Throughout the history of college gymnastics, there have always been some fierce and powerful rivalries. In a new series, FloGymnastics is taking an in-depth look at some of the best NCAA gymnastics rivalries in history. Last week, we highlighted Georgia vs. Alabama, and next up is Utah vs. Georgia.

Utah vs. Georgia 

When you think of this rivalry, you have to think about Greg Marsden and Suzanne Yoculan. Both Marsden and Yoculan led their teams to 10 national championships, tying for the most in the NCAA. With any good rivalry there is said to be emotion, passion, and tension. This was especially the case with Utah vs. Georgia.

Both coaches were known to be very vocal and aggressive to help their teams come out on top within this heated rivalry. In the early 90s, the rivalry got so fierce that the two teams cancelled their regular-season matchup until 2006. While Marsden and Yoculan have both retired, the rivalry continues with a lot of history spanning over four decades.  

Greg Marsden was the head coach at Utah from 1975-2015.

The Coaches 

Marsden and Yoculan are known as two of the greatest NCAA gymnastics coaches of all time. Both coaches are said to be more than just coaches -- they were pioneers for the sport and brought thousands of new fans to appreciate gymnastics.

Marsden retired from Utah in 2015 after 40 years as head coach of the Utes. He retired as the winningest coach in college gymnastics history with a 1,048-208-8 record and his 10 national championships are tied with Georgia for the most by any women's gymnastics team. He has never missed a national championship, with Utah qualifying for an unprecedented 40 straight years, including all 34 NCAA championships (the only program to do so). In his time at Utah, Marsden was able to grow an incredible fan base drawing 15,000 people at a home competition. This atmosphere made it incredibly tough for opposing teams when they traveled to Salt Lake City to face the Utes.  

Yoculan retired from the Gymdogs in 2009 after winning her 10th national championship and winning five consecutive titles. In her 26-year stint at UGA, Yoculan turned Georgia into an NCAA powerhouse. Georgia quickly became a rival to many teams due to its dominance along with strong and vocal leadership from Yoculan. She had a way of bringing out the best in each of her athletes and setting them up to peak at the right time. Yoculan would do anything that it took to win and that showed with her winning record of 836-117-7.


Suzanne Yoculan was Georgia's head coach from 1983-2009.

Since the exit of both Marsden and Yoculan at their respective schools, the rivalry has continued to be fierce. Current Utah head coach Megan Marsden, a former Utes gymnast, was a member of the coaching staff for 20 years with her husband, giving her experience and a deep understanding of this rivalry. 

The Numbers:

The Georgia Gymdogs have the edge over the Utah Utes with a 27-23-1 all-time record in the series.  

Marsden: 1,048-208-8 record, 10 national championships
Yoculan: 836-117-7 record, 10 national championships

Former Utah Utes gymnast Annie Diluzio on the Utah/Georgia rivalry: 

"With the rivalry, it meant a lot to myself and my teammates. We wanted to beat them just as bad as they probably wanted to beat us! We are all very competitive. We knew we had to be on our game 100 percent, sticking landings, having great form and just putting everything out on the floor. We knew that if we did our job and stayed in our bubble, we definitely had the potential to win. We just had to get our job done and leave it in the judges hands! We needed to be so good that there was no doubt in the judges' minds who the better team was on that night. If we did our job, then it would hopefully show in the outcome of the meet!"

Stay tuned to FloGymnastics to learn more about the great rivalries in NCAA collegiate gymnastics.


Related:
Inside NCAA Rivalries: Georgia vs. Alabama