For the second time this season, BYU gymnastics is headed to Tempe, Arizona.
This time, the Cougars will arrive as underdogs with a chance to extend their season.
No. 24 BYU is going to NCAA regionals for the 13th straight season, dating back to 2010. The lone exception is 2020, when the season was cut short following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under Big 12 Coach of the Year Guard Young, BYU has competed in regionals every year.
“I would say it’s expected,” said all-around competitor Alilah Alvarado. “We put in so much work on every single event, and it’s nothing surprising. We knew this was going to happen.”
BYU has grown drastically in its third season since joining the Big 12, improving its record to 10-7.
“Focusing on the little details, hitting those handstands, getting a little bit more amplitude, pointing those toes, and smaller deductions on landings — those little things add up and make us, as a team, a lot better,” junior all-around competitor Ava Jorgensen said. “We have a lot of good gymnasts on the team, and we’re all dedicated. That’s something that’s really cool to see, that our whole team wants it so bad. So I think that’s why we’ve all seen success this season.”
This year, BYU scored over 197 for the first time since March 2024 against then-No. 14 Clemson. Additionally, the Cougars have beaten three other ranked teams this season, including in-state rival No. 23 Southern Utah, No. 16 Denver, and then-No. 7 Oregon in their opening meet of the season on Jan. 9.
In regionals, the Cougars will face No. 11 Michigan State and No. 6 Georgia, in addition to Southern Utah, which BYU has seen twice before this season. To accomplish their goal of advancing to the second round, the Cougars will have to beat either Michigan State or Georgia.
“It’ll definitely take a good meet for us, one of our best, to do that,” Jorgensen said, one of the team’s four captains.
She continued, “I think we can do that because we have shown that we can beat Clemson, who was No. 14 at the time. As long as we just do what we know how to do and put it all out there, I think we can make it to Day 2.”
However, winning isn’t everything to the Cougars.
“I say [success] is just doing our all and just giving it all that we’ve got and hitting one routine after another and just not worrying about what any other teams are doing,” Alvarado said.
For Alvarado, who is one of two graduating team members, her goals go beyond the numbers on the judge’s sheet.
“I think just going all out and having no regrets and just going big no matter what is the main difference from last year,” she said.
And go big she did. In BYU’s historic meet against Clemson, Alvarado recorded a career-high 9.900 on beam.
Oddly enough, the Cougars don’t feel like the pressure of regionals is on them. In fact, they feel it’s quite the opposite.
“Our coach has been saying that the pressure is not on us. The pressure is on them to make it further," Jorgensen said. "We’re just there to have a good time and put out our best work. And, you know, maybe that’ll help us make it to the second round and beat them out.
“We do do this for fun, and at the end of the day, we’re still going to live after whatever we do out there," she added. "Just like screaming at the top of our lungs also makes it fun because that just really brings the mood up of the team, no matter where we’re at. So, yeah, just being goofy, cheering, keeping everything light.”
BYU is leaning into its confidence in such a high-stakes meet. The Cougars have the reps under their belts and know exactly what they have to do to perform well. Additionally, they’re letting go of the past.
“I kind of just have to ignore it, and you can’t let it affect your routine,” Alvarado said. “Because what happened already happened, you just have to let it go, accept it and just know that you’re an amazing gymnast. You don’t think about what else is happening around you. You just do what you know how to do, what you know you have to do.”
The positive mindset and previous exposure may just give the Cougars the upper hand. Early in the season, the Cougars traveled to Tempe to take on Arizona State. Michigan State, Georgia and Southern Utah, who all compete in different conferences, have not been to Tempe yet this season.
“It definitely helps a lot. It’s nice to know how the environment and equipment is. We know what to expect, and I think that’s going to help us because we can just not worry about adapting,” Jorgensen said, who grew up in Tempe.
Alvarado shared a similar sentiment.
“I definitely think it’ll help us orient ourselves better. Since we’ve already competed there, we know what the facility’s going to be like," she said. "It’s nothing new, and it’s more familiar to us. I think we should have a little bit less nerves going into that [environment].”
Despite their lower seeding, the Cougars are dangerous. They’re loose, familiar with the environment and have nothing to lose. Their focus is on doing their best.
However, more than anything, the biggest advantage the Cougars have is their relationships.
“We are really good at pushing each other, and I think since we also got closer as a team, we’re able to help each other out more. And the whole team gets to improve, not just one person,” Alvarado said.
For Jorgensen, her relationship with the bars team, including Alvarado, has been pivotal for her this season.
“We’ve had a lot of practices where we’ve been together, and so we’re always around each other on bars, and we kind of have figured out what works for each one of us," she said. "I definitely could not have done it without my team, especially my bars team. They have really helped me be better."
That support is ingrained in competition. Six gymnasts compete in each event, yet only five scores count, giving teammates the opportunity to step up for each other when it matters most.
At Clemson, Jorgensen didn’t have her best meet, yet it’s still a highlight of her season.
“I didn’t have my best beam routine, but my other teammates had my back and totally killed it,” she said.
Her beam teammates, Chloee Hoke and Brynlee Andersen-Broekman, had breakthrough performances. Andersen-Broekman nearly scored a 10, and Hoke stuck her dismount she had been working on all season with Jorgensen. As a team, they surpassed their all-around goal of 197, earning a cheesecake from the coaching staff.
Though gymnastics is often viewed as an individual sport, BYU proves it’s a team effort. That team effort may just be what carries the Cougars into Day 2 of regionals.
BYU will compete Thursday, in Tempe in the first round of regionals at 2 p.m.