Aggies continue up and down season with latest loss on road
Utah State University gymnastics Head Coach Ray Corn described this season as a year unlike any other following the latest loss at the eighth annual Corvette Cup Classic at the University of Missouri.
After winning its first meet of the year against Cal State Fullerton, Utah State has been on an up-and-down battle ever since, unable to find a happy medium.
USU came in fourth (191.700) at the four-team meet Saturday behind No. 14 Denver University (195.675), No. 19 Missouri (194.775) and Illinois State (193.000).
The DU Pioneers captured their sixth straight victory.
The Mizzou Tigers recorded their fourth-highest team score in school history and their second highest this season.
Corn said it was a great event, but unfortunately not for the Aggies.
The Aggies produced respectable performances on the floor exercise and vault, but suffered falls on the balance beam and uneven bars.
It looked as if Utah State had a chance to finish the meet in third place before finishing the meet on the bars.
Two falls on the event though left them out of the running.
“We had a chance at Illinois State entering the fourth rotation,” Corn said. “But we just weren’t able to pull it off. All in all, we had a flawed team performance, considering what we put together in the first couple rotations Wednesday [against BYU].”
It wasn’t all negative for the Aggies, though.
Senior Jessenia Abrego took fourth place in the all-around with a 38.60 followed by teammate junior Nicole Kilpatrick with a 38.50 mark.
Corn said he was pleased with the vault and floor routines, but the other events were what needed work.
Utah State began the meet on the beam, suffering three falls and finishing with a 47.30 score.
Following a disappointing performance by sophomore Mika Love Houston, the next five Aggies hit on the floor exercise.
Corn only used five vaulters in the meet, pulling Houston out to avoid injury.
Even though the Aggies did not fall on the event, they did not stick their vaults. The team seemed to be on track to finish decently until the bars.
“I’m not throwing the towel in on the season and neither is the team,” Corn said.
In the four-team meet the Aggies were able to get their first look at Denver University, who is also a member of the Western Gymnastics Conference.
At the beginning of the season, Corn said he expected the Pioneers to be difficult to defeat in the first WGC meet, which will be held in Logan on March 22.
Last season in the NCAA Regional Meet in Salt Lake City, the Aggies competed against DU, but came up short, 193.900-191.200.
Utah State will return home for its final regular-season home meet Saturday. They will host Arizona State University and Southern Utah University.
The Aggies lost to Arizona State 193.350-191.700 Jan. 11 in Arizona. Utah State has yet to face SUU this season.