Five gymnasts score career highs against Boise State

BOISE, Idaho – Multiple career and season highs were not enough for BYU gymnastics to top the Boise State Broncos Friday night at the Gem State Invitational in Boise. 

"We started flat and in an important meet against No. 10 ranked Boise State you can’t start flat," BYU head coach Guard Young said. "You have to start on fire and instead we finished with fire. It was great to end that way and see our beam team come through, but we have to hit the gym this week and work on starting with fire."  

BYU finished with a 195.100 to BSU's 196.400. Makenzie Johnson Halliday came in third in the all-around with a 39.050 while also setting a career high on beam and placing fourth on floor. Natasha Trejo had a phenomenal meet with career-high performances on beam and floor, while Taylor Harward, Mikaela Jones and Emily Vidmar also posted career-high scores during the meet.

Éliane Kulczyk and Trejo led the Cougars on the bars with a 9.800 score, both setting season highs on the event. Emily Vidmar put up a 9.750 to help the team to a total of 48.625 compared to the Bronco’s 49.075 in the first rotation.

On vault, sophomore Mackenzie Douglas tied for first with a 9.850. Sin To followed right behind with a 9.825 for third place, while Halliday recorded a 9.800 to give the Cougars a running total of 97.575.

The Cougars ended the third rotation on floor with a total of 48.475 to the Bronco’s 49.076 on beam. Halliday clinched fourth place on the event with a 9.825. Trejo scored a 9.775 while Kyleigh Greenlief recorded a season high of 9.500.

BYU ended the meet on beam with all six gymnasts scoring season or career highs. Halliday recorded a 9.925 for her new personal best and also claimed the individual title on beam. Vidmar came in second overall with a 9.875, a career high for her as well. Jones and Trejo helped the team with career-high 9.775s, while Harward and To both scored season highs of 9.700 and 9.675, respectively.

“Our main theme for this meet was to overcome,” Young said. “We had a lot of sicknesses, so our training wasn’t exactly how we wanted to prepare. We were in survival mode, but the girls really overcame that and did a great job tonight.

The team continues on the road next week to take on the University of Alaska Anchorage in Anchorage on Saturday at 7 p.m. AKST.