SALT LAKE CITY — Utah gymnast Corrie Lothrop had a good weekend. It’s as simple as that. The senior gymnast hit season bests in all three of her events last weekend at Arizona as the Red Rocks rolled to their best score of the season (197.85). Not too shabby for the elder gymnast.
A highly regarded recruit, Lothrop debuted for the Red Rocks in 2011. She was an alternate for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, and a member of the U.S. national team from 2006-09. Since joining Utah, her career has blossomed and in many regards re-blossomed.
After a strong debut season at Utah that included All-America honors, Lothrop became a standout during her sophomore campaign. She won the Pac-12 all-around championship and was a three-time All-American.
But she didn’t get to defend her all-around title as her junior season proved crushing when she tore her Achilles early in the season. Lothrop sat out the year, was granted a medical redshirt, and turned her sights to returning in 2014. Lothrop worked her way back into the beam and bars lineups last season. But the two events weren't enough. Lothrop, plain and simple, missed competing on floor. This year, she's back to full strength and back in the floor lineup.
“I was really nervous to compete floor again because I hadn’t competed on it in so long,” said Lothrop. “I feel like my confidence is finally back.”
Lothrop has been a mainstay on floor, bars and beam this year. She was pulled from the vault lineup after two meets, but respects the decision because her teammates are shining on the apparatus. The truth is Lothrop is in a good place, and has even taken on new responsibilities with the team.
“Corrie worked on fixing her floor routine and choreographed a lot of the changes,” said Utah co-head coach Megan Marsden. “She’s done a great job helping others as well.”
“Georgia (Dabritz) brought me music to listen to and asked me to choreograph her routine,” said Lothrop. “I really liked the music and enjoyed working on it.”
Dabritz is thriving with her new floor routine, hitting a 9.975 last weekend while ranking second nationally. Meanwhile, Tiffani Lewis, Lothrop’s other "performer," has recorded back-to-back 9.8s on floor in her freshman season.
“Corrie has taught me so much,” said Lewis. “It is a big adjustment to come into a college gym, and Corrie has made it fun while still pushing me.”
Though her teammates tease that Lothrop is the elder of the team because of the medical redshirt, they all have as much respect for her on the floor as they do off it.
“Corrie is a great leader,” said Marsden. “She realizes what we are doing at Utah is bigger than just one person.”
Lothrop admitted the team enjoyed itself last weekend and says that's why the Red Rocks bested their previous season-high score by nearly one point. The Massachusetts native also isn’t shy to say the weekend had an exclamation point when her New England Patriots won the Super Bowl.
MEET NOTES: Fourth-ranked Utah welcomes Arizona State Friday at 6 p.m. with pre-meet introductions beginning at 5:45 p.m. The fourth-ranked Red Rocks haven’t lost to the Sun Devils since 2003 and are 33-2 in Salt Lake when facing ASU.
RANKINGS: Utah’s Dabritz is the nation’s top all-arounder with a 39.625 average. Along with being second on floor, Dabritz is third on bars and tied for fourth on vault. Freshman Kari Lee ranks sixth on beam. As a team, Utah is fifth on vault, fourth on bars and beam, and tied for sixth on floor.