Aggie gymnasts fall to Titans on final road trip
Consistency.
The Utah State University gymnastics team lacked it most of the season. The team finally seemed to get on track though in the recent meets against Arizona and Southern Utah in the Spectrum, at Southern Utah and at Cal State Fullerton.
“This program is in the right direction in terms of finding its consistency and peaking at the right time,” USU gymnastics Head Coach Ray Corn said.
Consistency doesn’t necessarily mean winning, and USU learned that as the Aggies fell 192.825-195.000 to the CSF Titans Friday.
Corn said he was hoping his team would get on track a little sooner, but he wasn’t disappointed.
“We would be talking about different things,” Corn said. “I’m extremely pleased with the last three outings [though].”
Unfortunately for the Aggies, it’s their opponents who seem to be having the consistency that wins meets.
For the fourth consecutive meet, Utah State has competed against members of the Western Gymnastics Conference. All teams were able to record marks of 195.000 or higher, something the Aggie squad has only seen once this season.
“We made some mistakes, but only had to count one mistake on beam,” Corn said.
Senior Jessenia Abrego led the Aggies on the vault (9.725) and floor (9.850). She took second place in the all-around with a 38.850.
Junior Allison Rosenthal finished first on the beam for Utah State with a 9.675.
Cal State Fullerton was unstoppable on the event though. The Titans had the first six places on the event with scores of 9.725 or higher.
Titan Theresa O’Gara received one of two 10.000s on the day, the first time the CSF team had recorded the score in 26 years of gymnastics.
Joanna Huges also received a 10.000 for the Titans. She recorded the career high on the bars.
Corn said Fullerton was competing very well Friday.
Aggie senior Kirra Seeley improved her season high on the bars for the third straight meet, recording a 9.875 mark.
Utah State freshmen Nalani Chung and Sarah Colson set career highs on the bars (9.825) and the vault (9.600), respectively.
Once again, USU was without the services of sophomore all-arounder Mika Love Houston. Corn said Houston was not cleared to compete against the Titans and would be unlikely for the Western Gymnastics Conference meet Friday.
Corn said he did not think his team competed badly against the Titans. He said Utah State came out strong and aggressive.
In the last three outings, Corn said Utah State only had to count one fall.
The Aggies will return to action Friday as they host the inaugural Western Gymnastics Conference championship meet. Boise State, Cal State Fullerton, Denver and Southern Utah will all participate in the meet.
“Everything is on the line,” Corn said.