Balance Beam Proves Friendly to Cougars

LOGAN -- A stellar team performance on the balance beam helped the BYU women’s gymnastics team to a score of 191.975 on Friday at Utah State in another solid outing for the Cougars. However, the Aggies posted an overall tally of 193.825 to top BYU in the Cougars’ final road meet of the year.

“I’m really proud of our beam team,” said BYU head coach Brad Cattermole. “We’ve had some ups and downs, but everyone stepped up tonight when it mattered.”

The Cougars saved the best for last in the competition as they approached the beam on the final rotation and put up their best score of the season on the event at 48.800. Three BYU gymnasts tallied career highs led by junior beam specialist Kaylee Gallup. Gallup used the four-inch apparatus to full advantage with a tremendous score of 9.925, the highest mark posted by any Cougar on any event this year. Freshman Jennifer Lezeu was right behind at 9.875 while sophomore Whitney Olsen recorded a 9.825, both personal bests.

Olsen also contributed another career high on the uneven bars where the Cougars began the night. Her 9.500 on an event she just began competing on two weeks ago helped BYU notch a score of 47.650 to begin the meet. Sophomore all-arounder Madeleine Johnson paced the Cougars with a score of 9.800.

With just five gymnasts competing on both the vault and the bars due to numerous injuries, all of the Cougars had to hit. Lezeu did just that on the vault with another career high at 9.700. Junior Danielle Goldman led the team on the event with a score of 9.775, helping the Cougars to a score of 47.700. BYU was forced to count a misstep on the floor exercise but still came up with a score of 47.825. Four Cougars scored between 9.625 and 9.725 led by Lezeu.

Johnson led the Cougars overall with an all-around score of 38.525, a career high and good enough for second place behind USU’s Lyndsie Boone (38.600). Goldman posted a score of 38.025.

BYU will now conclude the regular season next Friday against in-state rival Utah. The No. 2 Utes will be in the Marriott Center at 7 p.m. Friday in a meet televised on BYUTV.