Gymnastics shows progress against BYU
Season bests all around took the Aggie gymnastics to a new level despite losing to Brigham Young University at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Monday evening.
BYU also found a season high for 10 athletes. Their 195.475 total was a season high for the entire team. The Aggies finished with 193.800, a high for their new season.
USU senior Jessica Parenti-Otte posted a 39.125 composite on the all-around competition along with fellow teammate senior Meagan Lewis, who scored the same. Parenti-Otte scored a 9.9 on the uneven bars, giving her team the highest score of the night. All-around competition was won by BYU junior Dayna Smart with 39.375.
“It’s the best performance that we’ve had all year long,” Head Coach Ray Corn said. “No matter how hard they work, no matter how hard we coach, no matter how difficult our routines are, we have to show signs of courage. That’s where we need to step it up and improve.”
A 9.875 was enough for freshman Katy Schilla to top the Aggie’s scoring on the vault, adding to their 48.750 to start of the night, but it was just short of the 9.9 by BYU junior Alethea Boon and the Cougar’s 48.800 on the same apparatus.
Following the vault, the Aggies rotated to the bars where a 9.8 by Lewis aided in a score of 48.200 compared to BYU’s 48.775. Senior Kacie Capra Callens gave BYU their high bar score with a 9.850.
Concentration on defeating the apparatus is a main focus for the Aggies, Corn said. The team took two falls in the competition, and even if the falls had not happened, USU would not have beaten BYU, he said.
“They’re a good solid team and they certainly proved it tonight,” Corn said. “For Utah State, 239.125 in the all-around and yet in every event, there is so much improvement. I still say that we are a 196 team, and we’re going to prove it some time this year.”
With Smart scoring a 9.9 on the beam, the Aggies had to do some catching up but were unable to match the Cougars’ 49.125 and concluded the rotation with 48.100.
With their floor exercises, the Aggies took to their dancing and tumbling skills for the final event of the night. Junior Megan Tschida gave USU their win on the floor with her high score of the night, 9.850.
“I’m not displeased with the performance of the team,” Corn said. “I think we showed all the difficulty that we have been working on from last spring and what we have recruited in here, and like I said, we will continue to improve.”
Aggie gymnastics will continue as they compete in San Jose, Calif., along with Boise State on Jan. 26. Following their time away, they will return to the Spectrum to host Boise State on Feb. 1.
-eawads@cc.usu.edu