USU places fourth at MRGC Championships

The Aggies went down south to Provo, Utah, on Friday to compete in the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championship. Utah State placed last out of four teams, while Boise State took first place, followed by Southern Utah and host-BYU ended in third.

Senior Aggie gymnast Madison Ward-Sessions went on to win the individual floor title, and was the only gymnast to earn a 9.900 or better during the event with a 9.925 score. That 9.925 score has given Ward-Sessions her 21st career floor title, which brings her total career titles to 38. During her senior season alone, Ward-Sessions has earned 16 titles, which ranks fourth all-time in senior class history.

USU began the night with struggles on the beam. Sophomore Autumn DeHarde led the team with her 9.850 score to help tie for eighth. With only five girls competing in the event due to various injuries, the Aggies faced another blow when two falls had to be counted into their team score.

The floor has proved to be the focal point of Utah State’s performance during meets, and once again they did not shy away from the challenge. The team posted a 49.150 meet-high score that evening, which included Ward-Sessions consecutive 9.925 or better score. DeHarde and fellow sophomore Leighton Varnadore both tied for second place behind Ward-Sessions, with a pair of 9.850 scores.

During the vault portion of the night, Ward-Sessions tied for fifth with a 9.825, and Varnadore tied for seventh with a 9.800.

To close out the night, Ward-Sessions tied for sixth on the bars with a 9.850 score, while junior MaKayla Bullitt placed 11th with a 9.825 score.

Senior Emily Briones tied for 11th on the floor with a 9.775 score, and had a 9.625 on the beam to tie for 20th place to end her career as an Aggie gymnast.

In the all-around, Varnadore ended in fourth with a 39.100 and Ward-Sessions took fifth with a 38.800.

Regional qualifiers and locations will be announced by the NCAA on Monday, March 25.