Ag gymnasts struggle on Senior Night
Senior Night at the Spectrum didn’t go quite as well as the Aggies would have liked Monday night against Southern Utah University in their 194.950-191.050 loss.
Lone senior Nicki Felley was honored at Monday’s meet for her leadership, commitment and four years of dedication to USU gymnastics. After the meet Felley stood in the middle of the mat with her parents and younger brother, being applauded by the home crowd one last time. She didn’t cry but she did say this past week has been extremely emotional for her, full of tears.
“I’ve had lots of good memories here, both good and bad,” Felley said, but the good far outweigh the bad.
The Aggies started competition strong, tallying their second best vault score of the year with a 48.475. Haley Hogan started the team off with a 9.575, a season-high for her, she was followed up by Nicole Simoneau’s 9.525. Heather Heinrich returned to competition after missing the previous five meets with illness, earning a 9.750, followed by Felley and Lyndsie Boone who both received 9.675. Jackie Dillon finished things off for the Aggies with a team high 9.800, giving the Ags 48.475 after the first rotation close behind SUU’s 48.900 total from the bars.
Boone was first for USU on the bars opening things up with a 9.550, followed by a 9.800 from Felley and a season-high 9.775 from Brandie Dickson. Dillon was up next and she also had her season-high with a 9.825, following Dillon was Simoneau who won the event with a score USU hasn’t seen since 2004, a 9.925, a career best as well as the third-highest in school history. This marks the eighth consecutive meet Simoneau scored at least a 9.800 on the apparatus. Halfway through the meet SUU kept the lead at 97.825-97.350.
Utah State moved to the beam next while SUU took the floor. The four-inch wide apparatus once again proved to be the Achilles’ heel for the Aggies. After setting their season-high on the event just three days before against BYU the team came out and tallied their poorest score of the season, a 45.825. Boone was up first on the event notching a 9.625 before Erica Huelsmann put up a team high 9.675. Felley then received an 8.400 from both judges after falling two times. The 8.400 was her worst score on the event since Jan. 10 this year. Simoneau had a 9.475 after which Hogan fell once and had major steps on her dismount and was awarded a 8.650, her first score on the event below 9.000 this season.
SUU posted a 48.000 total on the floor, giving them a lead of 145.825-143.175 going into the final rotation.
USU needed a poor showing from SUU on the beam and a nearly flawless rotation of their own on the floor if they were to stand a chance of winning. They got neither, receiving a 47.875 on the floor and watching SUU tally a 49.125 on the beam. Boone once again led off for the Aggies receiving a 9.750, tying her season-high and securing the third-best score on the apparatus. Hogan followed with an 8.900, then Huelsmann had a 9.750. Dillon then tallied a 9.775, second for the event, while Felley wrapped up the Aggies rotation and her home career with a 9.700. The total on the floor for USU was 47.875 while SUU pulled away with a 49.125 on the beam.
Boone finished with a 38.600, second in the all-around, while Felley was fourth with 37.575.
This weekend the ladies fly to Sacramento, Calif., where they will compete in the Western Athletic Conference Championships Saturday at 7 p.m.
–c.h.j@aggiemail.usu.edu