Gymnasts take second in tri-meet at Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The BYU gymnastics team scored a 195.325 to take second in a tri-meet on the road against nationally ranked Michigan and Kent State.

"We had a great meet," assistant coach Dawn Cattermole said. "I think as the season goes on, our girls are gaining more confidence and they want to perform well."

No. 8 Michigan took first place with a 197.200 and No. 23 Kent State rounded out the group with a score of 194.275.

To start the meet, BYU's first event was the balance beam. Senior Raquel Willman Hatch matched her season-high 9.800 while sophomore Summer Raymond also added a 9.800 to contribute to the Cougar's 48.750. Hatch earned the top all-around score of all three teams with a 39.325.

BYU took the floor next where sophomore Emily Vidmar competed for the second time this season and set a new career high with a score of 9.700. Sophomore Makenzie Johnson and Hatch led the way for the team with a 9.825.

The Cougars scored a 48.775 on vault, led by a 9.850 from Hatch. Sophomore Mikaela Jones set a season-high with a score of 9.750, while freshman Rachel Tucker competed for the first time as a Cougar, adding a 9.600 to the overall vault score. BYU competed only five vaulters due to a last-minute injury.

The best event score of the night for BYU, a 48.925, came on the uneven bars. All six Cougars score a 9.750 or higher with Hatch again notching the high score with a 9.850. Junior KayCee Gassaway contributed a 9.800.

The Cougars return home next week to host Pac-12 foe Washington on March 7 at the Smith Fieldhouse.