Gymnasts pick up first win of season
The Utah State gymnastics team captured its first win of the season Friday night in Logan against longtime rival No. 11 Denver, 194.925- 194.875.
USU’s record now stands at 1-4. With 14 season highs for Utah State gymnasts during the meet and everyone contributing to the win, ‘team’ became more than just another word – ‘players’.
“It was a total team effort [and] I couldn’t be any prouder,” Utah State Head Coach Ray Corn said. “[It’s] a great group of ladies who have trained really hard.”
He said they had a lot of bad luck at the beginning of the season, but are hopefully turning it around.
“I hope that it starts tonight and that we do it six more times,” he said.
The first event for the team was the vault, where Corn said that the team has had finer performances. With four season highs on the vault for the team, no one can say they didn’t try.
Jessica Parenti led the way with a 9.85, followed by Meagan Nelson’s 9.80, both season highs. Katie Omann and co-captain Alex Martin also had season highs on the vault. The team score of 48.950 was also a season high.
The night may have started good for the Aggies on the vault, but it also escalated from there.
Parenti once again stepped it up for the team on the uneven bars, leading with the second best meet score of 9.775 and a season best for her. Ashley Barr also had a season high of 9.6.
Co-Captain Katie Rutherford was added to the line-up at the last minute, as the sixth competitor while Omann, originally the sixth, was put into the exhibition.
“Tonight we were just going to do it because we love it and because we are a team and we love each other, ” Rutherford said about competing. Rutherford said that Omann and herself were firing each other up while they waited. While Rutherford put up a 9.750, third place in the bars event and a season high, Omann scored a 9.7.
“It was a routine of a lifetime,” Corn said about Omann’s exhibition performance. “I think we’re going to see greater things out of her.”
The bars was the only event in which all-arounder Megan Tschida was allowed to compete in.
Because of tendonitis in her ankles, she will only compete in bars until the meet against Boise.
The beam event sealed the win, because while they had to count a fall on the beam, Denver had to count two. The Aggies won the event with a score of 48.850.
“The real grit and toughness and training of this team really stepped forward on beam,” Corn said. He said while Jackie Fogli took a spill off of the beam the rest of the team seemed to carry on in an undaunted manner and just kept hitting routines.
Parenti kept the pressure on Denver as she came in first place for the beam and got a season high of 9.850. Martin was not far behind with her season high of 9.8 and third place in the event. Rutherford and Barr also cashed in with season highs.
For the final event of the night, the floor, Corn said the Aggies rose to the occasion.
Liesel Kohler captured first place in the event with a 9.850. Barr helped out with a season high of 9.775. Omann also had a season high, 9.675.
“We were just really determined,” Parenti, who was the night’s Coca-Cola Outstanding Gymnast, said. “It’s about time.”
Utah State also won the floor event, making them the night’s victors with an overall score of 194.925 to Denver’s 194.875.
“We were obviously really excited to beat such a good team that has had such a great reputation for a long time,” Rutherford said. “To beat a strong team like that, we’re on cloud 9.”
The team will head to Boise to face Boise State on Feb.18 at 7 p.m.
With one win behind their belt, the team is sure to give upcoming competitors a run for their money.
“For me this is what I’ve been waiting for,” Corn said. “It’s the fifth meet of the year and it finally happened.”
-vramirez@cc.usu.edu