Feb. 27, 2001

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THIS WEEK -- USU travels to Los Angeles, Calif. to take on defending national champions (#1) UCLA, (#15) Cal-Berkeley, and UC Santa Barbara Sun., Mar. 4. The meet will begin at 2 p.m. in the Pauley Pavillion.

SCOUTING UCLA -- UCLA, currently ranked number one in the nation, is 12-1 on the season and most recently scored a nation-high 198.250 in its win over (#13) Oregon State Feb. 16. The Bruins have an RQS of 197.120 and are averaging a 197.006 team score this year. UCLA is also ranked in the top-5 in the nation on every event owning the top spot on the bars and floor exercise, while ranking second on the vault, and fourth on the beam. The Bruins hold a 7-3 all-time advantage over the Aggies.

SCOUTING CALIFORNIA -- 15th-ranked California is 10-8 on the year and coming off an easy 195.575-190.800 victory over UC Davis Feb. 25. The Golden Bears turned in a season-high 196.075 Feb. 18 in a loss to (#5) Stanford and are averaging a 194.372 team score this season. The Aggies competed against California Jan. 21 and fell to the Golden Bears 195.175-194.450. USU holds a slim 4-3 all-time advantage over California.

SCOUTING UC SANTA BARBARA -- Big West competitor UC Santa Barbara posted a season-high 189.500 in its loss to Boise State Feb. 17, and most recently scored a 185.075 in a loss to Arizona State Feb. 23. Utah State holds a perfect 12-0 record against UCSB. The two teams last meet at the 2000 Big West Championships where the Aggies outscored the Gauchos 194.250-191.550.

WHAT'S NEXT -- Utah State hosts in-state rival Brigham Young in its final home meet of the season Fri., Feb. 9. The meet will begin at 7 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

UTAH STATE'S RAY CORN -- Utah State's Ray Corn (Northern Colorado '71) is in his 24th year as head coach of the Aggies. He is the only gymnastics coach in USU history. Corn has led his teams to a 331-193-2 regular-season meet record and has now led them to post-season competition in 22 of his 23 seasons, including 15 straight trips to the NCAA Midwest Regionals. Five times Aggie squads have competed at the national championships. Corn was named NCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 1991 and has been honored as High Country Athletic Conference Coach of the Year three times and Big West Conference Coach of the Year in 1994, 1996 and 1998. Corn's overall record, including post-season play, currently stands at 384-331-2.

A LOOK BACK AT THE SAN JOSE STATE MEET -- After leading by .600 after two rotations the Utah State gymnastics team had to count falls on both the beam and floor exercise and fell to San Jose State 193.975-193.750. The Aggies got off to a solid start in the first two rotations recording a 48.675 on the vault and a 48.825 on the bars. Senior Megan Woolstenhulme led the Aggies on vault scoring a meet-high 9.775 and junior Jessenia Abrego placed second on the event with a 9.750 mark. Competing on the bars for just the second time this season Abrego was the top Aggie finisher recording a 9.850 to place second overall. Freshman Brittnee Penman finished in third with her 9.825 score. The beam once again proved to be a thorn in USU's side as three Utah State gymnasts fell from the apparatus forcing the Aggies to count two falls and post just a 48.000. Highlights from the event included sophomore Tina Ellis' meet-winning 9.875 routine and junior Kirra Seeley's 9.725. In the final rotation USU had a chance to pull out a victory but once again had to count a fall towards the team score and the Aggies saw their lead disappear as they posted a 48.250 on the floor exercise. Senior Kristin O'Dell anchored the floor team with her 9.850 score while Abrego posted an impressive 9.825 mark.

A LOOK AT THE AGGIES-

Jessenia Abrego - Junior from Las Vegas, Nev. ... a three-event competitor for the Aggies (vault, bars, floor)... owns a team-high 9.750 vaulting average and ranks second on the team with a 9.750 season bar average... tied for first on the floor exercise with a season-high 9.875 against Missouri (2/17)... scored a season-high 9.800 on the vault at Utah (2/6)... has recorded a 9.775 on the vault four times this year... has career-highs of 9.825 on the vault, 9.900 on the bars, and 9.900 on the floor.

Kristen Bloom -- Sophomore from Ossining, N.Y. ... has competed on just the beam and floor this season posting high scores of 9.875 on beam and 9.725 on floor at Cal-Berkeley (1/21)... her 9.875 on beam at Cal-Berkeley was a new career-high... ranks third on the team in beam season-average (9.617)... owns other career-highs of 9.700 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.925 on floor, and 39.175 in the all-around.

Chere DuPaix - Freshman from Salt Lake City, Utah... has not done gymnastics for over two years but is slowly improving and should be a factor in the bar lineup by the end of the season.

Tina Ellis -- Sophomore from Kearns, Utah... has competed in the all-around in every meet for Utah State this year... has won five individual event titles (3 beam, 2 bars) and two all-around titles this season...most recently won the beam competition against San Jose State (2/26)... notched a career-high 39.225 to win the all-around against Boise State (1/26)... also won the beam (9.850) and bar (9.925) competitions against Boise State... her 9.925 on the bars was a new career-high and tied the fourth best bar score in school history... set a new career-high on the beam (9.925) at Cal-Berkeley (1/21)... her 9.925 on beam at Cal-Berkeley won the event in the quad-meet... owns a team-high 9.744 season-average on the beam.

Kristen Fargo -- Sophomore from Manassas, Va. ... has competed on the vault and beam for USU this season... scored a season-high 9.725 on the vault against San Jose State (2/26)... posted a season-high 9.525 on the beam at Boise State (1/15) ... has season-averages of 9.665 on the vault and 9.265 on the beam.

Stephanie Gordon (Huff) -- Junior from Spanish Fork, Utah... since not competing in the first three meets of the season because of an ankle injury Huff has returned as one of Aggies most solid floor workers... scored a season-high 9.825 on the floor at Denver (2/10)... owns USU's second-best floor season average (9.700)... has career-highs of 9.800 on vault, 9.425 on beam, and 9.850 on floor.

Mika Houston - Freshman from Las Vegas, Nev. ... has competed on every event for Utah State this season but has only seen all-around action twice... most recently competed in the all-around against San Jose State (2/26) and earned a third place finish posting a season-high 38.550 score... also placed third on the beam recording a season-high 9.850 against SJSU... a solid bar worker Houston has not scored below a 9.725 on the bars in the last six meets... won the first bar competition of her career with a 9.850 mark against Missouri (2/17)... has recorded a 9.700 three times on the vault this year, most recently against San Jose State (2/26).

Amanda Jenkins -- Senior from Plain City, Utah... is competing for USU for the first time in her career as a bars specialist... the Aggies most consistent bar worker Jenkins owns a team-best 9.756 season bar average... has notched a career-high 9.850 on the bars twice this season... has not scored below a 9.600 on the bars in 2001.

Nicole Kilpatrick -- Sophomore from Ringwood, N.J. ... an all-arounder for Utah State Kilpatrick recorded a career-best 39.225 at Denver (2/10) to take second in the meet... also recorded career-highs on the bars (9.800) and beam (9.900) at DU... her 9.900 on the beam won the event and ranks as the sixth best beam score in school history... won the all-around (39.125) and tied for first place on both the beam (9.775) and floor (9.875) against Missouri (2/17)... recorded a career-high 9.850 on the vault against SUU (2/2) to win the event... her 9.850 on the vault is USU's top vault score this season.

Kyla Mattioli - Freshman from Hampton, N.J. ... has seen action on the vault and floor for the Aggies in 2001... has posted a personal-best 9.775 on the vault twice this season... scored a season-high 9.625 on the floor against BSU (1/26)... averaging a 9.505 on vault and a 9.308 on floor this season.

Kira Nulph - Freshman from American Falls, Idaho... competes solely on the balance beam for the Aggies... owns a 9.596 season average on the beam... set a new career-high on the beam at Denver (2/11) notching a 9.875... turned in an impressive event-winning 9.850 on the beam against Southern Utah to earn the Coca-Cola Gymnast of the Meet award (2/2).

Kristin O'Dell -- Senior co-captain from Middleton, Wis. ... competes only on the floor for USU and currently owns a team-best 9.772 season floor average... notched a career-high 9.875 on the floor against Missouri (2/17) to tie for first place on the event with two other Aggie gymnasts... has notched a 9.800 on the floor three times this season... has not scored below a 9.725 in seven of the Aggies eight meets this year.

Brittnee Penman - Freshman from Murray, Utah... an all-arounder who has seen action only on the bars this season... recorded a season-best 9.900 on the bars to earn a second-place finish against BSU (1/26)...won the first bar competition of her career against Southern Utah scoring a 9.825 (2/2)... averaging a 9.572 on the bars for the season.

Allison Rosenthal -- Sophomore from Scottsdale, Ariz. ... one of USU's most consistent floor workers Rosenthal has not scored below a 9.625 on the floor in the last six meets... posted a career-best 9.850 on the floor at Denver (2/10)... recorded a 9.825 on the floor against Southern Utah (2/2) to win the event... owns a 9.575 season average on the floor exercise.

Kimberly Scharman -- Junior from Salt Lake City, Utah... has see action on the beam for Utah State recording a career-high 9.700 twice this year... averaging a 9.221 on the beam this season... competed on the bars in exhibition against San Jose State and scored a 9.600.

Kirra Seeley (Degener) -- Junior co-captain from Kaysville, Utah... sat out the first seven meets of the season recovering from surgery to repair a ttorn ligament in her right thumb... made her season debut on the balance beam against San Jose State and posted a 9.725 mark.

Kelcy Wathen -- Sophomore from Salt Lake City, Utah... has been a bar specialist for the Aggies this season... tied her career-high on the bars at Utah (2/6) turning in a team-high 9.800 score... has also recorded a 9.775 on the bars three times this year... averaging a 9.525 on the bars this season.

Megan Woolstenhulme -- Senior co-captain from Pleasant View, Utah... competes on the vault and beam for Utah State... has the second best season vault average on the team (9.722)... has been a top-3 finisher on the vault in four meets for USU, including taking top honors at California (2/21), and against Missouri (2/17) and San Jose State (2/26)... has scored a season-high 9.825 on vault twice this season, most recently at Denver (2/11)... set a new career-high on the balance beam at Utah (2/6) scoring a team-high 9.800... is averaging a 9.500 on the beam this season.