BYU gymnastics edged out by Utah State

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(Ari Davis)
Emily Vidmar competes on the beam in the meet against Utah State. Vidmar’s 9.850 on the floor was her season-high. (Ari Davis)

The BYU women’s gymnastics team fell to Utah State 195.475-195.050 Friday night in the Smith Fieldhouse.

The team welcomed Jill Van Mierlo and Eliane Kulczyk back from injuries.

“(Having them back) is a shot in the arm,” head coach Guard Young said. “It couldn’t happen at a better time. ”

The Cougars began the night on the vault. Sin To earned a 9.675, while Mackenzie Douglas and Cheyenne Hill received matching scores of 9.725. Mikaela Jones added her score of 9.700 while Makenzie Halliday tied her season-high score of 9.800. The team trailed the Aggies 48.775-48.625 after the first rotation.

BYU competed on the uneven bars in the second rotation. Halliday received a score of 9.675 and Brittni Wilde earned a 9.750. Emily Vidmar and Van Mierlo both tied their season-highs with matching scores of 9.775. Kulczyk led the Cougars and notched her season-high score with a 9.850 but Utah State remained in the lead after the second rotation 97.725-97.450.

The third rotation featured the Cougars on the balance beam. Natasha Trejo started off strong for BYU with a score of 9.750. Kulczyk performed her first beam routine of the season and earned a 9.600 while Jones and Vidmar added matching scores of 9.825. Halliday finished for the Cougars and received a score of 9.875. BYU’s beam score of 48.875 was their highest rotation score of the night but they still found themselves behind the Aggies, 146.575-146.325, heading into the final rotation.

Three falls on the floor during the fourth rotation prevented BYU from catching Utah State.

“Every meet we have that one event we can’t figure out,” Young said. “Tonight it was floor.”

Aside from the falls, Halliday tied her season high and Douglas set her career high, both earning scores of 9.875. Vidmar also posted a season high on the floor with a 9.850, but it wasn’t enough for the Cougars as they fell to the Aggies 195.475-195.050.

Despite the loss, Halliday took first in the all-around competition with a score of 39.225, edging out Utah State’s McKinzey Martinez who scored 39.050.

The Cougars will remain in Provo for their final home meet of the season on Feb. 27 as they compete against Southern Utah University for the second time this season.

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