Utah State wins back-to-back MW gymnastics titles in Boise
Utah State Gymnastics finished its Mountain West Conference season the same way it has spent the last month competing: with another score above 196 and another win.
The Aggies scored 196.400 to win the four-team Mountain West championship on March 22 at ExtraMile Arena in Boise, beating Boise State — 196.200 — San José State — 195.800 — and Air Force — 195.750. The title was Utah State’s second straight Mountain West postseason championship, the first time in program history the Aggies have won back-to-back conference championship meets.
Utah State also shared the Mountain West regular-season title with Air Force, giving the Aggies two conference trophies this season. The program now has nine conference championships overall.
Junior Mya Witte was named meet MVP after winning the beam title with a career-high 9.950, which is tied for the No. 2-highest beam score in school history. First-year Mara Gruber won the floor title with a career-high-tying 9.900, and Nyla Morabito and Lundyn VanderToolen shared the vault title with 9.850s.
“It means everything from our former student-athletes to our fans to our donors to all the coaches that have worked with this program,” head coach Kristin White told the Mountain West Network. “I’m incredibly proud of our women, our administration. This is just the best night.”
The Aggies did not take control of the meet right away, but they finished strongest.
Utah State opened on vault with a 48.975, tied for its No. 4-best vault score of the season. Morabito and VanderToolen led the rotation with matching 9.850s, while Isabella Vater added a 9.800.
On bars, the Aggies scored 48.875. Avery Bibbey and VanderToolen each posted 9.850s to lead Utah State, but a 9.350 from Charley Laufer kept the team from building much momentum through the first two events.
That changed on beam.
Sydney Jelen and Olivia Orengo each tied career highs with 9.875s, Alianna Valdez added a 9.800 and Witte closed the rotation with her 9.950. Utah State scored 49.200 on beam, its second-best beam total of the season, to stay in position entering the final rotation.
“I am so proud of Mya Witte,” White said. “She has come such a long way since her freshman year and to anchor the beam lineup and know that she’s got to hit the best beam routine possible, and she went 9.95 career high — I just couldn’t be more proud of her.”
For Witte, the performance carried extra meaning.
“It’s surreal,” Witte said. “This actually my first conference, so my freshman year, I wasn’t in, last year I was super sick, so it brings tears to my eyes. I’ve worked so hard, and I’ve gotten through a lot.”
Utah State then closed the meet with its best floor performance of the season, scoring 49.350.
All six Aggies scored at least 9.800 on floor. Orengo opened with a season-high-tying 9.850, Marley Peterson tied her career high with a 9.850, Morabito and Vater each scored 9.875 and Gruber finished with a 9.900 in the anchor spot to win the event.
“And then Mara, freshman, closing out the Mountain West championship, needing a great routine and winning floor — it’s a dream come true,” White said. “I am so incredibly proud of these women tonight.”
Utah State won three of the four event titles and posted the top team score on vault, beam and floor. Morabito’s vault title was her 10th of the season, setting a new single-season school record.
The win continued a late-season surge that has changed the shape of Utah State’s season.
The Aggies scored 196 or higher only once before Feb. 20. Since then, they have scored at least 196.000 in each of their last seven meets and won six of those seven. The championship’s 196.400 was Utah State’s sixth-straight 196.000-plus meet, setting a school record for consecutive 196 scores. The previous record of five straight was set in 2021.
Utah State improved to 19-5, giving the program its most wins since 1986 and the sixth-most wins in a season in school history.
Witte said the Aggies stayed composed after a brief dip during the meet.
“We kind of dipped a little bit. We got a little worried, but we brought everybody together,” Witte said. “We realized that we worked every single day, every 6 a.m., every hard day to get to this moment, and we knew we wanted it so bad. So we just pushed and we just believed and we got it done.”
White said the team’s message will stay the same heading into the NCAA postseason.
“The message always stays the same,” White said. “Be .05 better in everything we do. Have fun, enjoy it and trust.”
Utah State will learn its NCAA regional assignment during the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, March 23. The Aggies are set to make their second straight NCAA regional appearance as a team and the 29th in program history.