Jill Van Mierlo won second place in the all-around competition, but BYU gymnastics took third with 195.425 points at Saturday’s meet in Denver. The University of Denver won the meet with 196.725, and the University of Iowa took second place with 195.850.
The meet marked the second time BYU competed and lost to Denver this season.
BYU started on the uneven bars, where Van Mierlo’s 9.800 led the team. Emily Vidmar’s 9.775 helped out, but the team’s event total of 48.700 was no match for the Pioneers’ 48.950 and the Hawkeyes’ 48.925.
The Cougars’ next event didn’t fare much better. None of BYU’s gymnasts scored higher on the beam than a 9.750. The team’s 48.400 couldn’t compete with Denver and Iowa’s scores of 48.950 and 48.900. These first two rotations set BYU back with a deep deficit it never overcame.
BYU improved in the second half of the meet. Both Makenzie Johnson and Van Mierlo earned 9.900 on the floor. Vidmar recorded 9.825, and KayCee Gassaway added 9.800. The team’s total 49.150 was still lower than Denver but beat out Iowa’s 49.000.
The Cougars’ final event, the vault, was also its best. Johnson and Jordan Schult both scored 9.875, while Gassaway and Sin To added 9.825 each. Van Mierlo’s 9.775 upped the team’s event total to 49.175 and the final score to 195.425.
BYU gymnastics has another road meet Friday against Boise State before returning to the Smith Fieldhouse for senior night on March 6.
