SALT LAKE CITY — For the second time this season Kim Tessen has been recognized as one of the best gymnasts the Pac-12 Conference has to offer.
“I knew she was going to let one loose. It was coming.” — Utah coach Tom Farden
The conference named Tessen Pac-12 Specialist of the Week Tuesday afternoon for her performance in Utah’s win over Stanford. Tessen was Utah’s MVP in the meet, due to the perfect 10 she earned on vault — the first of her career — not to mention the 9.90 she scored on floor exercise.
Her vault was a long time coming, according to head coach Tom Farden, and not the least bit of a surprise.
“I knew she was going to let one loose. It was coming,” he said. “She has been blasting them in training and was really looking good. It didn’t surprise me. She knew it was good, I knew it was good.”
The vault and award win — her second this season — are just more of the same for Tessen, who has broken out her senior year. She leads Utah with 10 event wins and is ranked No. 9 in the country on vault and uneven bars.
“I think her mentality has improved,” said Farden. “She is the aggressor now. She used to wait for things to come to her, but now she is going after things. Her attitude has totally changed. Now she walks up to events thinking ‘I am one of the best NCAA gymnasts, hands down.’”
He added that maturity and health have played a significant role as well, all of it contributing to a “perfect storm.”
Tessen has battled injuries and inconsistencies throughout her career, but those experiences have only made this year all the more special.
“Every time I prepare to walk out of the tunnel I still get body chills,” she said. “It is such a surreal feeling to me. I only have a couple more times to do the sport that I love. Before I went out tonight (Friday night), I just told myself that this is an amazing opportunity and I am going to go out and do what I know how to do. When I knew landed (my vault) I just knew it was going to be big. It felt really amazing.”
Red Rocks on the air
No. 4 Utah (197.475) vs. Utah State (195.915)
Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City
Friday, 7 p.m. MST
Live stream: Pac-12 Plus
Radio: ESPN700