BYU takes second in tri-meet at Utah State

LOGAN, Utah – The BYU women's gymnastics team posted career highs on bars and floor, but falls on vault cost them the meet. The Aggies came out on top with a 196.025 while the Cougars took second with a 195.550 and the Wildcats placed third with 193.825.

"I think Utah State is a great team but when you go into a gymnastics meet you’re not competing against another opponent, you’re competing against the equipment and yourself," BYU head coach Guard Young said. "We won that battle on three events and we didn’t win it on one event. That’s the difference."

The Cougars started the night off on bars. Éliane Kulczyk scored a personal best of 9.900 to lead the team. Brittni Wilde and Emily Vidmar tied with 9.850s, this being a career high for Vidmar as well. Jill Van Mierlo closed it out scoring a 9.800 to help the Cougars finish in first with a total of 49.175. The Aggies came in second with a 48.775 followed by the Wildcats with a 47.850.

Makenzie Johnson Halliday scored a 9.900 to start the Cougars off on the beam. Vidmar came close behind with a 9.850 while Van Mierlo clinched a season-high score of 9.825. After the second rotation, BYU held first place with 98.175, Utah State held second place with 98.025 and UNH held last with 96.250.

On floor, Halliday again led the team scoring a personal best 9.950, tying the sixth-best floor score in program history. Vidmar and Mackenzie Douglas followed with scores of 9.875, a career high for Douglas. Sin To also set a career high as well with a 9.825. Natasha Trejo finished off the floor routines with a 9.800 to give the Cougars their best score of the night and season, a 49.325. With Cougars’ career highs, they kept the lead totaling 147.500 to the Aggies’ 147.100 and the Wildcats’ 145.075.

Costly falls on vault gave Utah State the lead and victory in the last rotation. To put up a 9.850 followed by Jones with a 9.775. Kulczyk’s first vault this season ended with a 9.725. With falls from Cheyenne Hill and Douglas, the Cougars ended the rotation with a 48.050.

BYU finished the meet taking first place in all four events. To won the independent title on vault, Kulczyk tied with Utah State’s Bailey McIntire for first on bars and Halliday took home the beam and floor titles. Vidmar tied for second on beam with a 9.850 and third on floor with a 9.875. Douglas also tied Vidmar on floor for third place.

The Cougars hit the road next week for their final regular season meet against the University of Arizona. It will begin at 7 p.m. MST at the McKale Memorial Center Friday night.