Aggie gymnasts look to complete a meet
Utah State University gymnastics Head Coach Ray Corn is hoping his team can pull a complete meet together – soon.
“When this team gets a little uncomfortable it has a tendency to break and crack,” Corn said. “They have to play four quarters, and they’re not.”
After starting the season off on a positive note with a 192.750-191.375 victory over Cal State Fullerton, the Aggies have not been able to come out on the winning end of a meet.
Most recently, USU fell to No. 2 University of Utah, 196.350-193.600, on Feb. 15 in the Spectrum and then to BYU and Boise State University Friday in Provo.
Despite trailing the Cougars by just 0.275 after three rotations, the Aggies suffered three falls on the uneven bars, landing themselves in third place with a 192.850 final score. BYU and BSU finished with 195.775 and 193.250 scores, respectively.
Corn said he was unable to explain the falls on the bars.
The Aggies will host the Broncos Wednesday in the Spectrum.
“There is no preparation,” Corn said. “You have to hit routines.”
Hitting routines is something Corn’s team has been struggling with, especially little mistakes which the team works too hard to let happen, Corn said.
Against the Cougars and Broncos, the Aggies competed without all-around sophomore Mika Love Houston. Houston missed the meet due to the flu.
“It hurt a great deal,” Corn said. “It gave a lot [of] experience to Jessica Rands, Sarah Colson and Nalani Chung.”
Corn said the experience for the freshmen may have been the only redeeming factor of having Houston out.
Junior Nicole Kilpatrick and senior Jessenia Abrego led the Aggies in the all-around finishing with 38.875 marks.
Utah State currently holds 12 places among the top 30 gymnasts in five categories in the North Central region. The rankings are based on regional qualifying scores.
Abrego is ranked 20th on vault (9.700 RQS) and 19th on floor (9.735 RQS).
Kilpatrick is ranked 27th on vault (9.530 RQS), 26th on beam (9.430 RQS) and 28th on floor (9.560 RQS).
Houston is the highest-ranked Aggie in the standings at 13th (38.060 RQS) in the all-around competition.
Corn said time is running out for Utah State to have a successful season, but he still believes there is time.
The Aggies are ranked No. 43 in the country this week, and trail fellow Western Gymnastics conference foes Denver (No. 14), Cal State Fullerton (No. 39) and Boise State (No. 41).
Even though this will be the third meeting between the Broncos and the Aggies, it will be the first on USU’s home turf. Utah State lost a close 192.775-192.550 in Idaho on Feb. 1.
In Provo, Boise State led the meet after one rotation, scoring a 48.950 on the bars. The following event though, BSU suffered four falls on the balance beam.
“I can’t be concerned any longer about Broncos,” Corn said. “I’m concerned about Aggies and why this team can’t seem to put it together. This is NCAA athletics. These guys have got to lace up their boot straps just a little bit tighter and let’s get after it again on Wednesday.”