BYU gymnastics beat Utah State 195.025 – 192.900 Monday night in Logan.
The Cougar athletes have once again been able to hold a 195 score for the fifth time this season. Several career and season-highs were not enough for Utah Sate to stop BYU’s momentum.
BYU decided to change the line-up, sending three athletes to the all-around competition. Raquel Willman is usually the only BYU all-around competitor; however, freshman Makenzie Johnson and sophomore Megan Bain joined her Monday night on all four events. Bain took an impressive 39.125 on all four events, the second-best score on the all-around competition. Johnson had a 38.975, while Willman trailed close behind with a 38.550.
BYU started out the competition strong, all gymnasts scoring above a 9.725 on bars. Haylee Rollins tied her season high of 9.875, the highest scoring gymnast on the event. Three additional gymnasts scored above a 9.8 on the bars, allowing BYU to lead the competition after the first event. Utah State trailed behind BYU, with only two athletes scoring above a 9.8.
In the second rotation, BYU was able to catch three scores in the 9.8 range. This time, freshman Eliane Kulczyk led the BYU team with a 9.850 on the vault. Rollins had an additional 9.8 score, trailing Kulczyk by only a quarter of a point. All-around gymnast Johnson scored her first 9.800 of the night, creating a strong lead for BYU.
The Aggies gymnast Paige Jones was able to compete with these 9.8 scores, adding a 9.825 score of her own for Utah State. The only other gymnast to compete at this level was Sarah Landes of Utah State. After this rotation, the Aggies still trailed behind the Cougars going into the third rotation.
The Cougars did not score as well on the beam as they did in previous events. Despite lower scores, the Cougars still maintained the lead. Early in the season, BYU counted a few falls against Utah State; however, the BYU team continues to show they are moving forward and improving throughout the season.
“We are moving in the right direction,” coach Brad Cattermole said. “They are getting out there and working hard.”
Bain was able to score a 9.800 on the beam, with another all-around gymnast, Willman, close behind her score. The beam was also a tricky event for USU, who did not score in the 9.8 range.
The final rotation was extremely successful for USU, with three scores above a 9.825 on floor. BYU was able to match these high scores, with two marks of 9.850 by Bain and Rollins. Kulczyk was not far behind with a 9.800, clinching a BYU victory after her performance.
BYU will compete in its second away meet of the week on Friday. The Cougars will travel to Cedar City to take on Southern Utah University at 7 p.m. MST.
