Final road trip awaits gymnasts
Denver University is No. 17. California State University Fullerton is No. 38. Boise State University is No. 44. Utah State University is No. 46. Southern Utah University is No. 50
The Aggies may not be in first place in the Western Gymnastics Conference race, but they are right in the thick of things.
The team may face its biggest challenge of the season Wednesday and Friday as it travels to Southern Utah University and Cal State Fullerton, respectively.
Unfortunately for the Aggies, Head Coach Ray Corn said no matter how the team finishes the season, it will probably still be forced to count a 193.600 and a 192.750 toward its final regional qualifying score.
Things may have turned out different if USU had not waited until the 10th meet of the season to complete flawlessly.
Prior to hosting BYU and Utah and then visiting Provo, Corn said those competitions would define the season.
He was right.
“It’s put our backs right up against the wall,” he said. “These two meets against Southern Utah and [Cal State] Fullerton will probably be the outcome of the season.
“That’s going to pull us back,” Corn said. “We need to make sure Utah State passes Air Force and Southern Utah to get into the regional meet. and then just go for broke.”
Even though the Aggies have met with both teams before this season, it doesn’t make things any easier.
Corn said the gymnastics team is unable to prepare for a meet how the basketball team prepares for a game.
“All we can do is put our best performance level on the floor of competition,” Corn said. “Hopefully, the result will be that we not only win but we score high as well.”
Utah State may have a little trouble putting up big numbers.
Sophomore Mika Love Houston, considered to be the No. 1 Aggie all-arounder by Corn, hasn’t been competing like herself lately.
As the Aggies fell at BYU 195.775-192.850 Houston sat on the side after getting sick on the trip down.
She did compete in all four events against Boise State the following week at home, but only posted a 38.450 for the night.
Coaches held her out of vault competition at Missouri on March 2 and she was sent to see the doctor on March 4.
She is anemic.
Although she is taking iron supplements, the athlete from Las Vegas will more than likely not see competition on this road trip, if not for the rest of the season.
The Aggies will have to look to senior Jessenia Abrego to lead the team in the all-around. She scored a career-high 39.225 Saturday against Arizona State and Southern Utah University en route to a second-place (195.425) team finish behind Arizona (196.100) and ahead of SUU (195.275).
The final score for SUU was a season high, as well as season highs on the vault (48.825) and the uneven bars (48.700).
Talayna Fortunato led the Thunderbirds with a 39.000 all-around mark.
“The name of the game is we are going on the road and trying to come up with the same level of performance in these next two as we did [in the last home meet],” Corn said.
USU will face Cal State Fullerton Saturday in California. The Titans were the first victims to an Aggie win (192.750-191.375) in the season opener and Western Gymnastics Conference opener.
The meets on Wednesday and Friday will be the first time the team has been forced to compete with only a day’s rest.
Corn is not concerned.
He said the team will probably be doing less routines this week because they will not have as many opportunities to practice.
“Hopefully they will be very well rested,” Corn said.