Aggies gymnasts finish season of inconsistency
The 2001 Utah State gymnastics team enjoyed the highlights during the season and suffered through the lowlights. The Aggies showed impressive outings as they defeated instate rival Brigham Young University, won the Big West Championship, and competed in the North Central NCAA Regional competition.
The team was inconsistent in putting together complete meets, finishing the regular season with a 9-10 record and a 195.000 Regional Qualifying Score.
“We will be back [next season],” said coach Ray Corn. “We need to figure out how to stay healthy. We need to get physically stronger. We have some great leaders in every area. We are very young.”
Starting off the year in Boise, Idaho, the Aggies suffered a heartbreaking 192.225-188.800 loss. Utah State was forced to count many falls on the night bringing its score down.
“We started off the season not prepared, but every meet we kept progression,” said junior Jessenia Abrego.
With a low start, improvement was inevitable and that is what happened when the Aggies traveled to Cal-Berkeley. Although they lost the meet with a 193.850 mark against Cal-Berkeley (195.500), Oklahoma (195.175) and Arizona (193.350), the team increased its score by more than eight points.
The Aggies were handed a rematch with Boise State on Jan. 26 as they opened the season at home in the Spectrum. The fan energy in the arena helped to boost USU to a 194.075-193.600 victory over the Broncos.
A week later, the Aggies continued their winning streak as they hosted instate rival Southern Utah, defeating them in the close battle 194.350-194.025. A season record high 2,221 fans viewed the meet in the Spectrum.
The team was on the road again on February 6 against the University of Utah in the Huntsman Center. Not only were the Aggies plagued by competing on the road, the pressures of the road made it even harder against the Utes.
The Utes defeated the Aggies 197.125-194.425.
Continuing on the road, Utah State traveled to Denver to suffer another loss, 194.900-195.900.
The Aggies returned home on Feb. 17 to take on Missouri followed by San Jose State University. Splitting the home stand, the Aggies defeated the University of Missouri 193.900-193.025 but suffered their only home loss of the season to the Spartans in the close 193.975-193.750 competition.
Following a fourth-place finish in the UCLA Bruin Classic, the Aggies then returned home for their final meet of the season in the Spectrum. Upsetting BYU, 196.025-195.500, and setting numerous records on the evening, the Aggies finished off the home season on a high note.
The 196.025 score was the highest mark for Utah State on the season. The Aggies had nearly perfect scores on all of the vault, floor and bars and improved the event that plagued the team, the bars, to a 48.450 mark.
“I think the home meet against BYU was really memorable,” said sophomore Kristin Bloom.
Suffering a disappointing Spring Break, the Aggies took their stuff on the road but lost to Southern Utah and BYU to end the regular season.
Tied with defending Big West Champions Boise State after three rotations, the USU gymnastics team turned in its seventh best bar score in school history (49.200) to go on and be crowned the 2001 BWC with a final team score of 195.675.
“We could have given up, but we kept fighting hard,” Abrego said.
Content just being in the NCAA Regionals and content that they had an equal chance to move onto the NCAA Nationals in Athens, Ga., the Aggies went into the competition seeded fifth.
Ironically, fifth place is exactly were they would stay as they finished with a 191.200 mark.
As far as next year stands, the Aggies will lose three seniors, Kristin O‚Dell, Amanda Jenkins and Megan Woolstenhulme.
“Our core nucleus will be coming back though,” Corn said. “We have to work on staying healthy.”
Freshmen Katie Rutherford from New York and Rebecca Hadfield from Texas will join the team.
The Aggies will also have freshman Mika Houston returning, who throughout the season became more adjusted to college and more comfortable competing on the team.
The Aggies will look for more consistency next year.
“A good goal is more consistency, to progress more and more each meet like we did toward the end of this season,” said sophomore Tina Ellis.
“I think our goal every year is to make it to Regionals and then qualify for Nationals,” said sophomore Nicole Kilpatrick.