Freshmen Energize Cougars in Southern Utah

CEDAR CITY -- Four different freshmen produced career-high marks to spark the BYU gymnasts to their second-best score of the season at 194.700. The Cougars rolled out their highest scores of the year on both vault and floor as BYU ended its three-meet road trip with a 194.700-192.775 victory over Southern Utah Monday night.

"The freshmen did great tonight," BYU coach Brad Cattermole said. "Danielle (Goldman) has been working hard and came out and hit. Jenna (Kerbis), McKell (Poulson) and Megan (Donehue) were great. We continue to progress. Hopefully we can keep improving from here."

The Cougars received a boost on bars behind a pair of career-high scores in the first rotation. Dayna Smart notched a career-best 9.825 to lead the way. Freshman McKell Poulson was right behind with a career-tying mark of 9.775. Junior Aimee Walker-Pond chipped in a 9.750. Alethea Boon and Megan Donehue were both solid in exhibition for BYU. SUU's Shayla Garcia was top performer for the Thunderbirds at 9.825 to tie Smart for the top score on the event.

A pair of Canadians energized the Cougars to their best showing of the season on vault. Montreal, Quebec, native Danielle Goldman was substituted into the lineup late and responded with a career-high 9.775. Fellow countryman Jenna Kerbis tied her career-best 9.775 to help spark the team to a 48.900. BYU took away the top two spots on the event with Smart taking home first-place honors with a 9.875. Boon was close behind with a 9.850 for second place. Garcia and Leah Sakhitab were the top scorers for SUU at 9.800 each.

More first-year performers proved their ware for the Cougars on floor as BYU tumbled to a season-best 48.975. Kiki Berrett tumbled her way to a career-high 9.800. Fellow freshman Heidi Poulson also chipped in a career-best score at 9.750. Senior Lisa Willis recorded a season-best 9.800. Smart tied a career-high 9.850 to lead the way. The Thunderbirds' Elise Wheeler was their top scorer at 9.825.

Smart once again showed why she is among the best in the country to lead the Cougars on balance beam. The junior just missed a perfect score with a 9.950 to the tie the highest score of her career and match the second-highest score in school history on the event. Boon chipped in a strong 9.850. Kerbis notched a new career-best 9.825 for BYU. Sakhitab recorded the best score for SUU at 9.825.

Smart came in first place on each of the four events and produced a career-high 39.500 to win the all-around competition. The Thunderbirds' Sakhitab was second at 39.250.

"I just came in here and did my stuff," Smart said. "I felt I actually could have done better in a couple of my routines, but I was happy with how I did."

The Cougars will have a week off before welcoming Utah State and Oregon State into Provo on March 9.

Women's Gymnastics Meet Results
Host: Southern Utah University  
Meet: SUU vs BYU February 26, 2007 
Location: Cedar City, Utah (Centrum Arena) Home Meet 
 
Contents: Event Results Team Results 
 Vault Team Standing 
 Uneven Parallel Bars Southern Utah University 
 Balance Beam Brigham Young University 
 Floor Exercise Judge List 
 
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Team Standing Top  
Place  Team Score  
1  Brigham Young University 194.700  
2  Southern Utah University 192.775  
 
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Southern Utah University Home 
Head Coach:  Scott Bauman Top  
 Gymnast Vault  Bars  Beam  Floor  AllArr  
 Kellie Dangerfield   9.025  9.125  9.525    
 Tehani Douglas   9.650    9.625    
 Shayla Garcia 9.800  9.825  9.075  9.700  38.400  
 Katie Hicks     9.100      
 Melissa Johnson 9.500          
 Jess Langley   9.750        
 Erin Morgan 9.600    9.225      
 Leah Sakhitab 9.800  9.800  9.850  9.800  39.250  
 Elise Wheeler 9.775  9.775  9.725  9.825  39.100  
 Team Totals 48.475  48.800  47.025  48.475  192.775  
 
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Brigham Young University 
Head Coach:  Brad Cattermole Top  
 Gymnast Vault  Bars  Beam  Floor  AllArr  
 Kiki Berrett 9.625      9.800    
 Alethea Boon 9.850    9.850  9.775    
 Kacie Capra-Callens   9.100  8.225  9.700    
 Megan Donehue 9.600          
 Kaylee Gallup     9.225      
 Danielle Goldman 9.775          
 Melissa Hough   8.700        
 Jenna Kerbis 9.775    9.825      
 McKell Poulsen   9.775        
 Heidi Poulson       9.750    
 Dayna Smart 9.875  9.825  9.950  9.850  39.500  
 Aimee Walker-Pond   9.750        
 Lisa Willis   9.700  9.825  9.800    
 Team Totals 48.900  48.150  48.675  48.975  194.700  
 
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Vault Results Top  
Place  Gymnast  Team Score  
1  Dayna Smart  Brigham Young University 9.875  
2  Alethea Boon  Brigham Young University 9.850  
3  Shayla Garcia  Southern Utah University 9.800  
3  Leah Sakhitab  Southern Utah University 9.800  
5  Elise Wheeler  Southern Utah University 9.775  
5  Jenna Kerbis  Brigham Young University 9.775  
5  Danielle Goldman  Brigham Young University 9.775  
8  Kiki Berrett  Brigham Young University 9.625  
9  Erin Morgan  Southern Utah University 9.600  
9  Megan Donehue  Brigham Young University 9.600  
11  Melissa Johnson  Southern Utah University 9.500  
 
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Uneven Parallel Bars Results Top  
Place  Gymnast  Team Score  
1  Shayla Garcia  Southern Utah University 9.825  
1  Dayna Smart  Brigham Young University 9.825  
3  Leah Sakhitab  Southern Utah University 9.800  
4  Elise Wheeler  Southern Utah University 9.775  
4  McKell Poulsen  Brigham Young University 9.775  
6  Jess Langley  Southern Utah University 9.750  
6  Aimee Walker-Pond  Brigham Young University 9.750  
8  Lisa Willis  Brigham Young University 9.700  
9  Tehani Douglas  Southern Utah University 9.650  
10  Kacie Capra-Callens  Brigham Young University 9.100  
11  Kellie Dangerfield  Southern Utah University 9.025  
12  Melissa Hough  Brigham Young University 8.700  
 
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Balance Beam Results Top  
Place  Gymnast  Team Score  
1  Dayna Smart  Brigham Young University 9.950  
2  Leah Sakhitab  Southern Utah University 9.850  
2  Alethea Boon  Brigham Young University 9.850  
4  Lisa Willis  Brigham Young University 9.825  
4  Jenna Kerbis  Brigham Young University 9.825  
6  Elise Wheeler  Southern Utah University 9.725  
7  Erin Morgan  Southern Utah University 9.225  
7  Kaylee Gallup  Brigham Young University 9.225  
9  Kellie Dangerfield  Southern Utah University 9.125  
10  Katie Hicks  Southern Utah University 9.100  
11  Shayla Garcia  Southern Utah University 9.075  
12  Kacie Capra-Callens  Brigham Young University 8.225  
 
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Floor Exercise Results Top  
Place  Gymnast  Team Score  
1  Dayna Smart  Brigham Young University 9.850  
2  Elise Wheeler  Southern Utah University 9.825  
3  Leah Sakhitab  Southern Utah University 9.800  
3  Kiki Berrett  Brigham Young University 9.800  
3  Lisa Willis  Brigham Young University 9.800  
6  Alethea Boon  Brigham Young University 9.775  
7  Heidi Poulson  Brigham Young University 9.750  
8  Shayla Garcia  Southern Utah University 9.700  
8  Kacie Capra-Callens  Brigham Young University 9.700  
10  Tehani Douglas  Southern Utah University 9.625  
11  Kellie Dangerfield  Southern Utah University 9.525  
 
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All Around Results Top  
Place  Gymnast  Team Score  
1  Dayna Smart  Brigham Young University 39.500  
2  Leah Sakhitab  Southern Utah University 39.250  
3  Elise Wheeler  Southern Utah University 39.100  
4  Shayla Garcia  Southern Utah University 38.400  
 
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Meet Judges Top  
 Vault 
 Judge 1 Tina Paulos National 
 Judge 2 Donna Nicholson Level 10 
 Uneven Parallel Bars 
 Judge 1 Cathy Bennion National 
 Judge 2 Pat Bryant Level 10 
 Balance Beam 
 Judge 1 Cathy Bennion National 
 Judge 2 Donna Nicholson Level 10 
 Floor Exercise 
 Judge 1 Tina Paulos National 
 Judge 2 Pat Bryant Level 10