USU gymnastics sweeps postseason awards
Three members of Utah State University’s gymnastics team were recognized March 25 for their excellence during the 2020 season.
Deharde and Sullivan earn Co-Beam Specialist of the Year
Junior Autumn DeHarde and freshman Sofi Sullivan were named Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference “Co-Beam Specialists of the Year,” for the highest National Qualifying Score, or NQS, at the end of the season.
Since the 2020 campaign was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MRGC canceled its championship and the year-end honors were based on NQS rankings at the end of the regular season. The duo tied with a 9.895 score this season, good for a No. 27 national ranking.
The award capped off a year of MRGC beam specialist accolades for DeHarde, with four “MRGC Beam Specialist of the Week” honors during the 2020 season. Her 9.889 on beam average put her at first all-time in USU history for single-season performances. At the Boise State quad meet on Feb. 21, DeHarde recorded a career-high 9.950 score for the event, which tied for second in school history.
Sullivan was equally prolific this season, with four weekly beam specialist honors under her belt. She earned the first beam title of her career Jan. 25, posting a USU record-setting 9.975 on beam. This achievement also ranks second all-time in MRGC history and made her the fourth gymnast in school history to reach that mark.
Varnadore and Sullivan named to MRGC all-around honors
On March 26, both Sullivan and junior Leighton Varnadore were honored for their performances in the MRGC all-around category. Sullivan was named to the first-team, while Varnadore was named to the second team.
This is the third time in her career that she received all-conference awards, with her recent second-team recognition earlier this week on vault and last year’s second-team honors in the all-around. Sullivan’s naming to the first-team was also her third time earning MRGC honors.
Rankings used to determine team designations were based on NQS scores, with the top three in the all-around named to the first team and the fourth through sixth named to the second team. Sullivan’s No. 3 ranking in the MRGC, eighth place in the North Central Region and No. 41 slot in the nation helped propel her to the top team. Varnadore earned a position on the second team, but was just one spot below Sullivan at No. 42 in the nation.
DeHarde tacks on Co-Floor Specialist and all-league first team to her awards
The 2020 honors didn’t stop for DeHarde, who added both Co-Floor Specialist of the Year and all-league first team to her total awards. Her latest MRGC Specialist of the Year award, which is given to the student-athlete with the highest NQS, marked the fifth honor of her career.
For the Aggies as a team, March 6 ended up being the team’s final meet of the season, as they faced No. 17 BYU. In the end, DeHarde,Sullivan and Varnadore helped the Aggies reach the top of the MRGC standings and earn the No.19 national ranking on beam. Despite the abrupt conclusion to the season, USU finished with a school record setting average of 49.039 on beam.
Update: Coach Smith named 2020 MRGC Coach of the Year
Friday, it was announced that head coach Amy Smith was named coach of the year in the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference. 2020 was Smith’s third year with the program and delivered a winning season to Utah State for the first time in 21 seasons. The Aggies managed to beat all of the members of the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference in the 2020 campaign.
DeHarde and Sullivan were given additional awards. DeHarde was named MRGC Gymnast of the Year, a first for the Aggies. Sullivan earned the distinction as Freshman of the Year, the title DeHarde won in 2018.
This is the first time any team in conference history has swept all three awards.
— swfroehlich@gmail.com
@froehlich.scott