BYU gymnastics opens season with 195.225 at Rio Tinto Best of Utah

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — The No. 19 BYU gymnastics team posted a 195.225 to earn third place at the third annual Rio Tinto Best of Utah NCAA Gymnastics Meet on Friday at the Maverik Center.  

Best of Meet Results

Keeping its title, the University of Utah posted a 197.100 for the win. Utah State placed second at 195.875 and Southern Utah finished in fourth at 195.000.

This meet marks the third of a multi-year partnership between Rio Tinto and the Maverik Center. The two are contracted to host this meet for a minimum of five seasons. Luckily, the partners and universities made it happen with the COVID-19 circumstances.

“I love the resilience of this team,” head coach Guard Young said. “I think the mark we have built in this team over the past six years is depth and we sure needed it tonight with nine of our girls out for the meet. For these kids to step up and not be afraid to come in at the last minute, it shows the resilience of this group. I think this might be a game changer for the rest of the season.”

BYU found its groove early as they kicked off the night on the floor in the first rotation. The Cougars had three freshmen make their career debuts on the floor, with Eliza Millar starting the rotation, followed by Sophie Dudley and Sydney Benson.  

Senior Brittney Vitkauskas led the team with a 9.875, followed with a 9.800 by fellow senior Abby Beeston and freshman Sophie Dudley. With a total score of 48.775, the Cougars ended the rotation in fourth, trailing Utah State by .05.  

In the second rotation, BYU took to the vault with a total score of 48.575 to keep them in fourth. Both Dudley and Benson made their second appearances of the night and fellow freshmen, Melissa Earl, made her career debut for BYU. Elease Rollins and Benson led BYU in the second rotation, both achieving a 9.800. 

The Cougars tackled the uneven bars on the third rotation, earning a 49.000 to improve by .425 from the second rotation. Anna Bramblett made her career debut and notched a 9.825, along with teammates Pitou and Beeston. With their strong performance on bars, the Cougars moved to third place, trailing Utah State by .425.

BYU ended the night with strong performances on the balance beam. Freshman Heidi Schooley made her career debut on beam while Millar made her second appearance of the night, earning a 9.875 to lead the Cougars on the final rotation. 

Utah State’s Rebecca Wells came out on top in the All-Around competition, leading with an impressive 39.125. Utah’s Grace McCallum followed close behind with a score of 38.950. 

Vitkauskas ended the night tied for second on floor with a 9.875. Millar also tied for second on the balance beam in her BYU debut with a 9.875. The MVP award for the Cougars was shared by seniors Beeston and Pitou.   

BYU hits the road again next week against the University of Nebraska on Saturday, Jan. 15 in Lincoln, Nebraska.