LOGAN, Utah – No. 17 BYU scored a 196.450 but had its six-meet winning streak come to an end against MRGC rival Utah State on Friday in Logan, Utah. The Aggies earned a 196.600-196.450 victory at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. 

BYU vs Utah State Final Results

"Congrats to Utah State for having a great meet,” BYU head coach Guard Young said. "I’m so excited for our MRGC conference. Anyone can win.” 

Friday's meet was the third matchup between the Cougars and Aggies in 2020, with BYU now holding a 2-1 record on the season.

BYU took to the uneven bars to start the night. Four Cougars scored a 9.800 or higher, earning a 49.050. Junior Haley Pitou led the team with a 9.875 team-high score. Heading into the second rotation, Utah State led by .050.

In the second rotation, the Cougars made some ground by earning their highest vault score of the season, a 49.300. Sophomore Jordan Matthews started the lineup strong when she earned a career-high score of 9.900. This was followed by sophomore Avery Bennett tying her season-high score of 9.850 and junior Abbey Miner tying her career-best score of 9.875.

BYU trailed by just .025 at the halfway point but on floor in the third rotation the Cougars took the lead, gaining a 147.375-147.000 advantage. Sophomore Rachel Bain set a new career high of 9.850, followed by matched 9.900 scores from sophomore Sadie Miner and junior Abbey Miner. All Cougars scored above a 9.825 on the event, earning a total of 49.350.

However, in the final rotation, BYU failed to maintain its lead after earning its second-lowest beam score of the season, a 48.750, with individual scores ranging from 9.650 to 9.825.

While the team saw its six-meet winning streak halted with the loss, Matthews provided an individual highlight winning the vault title for the night. 

"I’m glad we have this as motivation to finish off a great season,” Young said. "We will look to send off our seniors in style next Saturday in Provo. We need Cougar Nation to come out."

Coming up, the Cougars prepare for their final home meet of the season against Southern Utah in the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday, March 14 at 7 p.m. MDT.

PROVO, Utah – No. 17 BYU prepares to face MRGC rival Utah State for the third time this season when the two programs meet in Logan, Utah, on Friday, March 6, at 7 p.m. MST in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. 

BYU vs Utah State Meet Notes

The teams met the first time this season on Jan. 11 at the Rio Tinto Best of Utah NCAA Gymnastics Meet. The University of Utah snagged the win, followed by BYU with a score of 195.575. Utah State came in forth, behind the Thunderbirds, earning a 194.150.

Just a week later, the Cougars hosted UCLA and Utah State in the Marriott Center. UCLA won the meet with BYU (195.875) coming in second, followed by Utah State (194.750).

This will be their final matchup before competing in the MRGC Championships on March 21 in Boise, Idaho.

Meet Information

• When: Friday, March 6

• Time: 7 p.m. MST 

• Location: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum

• Live Stream: https://utahstateaggies.com/watch/

• Stats: http://sidearmstats.com/utahstate/gymnastics/20200306.html

THE COUGARS. On a six-meet winning streak, BYU beat Illinois State on the road, 196.850-193.275, in its last meet. This score stands as the team’s second-highest score of the season. Currently, the Cougars sit at No. 1 in the MRGC, with junior Abbey Miner as No.1 in the all-around. In the nation, BYU is No. 16 on vault, No. 18 on beam and No. 14 on floor. For the second week in a row, senior All-American Shannon Evans took a break from the all-around competition while nursing an injury.

THE AGGIES. No. 26 Utah State hosts BYU for its final home meet of the season on Senior Night. Last Friday, the Aggies earned a 195.725-193.700 win over UC Davis. On the night, five Utah State gymnasts tied or set career-high marks. A highlight included freshman Lexi Aragon making her collegiate debut, earning a 9.700 on the uneven bars. Additionally, the MRGC crowned freshman Sofi Sullivan as Co-Beam Specialist of the Week after her performance, earning a 9.925 on the apparatus.