March 7, 2008

Complete Results |  Photo Gallery 

LOGAN, Utah - Season bests on bars, beam and floor paved the way for a season-high team total for a 194.450-194.125 victory for Utah State gymnastics over San Jose State, Friday in a Western Athletic Conference dual at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

The win moves 42nd-ranked USU to 4-10 overall and 2-5 in WAC action while No. 35 SJSU now has an 11-3 overall and 4-2 WAC record, knocking the Spartans off their perch atop the conference rankings.

Friday was not only Utah State's first dual action since Feb. 4, but was also the Aggies' first dual win this season. It was also the first time that USU and SJSU had met this season and the first dual between the Aggies and Spartans since Feb. 26, 2001, which was also at Logan but won by SJSU, 193.957-193.750.

A 49.050 on floor in the final rotation sealed the win for the Aggies and was not only a season-high on floor, but the first 49.000 or higher in any event this season.

For the third meet in a row, USU posted a season-best as a team on bars, tallying a 48.750 Friday. The Aggies also tallied a season-high 48.125 on beam, having zero falls.

Sophomore Heather Heinrich registered a career-high in not just the all-around but floor as well with 39.000 and 9.850, respectively, in winning the all-around and tying for first on floor with freshman teammate Jasmine Minion, who tied her season-high with the 9.850. Heinrich also tallied a season-high and tied her career-high on bars with a 9.750, placing third. The 39.000 ranks Heinrich tied for eighth on the WAC top 10 list in the event.

Freshman Nicole Simoneau won the bars, posting a 9.850 and marking the seventh time this season that she was won the event, tying her season-high for the fourth time this season and logging a 9.800 or higher on bars for the ninth time in 10 meets.

All together, the Aggies set or tied 10 season-highs individually in addition to the four team scores.

USU captured top honors in three of the four events as well as the all-around. Minion also tied for first on vault with a 9.825, which matched San Jose State's Raylyn Cardeno. Freshman Jackie Dillon posted a season-high 9.775 in placing four while Heinrich tied for fifth with a 9.700, helping USU to a 48.525-48.525 tie with SJSU after the first rotation.

On bars, Heinrich tied for third with her season-high score, tying with freshman teammate Chelsea Marquardt, while junior teammate Nicki Felley was tied for fifth with a 9.725. Those results gave Utah State a slim 97.275-97.050 lead at the halfway point.

Moving to beam, which had been an Achilles' heel for the Aggies this season, Felley and Boone led with 9.600's before Heinrich closed out the rotation with a 9.700, placing fourth, just ahead of senior Megan Tschida's 9.625. USU ended with its season-best 48.125 on beam while SJSU tallied a 48.550 on floor to take a narrow 145.600-145.400 advantage heading into the final rotation.

After Dillon led off on floor with a 9.650, Boone tied her season-best with a 9.800 to place fourth, preceding Heinrich's career-best 9.850 then Minion's identical score. Felley followed with a 9.725 before Tschida rounded out action with a 9.825, good for third-place, to give the Aggies their 49.050 and clinch the victory after the Spartans posted a 48.525 on beam.

Utah State has little time to enjoy the win as the Aggies turn around and compete against Brigham Young on Monday, March 10 at 4 p.m. at Provo, Utah.

After a trip to Denton, Texas on Friday, March 14 for a quad meet hosted by Texas Woman's with Kentucky and Centenary, the Aggies return home on Friday, March 21 to host in-state foe Southern Utah at 6:30 p.m.

That is USU's final home meet of the season and will be "Senior Night" as the Aggies will honor their four seniors: Tschida, Katie Omann, Kelly Patterson and Ana Rickard-Whitfield.

Gymnastics tickets are available through the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, online at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on "tickets" in left column, or by calling 1-888-U-STATE-1 or (435) 797-0305.

San Jose State University at Utah State Gymnastics - Results
Friday, March 7, 2008
Logan, Utah - Dee Glen Smith Spectrum
Team Results: Utah State - 194.450; San Jose State - 194.125
Utah State (Vault - 48.525, Bars - 48.750, Beam - 48.125, Floor -
49.050)
San Jose State (Vault - 48.525, Bars - 48.525, Beam - 48.525, Floor -
48.550)
Individual Results:
Vault:  1. Jasmine Minion - USU, 9.825; 1. Raylyn Cardeno - SJSU,
9.825; 3. Shanice Howard - SJSU, 9.800; 4. Jackie Dillon - USU, 9.775;
5. Heather Heinrich - USU, 9.700; 5. Veronica Porte - SJSU, 9.700; 7.
Nicki Felley - USU, 9.650; 9. Katie Omann - USU, 9.575; 10.
Lyndsie Boone - USU, 9.550
Bars: 1. Nicole Simoneau - USU, 9.850; 2. Alise Blackwell - SJSU,
9.800; 3. Heather Heinrich - USU, 9.750; 3. Chelsea Marquardt - USU,
9.750; 5. Nicki Felley - USU, 9.725; 5. Veronica Porte - SJSU, 9.725;
7. Renae Moneymaker - SJSU, 9.700; 8.Lyndsie Boone - USU, 9.675; 12.
Katie Omann - USU, 9.575
Beam: 1. Leah Bigelow - SJSU, 9.850; 2. Michelle Minotti - SJSU,
9.825; 3. Veronica Porte - SJSU, 9.800; 4. Heather Heinrich - USU,
9.700; 5. Megan Tschida - USU, 9.625; 6. Nicki Felley - USU, 9.600; 6.
Lyndsie Boone - USU, 9.600; 6. Jasmine Minion - USU, 9.600; 9.
Katie Omann - USU, 9.550
Floor: 1. Heather Heinrich - USU, 9.850; 1. Jasmine Minion - USU,
9.850; 3. Megan Tschida - USU, 9.825; 4. Lyndsie Boone - USU, 9.800;
4. Shanice Howard - SJSU, 9.800; 6. Nicki Felley - USU, 9.725; 6.
Veronica Porte - SJSU, 9.725; 6. Emily Stebbins - SJSU, 9.725; 10.
Jackie Dillon - USU, 9.650
All-around: 1. Heather Heinrich - USU, 39.00; 2. Veronica Porte -
SJSU, 38.950; 3. Nicki Felley - USU, 38.700; 4. Lyndsie Boone - USU,
38.625