Ags fall on Senior Night
Aggie gymnasts saw its fourth-best score this season as the team was beaten by the Southern Utah University T-Birds in Friday’s Senior Night in the Spectrum, 195.075-193.150.
Friday concluded the home schedule for the Ags and also for the T-Birds as both teams accomplished their final tune-up for next Saturday’s Western Athletic Championships in Boise, Idaho.
The 195.075 mark for the T-Birds was their second-highest score this season as their highest score, 196.000, was also accomplished against the Ags earlier this season.
USU senior Megan Tschida achieved her season-best floor performance as she tallied a 9.900 in winning the event for the Aggies.
Marking the fourth-highest score in school history, Tschida posted her second-best posting of her career, behind her 9.950 her freshman season of 2005.
Tschida’s 9.900 is also the second-highest score in the WAC this season, and is Utah State’s second 9.900 this season, as freshman Jasmine Minion had her outing of a 9.900 last Friday in Texas.
The third match-up against Southern Utah concluded winless for the Aggies as the T-Birds topped the Ags in all three meetings throughout the season.
Seniors Katie Omann, Kelly Patterson, Tschida and Ana Rickard-Whitfield were honored in a post-meet ceremony. Omann was named the Most Outstanding Performer of the meet.
Despite the loss, big scores were in the cards for USU as two 9.900s were posted.
Along with Tschida, freshman Nicole Simoneau won with a career best 9.900 on the bars. Her mark ties the fourth-highest score in USU history, and she is the 11th Aggie to tally a 9.900 on bars.
Minion finished second on floor behind Tschida, with a 9.875 mark, her sixth-straight outing of 9.800 or higher in the event.
Two Aggie gymnasts, Minion and sophomore Heather Heinrich and T-Bird Elise Wheeler tied for first on vault with a 9.800.
After the first rotation, SUU took a slim lead after no T-Bird scored less than a 9.750, marking the rotation 49.025-48.575.
In the second rotation, freshman Chelsea Marquardt scored a 9.800, tying her season best on bars, and was followed by Simoneau’s event winning score. The event gave the Ags a 48.225 mark as SUU tallied a 48.475 on vault.
After the halfway mark, the T-Birds were still remaining in the lead as they held that position until their win.
The Ags’ lowest score of the night was on beam, where they struggled and tallied a 47.725 compared to the T-Birds’ 48.500 beam score.
Three T-Birds came to place before one Ag placed on the beam, as Tschida came in fourth with a personal best of a 9.775.
Aggie gymnasts performed better than the T-Birds on the vault, 48.575-48.475.
SUU’s beam score topped the Ags as the T-Birds tallied a 48.500-47.725.
Utah State has one more chance, in the WAC Championships, to move itself up into the top 36 to qualify for regionals.
The Ags four best meets have been the last four meets of the season.
USU, currently ranked No. 41, ends regular-season action with a 5-14 overall and 2-6 WAC record, while 28th-ranked SUU improves to 10-5-1 overall and 6-2 in conference competition.
-candice.sandness@aggiemail.usu.edu