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Utah State gymnastics scored a 192.750 in a dual at No. 16 Boise State, as the Broncos posted a 196.125 Friday night in a dual at BSU’s Taco Bell Arena.
USU’s team total of 192.750 consisted of scoring a season-high 48.875 on floor as its top three scores on the season have come in the last three meets. The Aggies also scored a 47.925 on vault, a 48.825 on bars and a 47.125 on beam.
BSU’s winning score of 196.125 was .050 shy of its season-high score, and Friday’s total came from posting a 49.125 on vault, 49.150 on bars, 48.750 on beam and 49.100 on floor.
Aggie sophomore Paige Jones tied for second in the all-around with a 38.900, while freshman Sarah Landes was fifth with a 38.525 and senior Rebecca Holliday sixth with a 37.975.
Jones also led the Aggies on both bars, tying for third with a 9.825, and vault, tying for fifth with a 9.750.
Freshman Susie Miller and Landes tied for third on floor with 9.850s, while redshirt freshman Samantha Wagner was USU’s top finisher on beam, tying for fifth with 9.675
Boise State swept the individual honors as Brittany Potvin-Green won the all-around with a 39.375, as well as winning vault with a 9.900 and floor with a 9.925. Caitlin Mann captured the bars title with a 9.875, while Bekah Gher and Lindsay Kazandjian shared the beam crown with 9.800s each.
USU led off on bars, with junior Amanda Watamaniuk opening up with a 9.650, followed by fellow junior Amelia Montoya with a 9.775. Holliday then notched a 9.725. That preceded Landes landing a 9.750, then a 9.825 from Jones. Freshman Kaitlyn Betts closed out the Aggies’ bar rotation with a 9.750, giving USU a 48.825 total, its fourth-best score of the season on the event.
Boise State scored a 49.125 on vault, led by Brittany Potvin-Green with a 9.900, and had a slim lead after the first rotation
On vault for rotation two, Watamaniuk also started things off for the Aggies, posting a 9.450, followed by Holliday with a 9.550. Freshman Breyanna Aufiero notched a 9.525 before Miller recorded an 8.925. Landes then stuck a 9.650 before Jones registered a 9.750 to complete USU’s vault lineup.
The Aggies totalled a 47.925 on vault for a 96.750 score at the halfway point, while the Broncos had a lead after scoring a 49.150 on bars, led by Caitlin Mann with a 9.875, for a 98.275 sub-total.
Shifting to floor for the third rotation, the USU lineup’s first spot looked just like the other two events, led off by Watamaniuk, scoring a 9.625. After a 9.575 by Holliday, Miller posted a career-high tying 9.850 for her third score of 9.825 or higher in the last four meets, including the last two. Montoya notched a 9.750 before Jones stuck a 9.800, her fourth score of 9.800 or higher, and all have come in every other meet. Landes completed the Aggies’ floor rotation with a career-best tying 9.850, her third 9.850 score this season and fifth score of 9.800 or higher on the season.
The season-high 48.875 on floor gave the Aggies a 145.625 after three, while the Broncos maintained their lead with a 147.025 after posting 48.750 on beam, led by the 9.800s from Gher and Kazandjian.
On beam for the fourth and final rotation, freshman Ashley Follett opened the beam lineup with a 9.375. After a 9.675 by redshirt freshman Samantha Wagner, Jones notched a 9.525. Holliday hung a 9.575 on the board before a 9.275 by Landes. Montoya rounded out the rotation and the Aggies’ action with a 9.125, giving USU a 46.975 on beam.
USU had its 192.600 while BSU won with its 196.125 after tallying a 49.100, led by Potvin-Green’s 9.925.
Utah State has a quick turnaround after Friday’s dual as the Aggies return home to host in-state foe BYU on Monday, March 5, at 7 p.m. at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Monday will be USU’s final home meet of the regular season and will be Senior Night, honoring its two seniors, Haley Hogan and Rebecca Holliday.
Utah State is the host institution for the 2012 WAC Championships on Saturday, March 24. It will be the first time since 2006, USU’s first year in the conference, that the Aggies will host the WAC Championships. Overall, it will be the seventh time that Utah State has hosted its conference meet. USU previously hosted the WAC Championships in 2006, the Western Gymnastics Conference Championships in 2002, the Big West Conference Championships in 1992, 1996 and 2000, as well as the High Country Athletic Conference Championships in 1988.
For USU gymnastics ticket information, contact the USU ticket office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, by phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305, or online 24 hours a day at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on the “buy/renew tickets” under the “tickets” drop-down menu.
Fans can follow the Aggie gymnastics program at twitter.com/USUGymnastics or on Facebook at Utah State Gymnastics. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
Doug Hoffman is the assistant athletic director for Utah State University Athletic Media Relations.
