Ags falter at Western Gymnastics Conference Championship
The regular season ended on a down note Saturday for the Utah State gymnastics team.
Looking to earn conference titles in the four-team Western Gymnastics Conference, the Aggies stumbled, finishing fourth in Cedar City at the second-ever conference championship.
Utah State (194.35) finished more than a point behind host Southern Utah (195.375). Boise State (195.65) took first and Cal State Fullerton (195.60) finished second.
“It was a disappointment,” said USU Head Coach Ray Corn in a phone interview.
Starting on the beam, Utah State was led by freshman Jessica Parenti whose 9.900 tied her career best beam score and put her in fifth place in the event. The Aggies finished with a 48.85 on the event.
Moving into the second rotation, the Aggies were only 0.375 behind leader Boise State, and they continued to perform well on the floor, scoring a 49.000. It was the sixth straight meet the Aggies have scored 49.000 or better on the floor.
Freshmen Meagan Nelson and Liesel Kohler led Utah State in the event, each scoring 9.85.
With its floor performance, USU was able to move ahead of SUU by 0.225 entering its third rotation, the vault. Rachel Ropelato posted the team’s highest score, a 9.875 and finished in fourth in the event. A 48.75 moved the Aggies into second place, 0.500 ahead of Fullerton.
Sitting in a good position to make a run for the championship, Corn said he felt confident in USU’s chances.
“I thought, boy, this is it,” he said.
Then came the bars, an event the Aggies have performed well on all season. Corn said he figured the team needed about a 49.100 on the event to win the meet, a score he felt confident it could get because the team has been averaging close to that this season.
But the routines just weren’t there for the Aggies.
Nicole Kilpatrick and Nelson started the Aggies off, but then Katie Rutherford suffered a fall.
“One of our strengths on the uneven bars took a fall, and it seemed downhill from there,” Corn said.
Utah State rebounded with a 9.850 by Parenti, but couldn’t maintain the performance. Ashley Barr failed to complete part of her routine, lowering her start value. The result was Rachel Ropelato having to do an easier routine to make sure she hit.
“We had to water down her routine to save the set,” Corn said. “Low start values equated to low scores.”
Utah State scored a season-low 47.75 and slipped back into fourth.
“We lost our focus going in,” Corn said. “Why, I don’t know. We had every opportunity to win it. The wheels kind of fell off there.”
Parenti scored a 9.850 to lead the team and tie for fourth overall.
Boise State’s Carla Chambers won the all-around with a 39.550. Fullerton’s Kelly Mathiasen finished second at 39.475. For Utah State, Nelson finished third at 39.275 and Parenti tied for fourth with a 39.225.
Utah State’s other all-arounder, Kilpatrick, finished with a 38.100. Corn said she woke up that morning feeling sick, but didn’t tell anyone. Then, to compound that, she slightly rolled her ankle in warm-ups.
“Between the two things, Nicole was not herself,” Corn said.
The top six finishers in each event earned all-conference honors. Utah State placed in the top-six five times. Ropelato earned honors on the vault, Nelson in the all-around, and Parenti on the bars, beam and all-around.
With the meet, Utah State completed its regular season. NCAA regional bids are announced Monday, but most likely the Aggies will barely miss getting in.
Rankings are based on the regional qualifying score (RQS). RQS is computed by taking a team’s top six scores, three of which must be road meets, throwing out the highest score, and averaging the remaining five.
Utah State’s RQS is 195.510, placing it 27th in the country and seventh in its region.
For the NCAA regional competition, 36 teams are selected. The top 18 teams in the country are seeded into regions, and then the three next best teams from each region are taken.
Three teams from the North Central region, of which Utah State is a part, are currently in the top 18. Once those three teams are seeded, the next three from the region will be taken. With six teams from Utah State’s region going, this leaves the Aggies, at seventh, out in the cold.
“For the team, it’s the end of the season,” Corn said.
But the three Aggie all-arounders will be competing. The top 12 all-arounders from teams not going to regionals qualify, Corn said. Kilpatrick, Nelson and Parenti will be able to compete and possibly qualify for nationals.
“All three have an excellent opportunity to get there,” Corn said.
In the all-around, Nelson is No. 36 in the country, Kilpatrick is tied for No. 40 and Parenti is at No. 49.
New rankings and regional selections will come out Monday.
-slbk5@cc.usu.edu