes have found the best lineup with senior Maddy Stover starting things, followed by MaKenna Merrell-Giles and Burch. Kari Lee, Missy Reinstadtler and MyKayla Skinner close things out.
Having Burch in the middle of the lineup might protect her from the pressure a bit, but really, there isn’t much protection at all in situations such as the Utes faced at UCLA and like the ones they will see in the post-season.
“I’m sure her parents were suspect she could make the team,” Marsden said. “But she proved to them and she went about convincing Tom and I to give her a nod on a scholarship and look at her now.”
Burch is also showing she has the skills to compete on the floor if and when she is needed.
“Her quality of movement is gorgeous,” Marsden said. “She is going to be big for us on floor, if not now then in the future.”
ABOUT ALEXIA BURCH<br>Vitals • 5-foot-2 freshman from Sparks, Nev.<br>Of note • 2015 Junior Olympic all-around and floor champion…Has hit 5-of-5 routines with a season best of 9.9 on the beam…2016 Nevada state beam champion…Trained at Flips USA Gymnastics.