Cougars To Compete At No. 5 Stanford

Twelfth-ranked BYU heads to California to take on the fifth-ranked Stanford Cardinal Saturday night at 7:30 in the Burnham Pavilion.

After a week off, the Cougars hope to continue where they left off -- with the best score in school history.

Previous to this season, the BYU women's gymnastics team had only scored above a 196 on three occasions. This season, the Cougars have already equaled that number, scoring above a 196 in their last three meets.

BYU, at 8-1 on the season, is averaging a 195.225, compared to an average score of 196.250 for Stanford.

However, over the last three meets, BYU has averaged a 196.383. That average would place the Cougars just above the Stanford in the polls.

Stanford is led by their only senior, All-American Jennifer Exaltacion. As Stanford's all-time record holder on the balance beam with a 9.975, she achieved Second Team All-American status last season in both the all-around and beam.

BYU and Stanford will face each other twice this season. In fact, they face each other in back-to-back weeks. On March 10, Stanford will come to Provo to compete in a three-team meet that will include Southern Utah University.

The Cougars have also faced Southern Utah earlier this year, defeating the Thunderbirds 196.225 to 194.150. That meet will be held in the Smith Fieldhouse.

Last year BYU faced Stanford on February 21, scoring a 195.425 in a losing effort.