Aggie gymnasts put together clean meet
After nine meets of mistakes, the Aggies finally put together a clean meet Friday at home.
“I don’t know why we waited until 10 meets into the season to finally put one together,” Head Coach Ray Corn said. “In practice we masterfully succeed.”
USU fell to No. 17 Arizona State University 196.100-195.425, but defeated Southern Utah University, who had a score of 195.275 at the meet.
The Aggies had no falls in the first or second rotations and finished with team scores of 48.850 on the vault and 48.950 on the bars.
“I’m extremely pleased with the performance of the team,” Corn said. “We competed. We did not lose focus, we just went from one event to another.”
A change in the bar rotation was the addition of freshman Nalani Chung, who had only competed once previously in the season. Her career-best mark of 9.750 was the fourth-highest for the Aggies in the event.
USU risked its clean meet in the third rotation when the first Aggie up, Allison Rosenthal, fell off the beam, meaning the other five athletes needed to stay on so a fall wouldn’t be counted.
Senior Kirra Seeley followed Rosenthal, but said the fall didn’t affect her because she didn’t watch Rosenthal’s routine.
“Don’t tell Alli this, but I don’t watch so it doesn’t affect how I do on the beam,” she said.
Fortunately for the Aggies, no one else fell.
In the fourth rotation, the first five Aggies had solid floor routines and sealed the clean meet for the Aggies.
“That did a lot for our confidence,” Corn said. “It proved that we can stand with just about anybody.”
Friday’s meet was the last regular home competition, and was Senior Night for the Aggies. Seniors Jessenia Abrego and Seeley both posted career-highs, which both said was fitting for Senior Night.
Abrego scored her best scores ever on the vault (9.875) and uneven bars (9.775) and was named Coca-Cola Outstanding Aggie Gymnast of the meet. She also scored a career-high in the all-around competition (39.225), which she won.
“I’m so happy,” Abrego said. “I wanted to finish off strong for Senior Night.”
Seeley scored a career high in the floor competition (9.850) and reached season-high marks on both the beam and the bars, both scores of 9.825.
“I felt like it was clean,” she said of her floor performance. “I was grateful they gave me that [9.850]; that was very sweet of them.”
The other seniors honored at the meet were Kimberly Scharman and Stephanie Gordon.
“They’re our team captains and leaders,” Corn said of the seniors. “They’re all different, but lead in their own way.”
Other Aggies to get personal bests were Rachel Ropelato, who tied her career best in the vault (9.675); Nicole Kilpatrick, who met her season best on the bars (9.800) and beam (9.700); and Scharman who set a new personal season best on the beam (9.675).
Mika Love Houston, an all-rounder on the team, is indefinitely out of competition because she is suffering from anemia, Corn said.
“At one time, she was our No. 1 all-arounder,” he said. “She’s on supplements to try and get rid of [the anemia] as quickly as possible.”
Corn said the Aggies will need clean meets in their next three outings to have a chance of advancing to the NCAA Regionals. USU will compete next at SUU March 13.
The Aggies will host the Western Gymnastics Conference Championship
meet March 22., with fellow conference members Denver, Boise State, Cal State Fullerton and Southern Utah competing.