USU gymnasts improve on the road
Improvement.
It’s inevitable and it brings a smile across Utah State gymnastics Head Coach Ray Corn.
The reason: After finishing second in its season-opening meet at Cal State Fullerton, the Aggies again finished second on Sunday in Norman, Okla.
Granted a second-place finish isn’t what competing is all about, but it also isn’t too shabby when you travel to Oklahoma, which was ranked No. 11 in the country in a preseason coaches’ poll.
The Sooners captured the victory by over three points, 195.95 to 192.875.
Western Gymnastics Conference foe Boise State also competed in the meet, finishing third at 191.475.
The Broncos will visit the Spectrum Friday for Utah State’s first home meet of the season.
“We look forward to coming home to the Spectrum,” Corn said. “The team feels more comfortable at home.”
Corn said not only has it been difficult for the extremely young Aggies to open the season on the road, causing unnecessary falls because of jitters, he said the tournament aspect is even more nerve-racking.
But compared to USU’s first meet of the season, there were considerably fewer jitters.
“The performance was much better,” Corn said. “The team needs to not be so tentative in the first rotation, though. We didn’t score well because we were too tentative. Our start values were not there and we didn’t make the connections to pick up the bonuses.”
The Aggies began the afternoon on the balance beam where they did not have to count a fall. But the normal 10.0 start values were not thrown. Freshman Meagan Nelson led the team on the event with a 9.75 score.
Following the beam, Utah State moved to floor where it recorded a 49.025. All six gymnasts hit their routines. The team score was the first time USU had finished above the 49.000 mark since March 16, 2001.
“The floor was the perfect example of doing what you can do in practice,” Corn said. “That is what we are capable of doing.”
USU recorded a 48.225 on vault, something Corn said he was extremely pleased about. Rachel Ropelato was successful on her full twisting Yurchenko, earning herself praise from the veteran coach.
The Aggies finished the meet on bars, suffering some of the same problems as the beam.
Nicole Kilpatrick led the Aggies with a 9.75.
Once again Nelson (39.050) and Kilpatrick (38.825) led the Aggies in the all-around competition finishing third and fourth, respectively.
“I really believe that as this team learns how to start the meet strong — to not be tentative at the beginning of the meet — and to not back off at the end, we will be successful. Those are things that come only with experience.”
And only time will tell.
–juag@cc.usu.edu