Cougs notch 195.175 at Best of Utah Meet

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — BYU women’s gymnastics notched a 195.175 to take home fourth in the Rio Tinto Best of Utah on Friday evening.

FINAL STATS

“I’m really proud of these girls for their performances tonight, especially my bar team” said head coach Guard Young. “Our floor team is just so much fun to watch, and you can tell they are gaining that confidence. I would love to see that same confidence translate over to the balance beam, so that is going to be our focus this week as we prepare for our first home meet.”

After an incredible night of gymnastics showcasing the talent across the state of Utah, the Utes came out on top, taking home the Best of Utah title for the fourth year in a row with a final score of 197.750. Utah notched the highest score on every event and the All-Around in tonight’s competition, including a perfect 10 on beam from Kara Eaker.

The Cougars started the night on vault. Senior Allix Mason and sophomore Sydeny Benson led the group with individual scores of 9.825. Freshman Kylie Eaquinto followed close behind with 9.800. 

Following the first rotation, BYU had a team score of 48.800 for fourth place. Utah led the competition with 49.375, followed by Utah State (49.025) and SUU (48.850). 

BYU found its rhythm on bars in the second rotation. Mason started off strong for the Cougars with a 9.825, followed by a solid routine from Anna Bramblett with a 9.850. For the second meet in a row, Anyssa Alvarado led the Cougars on bars with a 9.900 to close out the second rotation. 

Improving by .375, the Cougars totaled 49.175 on bars to keep them in fourth place. No. 6 Utah continued to shine in its events, leading the competition with a combined score of 98.725.

Freshman Madison Raesly-Patton made her collegiate debut in the third rotation with a 9.750 on beam. Beam captain Elease Rollins led the group with a score of 9.850, followed by Sophie Dudley who notched a 9.825 in her career debut on the apparatus.

At the conclusion of the third rotation, BYU had a team score of 146.175. As the Cougars prepared for their final event of the night, Utah was in first with 148.075, followed by Utah State (147.175) and SUU (147.025). 

Dudley started off strong with a 9.800 on floor in BYU’s final rotation. Rebekah Ripley closed out the competition with her Barbie routine, notching a 9.850. The Cougars ended the night with a final score of 195.175, taking home fourth place. SUU took second with a score of 196.175 and Utah State took third with 195.800.

The Cougars will host their first home meet of the season on Friday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. MT in the Marriott Center. The meet will feature a Daddy/Daughter event.