March 21, 2008

Complete Results |  Photo Gallery 

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State's Senior Night was spoiled by visiting Southern Utah Friday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, as the Thunderbirds topped the Aggies, 195.075-193.150, in a Western Athletic Conference gymnastics dual meet.

Friday was the regular-season finale for both teams and the final tune-up for next Saturday's WAC Championships at Boise, Idaho.

USU, currently ranked No. 41, ends regular-season action with a 5-14 overall and 2-6 WAC ledger, while 28th-ranked SUU improves to 10-5-1 overall and 6-2 in conference competition.

The T-Birds also sweep the season series with the Aggies, topping them in all three meetings, in each team's home arena and one neutral site. USU still holds a 36-22 all-time record against SUU and 21-5 at Logan.

Utah State's four seniors, Katie Omann, Kelly Patterson, Megan Tschida and Ana Rickard-Whitfield, were honored in a post-meet ceremony after competing at home for the final time in their Aggie careers. Omann was named the Most Outstanding Performer of the meet.

In the final performance on her home floor, Tshida tallied a season-best 9.900 in winning the event. That is the fourth-highest score in school history, and is tied for Tschida's second-best posting of her career, behind her 9.950 in her freshman season of 2005 and matching a 9.900 last year, also at home against Southern Utah. Tschida's 9.900 is the second-highest score in the WAC this season, as Tschida joins five other gymnasts in the conference and is USU's second 9.900 on floor in as many weeks after freshman Jasmine Minion's 9.900 last Friday at Texas Woman's.

USU's freshmen also posted some big scores on the night, as Nicole Simoneau won the bars with a career-best 9.900. Simoneau's 9.900 ties the fourth-highest score in USU history on the apparatus and she is the 11th Aggie gymnast to tally a 9.900 on bars. Friday also marked the eighth time this season that Simoneau has won or shared the win in the event. Simoneau's 9.900 ranks her tied for second among the top scores in the WAC this season.

Classmate Minion logged a 9.875 on floor, her sixth-straight outing of 9.800 or higher in the event. Minion finished second on floor behind Tschida.

Sophomore Heather Heinrich and Minion tied for first on vault along with SUU's Elise Wheeler, as each gymnast posted a 9.800.

Wheeler went on to win the all-around with a 39.250, while teammate Jenna Vogt was second with a 38.575. USU junior Nicki Felley finished third with a 38.350, followed by SUU's Kellie Dangerfield at fourth with a 38.200 and Heinrich in fifth at 36.900.

The Aggies opened on vault, as Heinrich and Minion helped pave the way for a 48.575 while the T-Birds posted a 49.025 on bars to take slim lead after the first rotation.

USU and SUU switched events, as freshman Chelsea Marquardt tallied a 9.800 to tie her season-best and was followed in the order by Simoneau's event-winning score, giving the Aggies a 48.225 while the T-Birds notched a 48.475 on vault. That built a 97.500-96.800 advantage for SUU at the halfway mark of the meet.

In the third rotation, USU was on beam, where the Aggies struggled a bit, scoring a 47.725, their lowest score of the night, falling further behind as a 49.075 score by SUU opened a 146.575-144.525 lead heading to the final event.

Tschida's 9.900 wrapped up the official competitors before Rickard-Whitfield and Omann performed as exhibitioner in their final home meet. Rickard-Whitfield recorded a 9.675 while Omann logged a 9.450.

Utah State ended with a 48.625 to finish with its 193.150 while Southern Utah notched a 48.500 on beam to tally a 195.075, the second-highest score this season for the T-Birds.

The Aggies' 193.150 is their fourth-best score this season, all done in the last four meets, peaking prior to the conference championships.

The WAC Championship meet is Saturday, March 29, at Taco Bell Arena at Boise, Idaho, hosted by Boise State.

Fans can follow the WAC Championships through live video internet streaming through WAC.tv.

Southern Utah University at Utah State Gymnastics Results
Friday, Mar. 21, 2008
Logan, Utah - Dee Glen Smith Spectrum
Team Results:  Southern Utah University - 195.075; Utah State University - 193.150
Event Results:
Southern Utah (Vault: 48.475; Bars: 49.025; Beam: 48.500; Floor: 49.075)
Utah State (Vault: 48.575; Bars: 48.225; Beam: 47.725; Floor: 48.625)
Individual Results:
Vault: 1. Heather Heinrich - USU, 9.800; 1. Jasmine Minion - USU,
9.800; 1. Elise Wheeler - SUU, 9.800; 4. Shannon Coughlin - SUU,
9.775; 5. Jackie Dillon - USU, 9.750; 6. Melissa Johnson - SUU, 9.675;
7. Nicki Felley - USU, 9.625; 9. Lyndsie Boone - USU, 9.600;
9. Katie Omann - USU, 9.600
Bars:  1. Nicole Simoneau - USU, 9.900; 2. Jenna Vogt - SUU, 9.875; 2.
Elise Wheeler - SUU, 9.875; 4. Chelsea Marquardt - USU, 9.800; 5.
Nicki Felley - USU, 9.775; 5. Kellie Dangerfield - SUU, 9.775; 9.
Katie Omann - USU, 9.725; 11. Megan Tschida - USU, 9.025; 12.
Heather Heinrich - USU, 8.200
Beam: 1. Katie Hicks - SUU, 9.850; 1. Ari Lamb - SUU, 9.850; 3.
Shannon Coughlin - SUU, 9.825; 4. Megan Tschida - USU, 9.775; 6.
Katie Omann - USU, 9.625; 7. Lyndsie Boone - USU, 9.600; 8.
Jasmine Minion - USU, 9.475; 9. Heather Heinrich - USU, 9.250;
11. Nicki Felley - USU, 9.150
Floor: 1. Megan Tschida - USU, 9.900; 2. Jasmine Minion - USU, 9.875;
3. Jenna Vogt - SUU, 9.850; 3. Elise Wheeler - SUU, 9.850; 5. Shannon
Coughlin - SUU, 9.825; 6. Nicki Felley - USU, 9.800; 9.
Heather Heinrich - USU, 9.650; 10. Lyndsie Boone - USU, 9.400; 12.
Jackie Dillon - USU, 9.050
All-around: 1. Elise Wheeler - SUU, 39.250; 2. Jenna Vogt - SUU,
38.575; 3. Nicki Felley - USU, 38.350; 4. Kellie Dangerfield - SUU,
38.200; 5. Heather Heinrich - USU, 36.900