Season High Floor Score Leads to Second Place at MRGC Championships

CEDAR CITY, Utah — Shannon Hortman Evans took home the all-around champion title as No. 21 BYU placed second during the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championships on Saturday night.

“I'm just really proud of my team,” head coach Guard Young said. "It was a hard-fought meet, and it shows the resilience of these young ladies. I'm especially proud of Shannon for taking down a conference foe who's won all-around every week this season."

BYU took second place with a 196.000. No. 15 Boise State took its fourth-straight conference title (196.875) with Utah State in third (195.825) and Southern Utah in fourth (195.575).

Shannon Evans was named MRGC all-around champion with a 39.400, as well as a selection for All-MRGC First Team on bars. Brittni Hawes was also named All-MRGC Second Team selection for bars. Kyleigh Greenlief, Briana Pearson and Shannon Evans earned the title of event champion for floor as well as All-MRGC First Team selection.

The Cougars shone on floor, earning the highest score since 2004 with a 49.400. Briana Pearson set a new career-high on the event with a 9.900, while Jill van Mierlo matched her season-high 9.875 on floor.

BYU started the night on bars, earning a total score of 49.150. Shannon Hortman Evans and Brittni Hawes led the team with a 9.900 and a 9.875, respectively. Jill van Mierlo and Abby Boden posted a pair of 9.800 scores. The Cougars ended the rotation in second place, with the Broncos leading (49.175), the Aggies in third (48.925) and the Thunderbirds (48.850) in fourth.

During the second rotation on beam, Evans posted a 9.775 while Natasha Trejo Marsh earned a 9.725. BYU ended with a 48.375 on the event and tied for third place with Utah State at 97.525. Boise State continued to lead with a 98.475 while Southern Utah lept up to second with a 98.075.

The Cougars moved to floor where the team set a season-high 49.400, the highest floor score since 2007. Pearson set a new career-high score 9.900 with two other gymnasts, Kyleigh Greenlief and Evans, earning the same. Jill van Mierlo matched her season high floor score with a 9.875. The rotation put BYU back in second place with 146.925. Boise State held its lead with 147.625, while Utah State was in third with 146.650 and Southern Utah in fourth with 146.475.

BYU ended the night on vault, earning a 49.075 to close the meet with a total 196.000. Angel Zhong, Evans and van Mierlo led the team with a 9.825 each on vault, keeping the Cougars in second place as the meet ended.

MRGC Championships Final Results

The Cougars will compete in one of the regional competitions on Saturday, April 7, with the location yet to be determined. Tune into the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, March 26, 2018, at 2 p.m. MT for more details. Information on the show can be found at NCAA.com.