March 10, 2004
LOGAN, Utah - UTAH STATE GYMNASTICS RELEASE
#15 BRIGHAM YOUNG FRIDAY, MARCH 12 7 P.M.
#20 DENVER MONDAY, MARCH 15 7 P.M.
2004 USU GYMNASTICS SCHEDULE OVERALL RECORD: 8-8 HOME: 3-2; AWAY: 2-3; NEUTRAL: 3-3
Date OPPONENT USU OPP Jan 17 at RM Open 192.800 San Jose State 193.875 Air Force 191.650 Texas Women's 191.325 Wis. -Eau Claire 185.525 Jan 23 at California 194.150 195.950 Arizona State 194.250 San Jose State 193.875 Jan 30 at Boise State 194.100 195.700 Feb 6 SO. UTAH 196.000 195.700 Feb 13 at BYU 195.250 196.425 Feb 16 at So. Utah 196.000 195.250 Feb 20 BOISE STATE 195.350 194.050 MISSOURI 196.350 Feb 27 at Utah 195.450 198.050 Mar 6 CALIFORNIA 195.350 195.825 Mar 8 CS FULLERTON 195.925 195.700 Mar 12 BRIGHAM YOUNG 7 p.m. Mar 15 DENVER 7 p.m. Mar 20 WGC Championships at Boise, Idaho
TENTATIVE STARTING LINEUP VS.#15 BRIGHAM YOUNG/DENVER
VAULT CAREER HIGH SCOREJessica Rands Kettle 9.825Alex Martin 9.725Katie Rutherford 9.725Rachael Mandy 9.825Rachel Ropelato 9.900Gretchen Goerlitz 9.900
BARSGretchen Goerlitz 9.775Stacy Stewart 9.800Ashley Barr 9.875Rachel Ropelato 9.900Rachael Mandy 9.700Alex Martin 9.925
BEAMAshley Barr 9.800Rachael Mandy 9.125Stacy Stewart 9.900Alex Martin 9.875Gretchen Goerlitz 9.825Liesel Kohler 9.900
FLOORStacy Stewart 9.825Rachel Ropelato 9.875Alex Martin 9.900Ashley Barr 9.925Liesel Kohler 9.950Gretchen Goerlitz 9.950
THIS WEEKEND - Utah State gymnastics hosts #15 Brigham Young on Friday, March 12, before closing out its regular season against #20 Denver on Monday, March 15. Both meets are in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and begin at 7 p.m.
LAST WEEKEND - USU scored 195.350 against California, but it wasn't enough as the Golden Bears scored a 195.825 last Saturday. The Aggies recorded their second-best floor performance of the season and third-best all-time with a 49.400... Sophomore Liesel Kohler matched her career-best and USU's second-best all-time floor score with a 9.950... On Monday, the Aggies defeated Cal State Fullerton by a score of 195.925 to 195.700. Gretchen Goerlitz's 9.950 on the floor gave USU the edge as it trailed by .025 going into her routine.
LOOKING AT BRIGHAM YOUNG- The Cougars and Aggies are familiar foes as they competed a few weeks ago in Provo. BYU defeated USU by a score of 196.425 to 195.250. Last weekend, BYU scored a 197.150 in a second place finish to Oregon State (197.675) at the Salbageon Suites Invitational in Corvallis, Ore. Senior Kari Lords leads the way for BYU on the vault as she ranks sixth in the country. The Cougars are coached by Brad Cattermole.
LOOKING AT DENVER- The Pioneers defeated Air Force last Saturday by a score of 196.300 to 192.450 as they won all events and had gymnasts finish in the top three in every event. Emily Bankhead is ranked ninth in the country on the vault with a 9.915 RQS, and she ranks #11 on the floor with a 9.930. Denver is coached by Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart. The Aggies lead the series against Denver 19-14.
HOW USU RANKS - The Aggies dropped another two spots in the rankings to find themselves at #31 this week. They held on to their number seven spot in the North Central Region, mere hundredths of a point behind Minnesota for the final qualifying spot to advance to regionals. USU continues to be the number one team in the Western Gymnastics Conference. Liesel Kohler currently leads the conference on the floor and is #16 in the region. She also checks in at #12 the region on the beam. Alex Martin leads the conference on the bars and ranks #14 in the region. Martin also ranks #14 in the all-around and #17 on the bars in the region. 2004 TEAM CAPTAINS - Juniors Rachel Ropelato and Katie Rutherford serve as captains for the 2004 squad. Rutherford was also a captain last year.
A TEAM WITH NO SENIORS - This year's roster is void of any seniors. USU will rely on three juniors, six sophomores, and four freshmen to carry them this season.
FRESHMEN SHINING THIS SEASON - Alex Martin won the all-around and the bars competitions against Southern Utah (2/6) and also won the all-round at BYU (2/13)... Her 9.925 on the bars against Southern Utah is the fifth best all-time... Martin finished tied for first on the bars at California (1/30). Classmate Gretchen Goerlitz scored a 9.950 on the floor to give the Aggies an edge over Cal State Fullerton (3/8)... Stacy Stewart set a personal-best (9.850) on bars at Southern Utah (2/13) and set a personal-best on the beam against Fullerton with a 9.900.
A LITTLE BANGED UP - USU is without four gymnasts due to injuries including top-returnees from 2004, Meagan Nelson and Jessica Parenti. Nelson was an all-Western Gymnastics Conference team member in 2003, while Parenti was a second team honoree. Both finished 2003 ranked in the top 50. The Aggies are also without Courtney Arno due to injuries. Katie Rutherford has missed the past two meets due to an ankle. Her return for this weekend is questionable.
HEAD COACH RAY CORN - Utah State's Ray Corn (Northern Colorado '71) is in his 27th year as the Aggies' head coach. Corn's teams own a 350-221-2 regular-season meet record and have participated in postseason competition in 24 of his 26 seasons. Aggie squads have competed at national championship meets five times. Corn was named NCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 1991, was honored as High Country Athletic Conference Coach of the Year three times and selected Big West Conference Coach of the Year in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2001. Corn's overall record, including postseason action, currently stands at 416-368-2.
A LOOK AT THE 2004 AGGIES - COURTNEY ARNO- Will not compete this season due to injury... A freshman from Coppell. Texas... Was a Level 10 gymnast at the Colony Gymnastics Academy... Was state bar champion in 1997... Won the state championship on the beam and floor in 1998.
Ashley Barr - Tied career-high 9.800 on beam at Utah (2/27)... Recorded a career-best on floor for the second time this season a 9.925 against Missouri and Boise State (2/20)... Tied career-high (9.875) on bars as well which gave her a third-place finish... Her 9.900 on the floor was good for a second place finish against Southern Utah (2/6)... Received academic All-America and academic all-Western Gymnastics Conference honors in 2003.
Gretchen Goerlitz - Her career-best 9.950 on the floor gave USU an edge over Fullerton last Monday... The score matches the second-best floor performance in USU history... Set personal best on vault (9.900) against California last Saturday... Recorded her best all-around performance at Southern Utah (2/16) with a 39.250... Won the vault event (1/17) at the Rocky Mountain Open with a score of 9.775.
JESSICA (RANDS) KETTLE - Recorded a 9.650 on the vault at BYU (2/13)... Scored a 9.675 on the vault at Utah... Recorded a career high 9.825 on the vault as a freshman against Boise State... Is one of nine returning letterwinners to the 2003 squad. Liesel Kohler - Recorded a personal-best and second-best all-time USU floor performance with a 9.950 against California (3/8) and Missouri/Boise State (2/20) while winning the event... Was named Coca-Cola Gymnast of the Meet for both meets... Was named USU Athlete of the Week for the week of March 8-14... Recorded personal-best 9.900 on the beam and a 9.925 on the floor, while winning both events against Southern Utah (2/6)... 2003 floor average of 9.839 is a USU record.
Rachael Mandy - Will compete on bars for the fourth time this season and on beam for only the second time... Matched a career-best 9.825 which was good for a second-place finish... Her 9.800 at California led all USU gymnasts on the vault... Sophomore from Fargo, N.D... Tore her ACL in practice prior in December, and redshirted last season.
ALEX MARTIN - Tied career-best floor performance (9.900) against Missouri/Boise State (2/20) while placing fourth on floor and second in the all-around... Won the all-around for the second time this season at BYU (2/13)... Named USU Athlete of the Week and Western Gymnastics Conference Gymnast of the Week for the week of Feb. 9-13... Had career meet against Southern Utah (2/6) by setting a career-best in every event except the vault including a 9.925 on the bars, a 9.900 on the floor, a 9.850 on the beam , and a 39.350 in the all-around... Her 9.925 on the bars against Southern Utah is the fifth best all-time USU bars score... Won the bars and the all-around competitions... Tied for first on the bars (9.900) at California (1/23).
Meagan Nelson - Will not participate this season due to an injury... Received first team all-around all-Western gymnastics conference honors in 2003... Received academic All-American honors.
Jessica Parenti - Will not participate this season due to injury...Was named to the all-Western Gymnastics Conference second team in bars, beam, and all-around in 2003... Earned Academic All-Western Gymnastics Conference.
Rachel Ropelato - Tied career-best floor score (9.875) against Missouri/Boise State (2/20)... Recorded a second-place finish on the vault with a 9.800 against Southern Utah (2/6)... Finished second in the all-around competition with a score of 38.325 at Boise State (1/30)... One of the captains for the 2004 squad... Second team all-Western Gymnastics Conference on the vault in 2003.
Stacy Stewart - Recorded career-best beam performance agains Fullerton with a 9.900 on Monday... Career-best floor performance of 9.825 came against California (3/6)... Is a freshman from Hyrum, Utah.
Katie Rutherford - Will not compete tonight due to an ankle sprain... It is still unknown when she will return... Career-best vault (9.725) against Missouri/Boise State (2/20)... Finished third on the bars with a 9.875 at BYU (2/13)... Co-captain with Rachel Ropelato... Was named to the 2002 all-Western Gymnastics Conference first team on the vault... One of nine letterwinners returning... Second consecutive year to be named co-captain.
Ashley Young - Set career highs on vault (9.650), beam (9.825), and floor (9.700) against Boise State in 2003.
2004 Top Individual Scorers
VAULT1. Gretchen Goerlitz 9.900 (3/8)2. Gretchen Goerlitz 9.850 (2/27) Rachel Ropelato 9.850 (2/16)
BARS1. Alex Martin 9.925 (2/6)2. Alex Martin 9.900 (3/8) Alex Martin 9.900 (1/23)
BEAM1. Stacy Stewart 9.900 (3/8) Liesel Kohler 9.900 (2/6)3. Alex Martin 9.875 (2/13)
FLOOR1. Liesel Kohler 9.950 (3/6) Liesel Kohler 9.950 (2/20) Gretchen Goerlitz 9.950 (3/8)
ALL-AROUND1. Alex Martin 39.350 (2/6)2. Alex Martin 39.325 (3/8)3. Gretchen Goerlitz 39.250 (2/16)
2004 Top Team ScoresTOTAL1. SOUTHERN UTAH 196.000 (2/6)2. at Southern Utah 196.000 (2/16)3. CS FULLERTON 195.925 (3/8)
VAULT1. CS FULLERTON 48.925 (3/8)2. at Brigham Young 48.800 (2/13)3. at Southern Utah 48.775 (2/6) MISSOURI/BOISE ST. 48.775 (2/20)
BARS1. at Southern Utah 49.225 (2/16)2. at Brigham Young 49.025 (2/13)3. at California 49.050 (1/23)
BEAM1. at Utah 49.150 (2/27)2. at Southerm Utah 49.125 (2/16)3. SOUTHERN UTAH 49.100 (2/6)
FLOOR1. MISSOURI/BOISE ST. 49.475 (2/20)2. CALIFORNIA 49.400 (3/6)3. SOUTHERN UTAH 49.375 (2/6)
