Salt Lake City, UT (U-WIRE) -- Without doing any extra recruiting, the U gymnastics team just got a huge addition to its 2006 roster.

2005 All-American Gritt Hofmann, a senior for the Red Rocks last season, has been granted a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA, giving her one more season of collegiate eligibility.

Hofmann's freshman season was cut short in 2002 when she suffered a back injury after competing in just one event. Following the conclusion of the 2005 season, in which she won All-America honors on the floor exercise, head coach Greg Marsden talked with Hofmann about returning for one more year.

"At the end of the season, we started talking to Gritt about whether she was ready to be done or not. And she said 'Well, no, I still love gymnastics and I'd still do it if I could,'" Marsden said. "I said, 'Well, there's a possibility that we could get you another year.'"

According to Marsden, the team petitioned for a medical hardship year, and he and Hofmann found out the good news last week.

"We really weren't sure (if she would get the exemption)," Marsden said.

The Red Rocks had already inked three of the most sought-after recruits in the nation-Kristina Baskett, Nina Kim and Beth Rizzo-for next year's squad, but they still had one more scholarship available to let Hofmann rejoin the team without any complications.

Hofmann's somewhat unexpected addition to the gymnastics team makes the Red Rocks-already a perennial championship contender-even more formidable in 2006. A former member of the German National Team, Hofmann won the 2004 regional floor title and was the runner-up in the event last year.

After her first season was cut short because of a stress fracture in her back, she put together a standout season in 2003 and was named the team's Most Improved Gymnast. Just two seasons later, she was an All-American, and she'll get a chance to duplicate that feat next season.

"It's always helpful to have somebody back with as much as experience as Gritt has," Marsden said. "She was our finisher on the floor and was an All-American on the floor. (She) is capable of also contributing on vault and beam, and has competed in both of those events for us in the past."

With Hofmann, the 2006 gymnastics team has a solid balance of experience and youth. The Red Rocks lost only one senior from last year's team, Annabeth Eberle, who has remained with the team as a student coach.

In addition to the trio of incoming freshmen, the Red Rocks have three sophomores, two juniors and five seniors-Hofmann, Natalie Nicoloff, Dominique, D'Oliveira, Gabriella Onodi and Kristen Riffanacht.

Utah gymnastics has won a record 10 national championships and finished third at April's NCAA Championships, in which Hofmann finished 10th in the finals of the floor exercise.

(C) 2004 Daily Utah Chronicle via U-WIRE