SALT LAKE -- The University of Utah took the North Central NCAA Women's Gymnastics Regional Championship by storm Saturday night, winning the meet with a score of 196.975 in the Huntsman Center.
The BYU Cougars finished sixth in the meet with a season-low 192.400, also marking season lows on bars (47.575) and the floor exercise (48.425).
"Tonight we just had a terrible meet at a terrible time," BYU head coach Brad Cattermole said. "We didn't make mistakes because we weren't trying, but because we tried too hard."
Stanford came in second with a 196.625 and will join the Utes at the national championship in Lincoln, Neb., April 24-16. Denver took third with a 195.350, California came in fourth with a 195.025 and Minnesota placed fifth with a 193.125.
Utah's Annabeth Eberle claimed the all-around title with a 39.450. Natalie Foley from Stanford took second and Denver's Michelle Kasuga placed third.
The Utes also managed to take first place on each of the individual events. Theresa Kulikowski from Utah took first on the bars with a 9.900 and on the beam with a perfect 10.0. Melissa Vituj tied for first on the vault with a 9.900 and placed first on the floor exercise with a 9.925.
One bright spot for BYU was Trisha Ashton, who tied for fifth on the vault with a 9.850 and also received BYU's highest score on the beam wit h a 9.800.
Coach Cattermole was happy with Ashton's performance.
"She's that kind of kid," he said. "We expect that kind of performance from her, that's why she was elected captain."
Despite the disappointment, Cattermole is optimistic about the future of BYU gymnastics.
"The good part in all of this is that we have some girls coming back next year that have felt this and know that it doesn't feel good," he said. "It was a good learning experience that we can build upon next year."
NCAA North Central RegionalHuntsman Center
Salt Lake City, Utah
April 12, 2003
FINAL TEAM SCORES
*1. Utah, 196.975
*2. Stanford, 196.625
3. Denver, 195.350
4. California, 195.025
5. Minnesota, 193.125
6. BYU, 192.400
* advances to NCAA Championships in Lincoln, Neb., April 24-26
VAULT
Stanford, 49.225
Utah, 49.225
Denver, 48.900
California, 48.625
Minnesota, 48.600
BYU, 48.250
BARS
Utah, 49.225
Stanford, 49.175
California, 48.800
Denver, 48.350
BYU, 47.575
Minnesota, 47.475
BEAM
Utah, 49.600
Stanford, 49.375
Denver, 48.825
California, 48.500
BYU, 48.150
Minnesota, 48.000
FLOOR
Denver, 49.275
California, 49.100
Minnesota, 49.050
Utah, 48.925
Stanford, 48.850
BYU, 48.425
TOP INDIVIDUAL FINISHERS
VAULT
1. Melissa Vituj, Utah, 9.900
Natalie Foley, Stanford, 9.900
3. Annabeth Eberle, Utah, 9.875
Glyn Sweets, Stanford, 9.875
BYU Vault Scores:
Trisha Ashton, 9.850
Lindsay Butterfield, 9.650
Jaime Mabray, 9.650
Meghan Donahue, 9.625
Megan Pessoa, 9.475
Kirsten Pauga, 9.300
BARS
1. Teresa Kulikowski, Utah, 9.900
2. Kim Allan, Utah, 9.875
Annabeth Eberle, Utah, 9.875
BYU Bars Scores:
Kari Lords, 9.675
Brogan Jacobsen, 9.650
Lisa Willis, 9.575
Lindsay Butterfield, 9.575
Jaime Mabray, 9.100
Kirsten Pauga, 8.750
BEAM
1. Teresa Kulikowski, Utah, 10.0
2. Melissa Vituj, Utah, 9.950
3. Gritt Hoffmann, Utah, 9.900
Lindsay Wing, Stanford, 9.900
BYU Beam Scores:
Trisha Ashton, 9.800
Kirsten Pauga, 9.750
Lindsay Butterfield, 9.700
Meghan Donahue, 9.600
Jaime Mabray, 9.300
Kari Lords, 9.200
FLOOR
1. Melissa Vituj, Utah, 9.925
2. Karyssa Ancellotti, Denver, 9.900
Emily Bankhead, Denver, 9.900
Alicia Opsahl, Minnesota, 9.900
BYU Floor Scores:
Brogan Jacobsen, 9.850
Candace Slater, 9.775
Kirsten Pauga, 9.700
Jaime Mabray, 9.625
Lindsay Butterfield, 9.475
Lisa Willis, 9.325
ALL-AROUND
1. Annabeth Eberle, Utah, 39.450
2. Natalie Foley, Stanford, 39.350
3. Michelle Kasuga, Denver, 39.325
BYU All-Around Scores:
13. Lindsay Butterfield, 38.400
17. Jaime Mabray, 37.675
18. Kirsten Pauga, 37.500
As the No. 20 team in the country, the BYU gymnastics team has been selected as the fourth-seeded team in the NCAA North Central regional tournament at No. 8 Utah on April 12.
The Utes will play host to No. 6 Stanford, No. 18 California, No. 20 BYU, No. 21 Denver and No. 23 Minnesota. This is the only regional of the six regional sites that will showcase six top-25 teams.
With a season full of school records, the Cougars will be going into the meet with confidence.
BYU's head coach Brad Cattermole is pleased with the regional bid.
"I didn't want to be seeded out of the region," he said. "Traveling to Utah is an excellent opportunity for us. "
The Cougars broke the school's team vault record four times throughout the season, and two gymnasts, Brogan Jacobsen and Kari Lords, received perfect 10.0s.
"This team has done wonderful," Cattermole said. "I am very pleased with how far they have come this season."
The Cougars will need to perform exceptionally well and fight hard to edge out their competitors. Only then can they move on to the next step--nationals.
The top two teams in each region will advance to nationals on April 24 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Cougar Quick Notes
Senior Stars
Lindsay Butterfield and Candace Slater have lead the team by example all season long, consistently scoring well. Butterfield competed in every event in every meet this season, and Slater competed on the floor exercise every meet this season. Butterfield notched a career high 39.500 in the all-around against Missouri. Slater received a career-high 9.925 on the floor four times during the season.
2003 Record-Breakers
The Cougars broke the school's old vault record four times this season, finishing off the season with a spectacular 49.400 against Southern Utah. Kari Lords and Brogan Jacobsen broke school records on beam and floor respectively--both with perfect a 10.0.
Stellar Sophomores
Both Jamie Mabray and Kirsten Pauga competed in the all-around for during the season. Jamie received a career-high 39.650 against Utah--the third highest all-around score in BYU history. She injured her foot after that meet, but came back mid-way through the season to help the Cougars. Pauga began competing in the all-around and improved throughout the season finishing off her season with a career high 39.375 against Utah. Both competitors will continue to help the Cougars for the next two years.
The Cougars at a Glance
Trisha Ashton
Junior * 5-4 * Flower Mound, Texas
Ashton was a solid competitor on vault and beam. She received career- high 9.925 on both the vault and beam twice this season, and will continue to be a leader throughout her senior year.
Lindsay Butterfield
Senior * 5-0 * Chandler, Arizona
Butterfield is the Cougars' only gymnast to compete in every event in every meet. Butterfield continued to improve throughout the season. She broke all her career records, which all are 9.9 or better.
Meghan Donahue
Freshman * 4-11 * Sierra Vista, Arizona
Donahue competed for the Cougars in every meet on the vault. She is a strong
competitor and received her career high of 9.800 five times throughout the season. Donahue also competed on the beam four times during the season and continues to improve.
Brooke Haskett
Senior * 5-3 * Mesa, Arizona
Haskett performed well throughout the season on bars, beam and floor. She received new career highs on bars and floor. Haskett injured her ACL during practice and will be unable to compete for the remainder of the season.
Brogan Jacobsen
Junior * 5-3 * Salt Lake City, Utah
Jacobsen's crowd-pleasing floor routines earned her excellent scores throughout the season. Her hard work paid off in at home when she received a perfect 10.0. Jacobsen also earned a new career high on the bars with a 9.9. She is one of two team captains.
Lena Johnson
Sophomore * 4-11 * Athens, Georgia
Lena competed for the Cougars once on the vault this season, but competed in exhibition on vault and floor throughout the season. The Cougars will look to her in the future to help them on those events.
Kari Lords
Junior * 4-11 * Las Vegas, Nevada
Lords has been a strong competitor and bars and beam this year. The highlight of the season came when Lord's scored a perfect 10.0 on her beam routine during a quad meet. Lords consistency on the bars has also been a benefit to the team.
Jamie Mabray
Sophomore * 5-5 * Carrollton, Texas
Despite a foot injury that left her sidelined for six meets, Mabray remains one of BYU's strongest competitors. She received career-high marks in every event this season. She received the third highest all-around score in BYU history against Utah.
Kirsten Pauga
Sophomore * 5-5 * Lethbridge, Alberta
Pauga is a strength to her team in every event. During her first year as an all-around competitor, Pauga showed grace under pressure. She will continue to be a major competitor for BYU for the next two years.
Megan Pessoa
Junior * 5-1 * Salt Lake City, Utah
A powerful vaulter, Pessoa competed in every meet for the Cougars this season. She broke her previous career score of 9.8 twice this season with a 9.825. The Cougars look to Pessoa as a consistent competitor.
Candace Slater
Senior * 5-5 * Highland, Utah
Slater is an extremely consistent and powerful competitor on the floor. She has received a career-high mark of 9.925 four times throughout the season. Her marks on floor have helped the Cougars pull ahead in many meets.
Lisa Willis
Freshman * 5-6 * Albuquerque, New Mexico
Throughout her freshman season, Willis competed in every meet on the bars, and nearly every meet on beam and floor. She received high scores and continued to improve throughout the season. Willis will be a leader in the years to come.
