Aggie gymnists place sixth at NCAA Regional Championship
In a disappointing finish the season, the Utah State gymnastics team finished sixth at the NCAA Regional Championship held in Seattle, Washington. The Aggies finished with a team score of 194.850.
“The girls just need to stay committed and work really hard, and not get down on themselves,” head coach Nadalie Walsh said. “I would be lying to you if I didn’t say that this wasn’t a disappointing finish for us, but not a disappointing year.”
USU fell behind in what had normally been their strongest rotation — floor.
The Aggies’ score of 48.675 fell well short of their season average of 48.917. The score was the third-lowest of the season for Utah State, and the lowest since posting a 48.150 at New Hampshire in January.
“To be honest, the girls did some really good floor routines, they just didn’t get the scores today,” Walsh said.
Utah State finished with a 48.950 on vault, which tied for the second highest mark on the season. On bars, however, the Aggies also came up short on the standard they had set throughout the season, as their score of 48.725 was several tenths off the pace of their season average of 48.906. Over on beam, the Aggies posted a score of 48.500, virtually matching their average for the season.
“We came out and I know we were excited,” sophomore Madison Ward said. “We were grateful and excited to be here and to compete with some awesome teams. Unfortunately, we didn’t do our best, but I’m happy with the highlights we did have.”
For several Aggies, the match also served as the conclusion of a career. Seniors Keri Peel, Hayley Sanzotti, and Bailey McIntire all took the floor for Utah State for the last time.
“We’ve actually had the best season that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” McIntire said. “It was a disappointment tonight, but… I’m just really proud of the entire season, even though tonight didn’t turn out how we wanted it to. I’m just happy that we had the season we did.”
The appearance in the NCAA Regionals was the Aggies’ fourth straight appearance, with Utah State posting a sixth-place and two fifth-place finishes over the last three years.
“We had some really outstanding performances from a lot of freshmen and that was really great to see,” Walsh said. “It’s good to see that the freshmen could really just step up in a postseason meet and put it all on the line and not hold back, so I think we have a really bright future.”