They knew they needed to do better late in the season if they were going to make it as teams to the postseason, but the coaches of 25th-ranked Southern Utah and No. 38 Utah State, Scott Bauman and Ray Corn, can't help but feel a little left out in the NCAA gymnastics scheme of things.
Teams ranked 41, 42, 43, 49 and 52 are going to other regionals while the T-Birds and Aggies qualified only individuals to Saturday's NCAA North Central Regional at Iowa State.
The NCAA has changed its regional format twice because of such inequities in the past, but even another change wouldn't help SUU and USU this year.
However, Corn is of the opinion it will make his two all-around at-large competitors stronger Saturday in Ames, Iowa, as they vie with two from SUU for a chance to move on to the NCAA championships April 20-22 in Corvallis, Ore.
USU's Jessica Parenti and Meagan Lewis and SUU's Sheena Shaw and Leah Sakhitab have opportunities to move on, though likely only one or two can. The nation's top five at-large regional all-around finishers and at-large regional event winners qualify for nationals. Sakhitab did it last year and finished 45th all-around.
SUU's Ashley Sharpe has a good shot, said Bauman, at qualifying to nationals at Oregon State on uneven bars. He said she's as good as anyone. "It's a huge routine, and it's loaded with difficulty. She has a monstrous dismount."
Both teams had several gymnasts named as alternates to Saturday's meet, but none was to travel because there's little chance they could compete. If they weren't called by early this week, they weren't going to get the call, said Corn.
E-mail: lham@desnews.com