March 24, 2012

Complete Results | Video Highlights & Interviews

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State gymnastics notched its second-best score of the season with a 194.775 on the way to a fifth-place finish at the Western Athletic Conference Gymnastics Championships Saturday at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

WAC newcomer Denver won the team title with a 196.350, while Sacramento State was second with a 195.675. Southern Utah was third with a 195.025, while San Jose State was fourth with a 194.800 and USU was fifth. The Aggies' fifth-place finish matches last year's finish, while the 194.775 score was their second-best WAC Championships score behind a 195.175 in 2007 at Cedar City, Utah, hosted by Southern Utah, site of next year's WAC Championships.

SJSU's Thomasina Wallace was named the WAC Gymnast of the Year, as well as the all-around champion with a 39.400. Sacramento State's Kim Hughes was tabbed the WAC Coach of the Year in a vote by his peers and Kalliah McCartney of Sacramento State was named the Freshman of the Year.

Denver's Moriah Martin and Melodie Pulgarin Linero shared the vault title with 9.900's each, while Southern Utah's Alyssa Click nabbed the bars crown with 9.925. Kailey Hansen of Sacramento State collected the beam victory with a 9.925 and the floor title with a 9.900.

Freshman Sarah Landes earned a pair of all-WAC honors, collecting first-team honors by tying for second on floor with a season-best 9.875, the highest score on floor for the Aggies this season. Landes also earned second-team all-conference accolades in the all-around, finishing sixth with a 39.125. Senior Rebecca Holliday earned second-team all-WAC honors by placing fourth on beam with a career-best 9.875. It was her third all-WAC honor of her career and the 9.875 ties the fourth-best in school history, becoming the 25th Aggie gymnast with a 9.875 or higher.

Freshman Kaitlyn Betts tied for fifth on vault to earn second-team all-league honors with a 9.825 and fellow freshman Christina Nye nabbed a tie for sixth on floor with a career-high 9.850 for second-team all-conference accolades.

The Aggies' five all-WAC awards ties 2008 for the most in USU's seven years in the conference.

USU started on bars, with Landes opening with a 9.775. Holliday followed with a 9.750, and junior Amelia Montoya was next with a 9.725. Sophomore Paige Jones followed with a 9.800, then Betts scored a 9.775 and Nye closed things out with a 9.625, giving USU a 48.825.

The Aggies moved to beam next, with freshman Ashley Follett scoring a 9.625, followed by Landes with a 9.725 and Jones posted a 9.475. Senior Haley Hogan nabbed a 9.650, while redshirt-freshman Samantha Wagner notched a 9.725. Holliday ended the rotation with her career-high and tied the team high of the season with a 9.875 that gave the Aggies their second-best beam total of the season with a 48.600.

On floor for the third rotation, Follett registered a career-high 9.700, then Holliday followed with a 9.750, and Montoya recorded a 9.800. Jones then notched a 9.825, Landes scoring a career-high 9.875 and Nye ending with a career-high 9.850, for USU's season-best 49.100 on floor.

For the fourth rotation, the Aggies were on vault, and Holliday started with a 9.525, followed by Landes with a 9.750. Betts scored a 9.825 with Jones getting a 9.550. Rounding out the vault scores were Montoya with a 8.300 and freshman Breyanna Aufiero with a 9.600.

USU had a bye for the fifth rotation, while everyone else finished.

The Aggies now await the announcement for the NCAA Regional Championships field to find out if they will be sending any individuals to the North Central Regional Championships in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 7.

Fans can follow the Aggie gymnastics program at twitter.com/USUGymnastics or on Facebook at Utah State Gymnastics. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.

2012 WAC Gymnastics ChampionshipMarch 24, 2012
Team Results1. Denver - 196.3502. Sacramento State - 195.6753. Southern Utah - 195.0254. San Jose State - 194.8005. Utah State - 194.775
All-Around1. Thomasina Wallace, San Jose State - 39.4002. Moriah Martin, Denver - 39.3753. Kalliah McCartney, Sacramento State - 39.3503. Melodie Pulgarin Linero, Denver - 39.3505. Ellese Sakai-Hart, Denver - 39.2256. Sarah Landes, Utah State - 39.125
Vault1. Moriah Martin, Denver - 9.9001. Melodie Pulgarin Linero, Denver - 9.9003. Kalliah McCartney, Sacramento State - 9.8753. Ellese Sakai-Hart, Denver - 9.8755. Kaitlyn Betts, Utah State - 9.8255. Nicole Meiller, Sacramento State - 9.8255. Thomasina Wallace, San Jose State - 9.8255. Simona Castro, Denver - 9.825
Bars1. Alyssa Click, Southern Utah - 9.9252. Thomasina Wallace, San Jose State - 9.9002. Louise Mercer, Denver - 9.9004. Nicole Meiller, Sacramento State - 9.8754. Simona Castro, Denver - 9.8754. Moriah Martin, Denver - 9.875
Beam1. Kailey Hansen, Sacramento State - 9.9252. Alyssa Click, Southern Utah - 9.9002. Kalliah McCartney, Sacramento State - 9.9004. Rebecca Holliday, Utah State - 9.8755. Brooke Cersosimo, Southern Utah - 9.8505. Cayla Beutler, Southern Utah - 9.850
Floor Exercise1. Kailey Hansen, Sacramento State - 9.9002. Sarah Landes, Utah State - 9.8752. Louise Mercer, Denver - 9.8752. Katie Vallueau, San Jose State - 9.8752. Thomasina Wallace, San Jose State - 9.8752. Louise Mercer, Denver - 9.8756. Christina Nye, Utah State - 9.8506. Moriah Martin, Denver - 9.8506. Melodie Pulgarin Linero, Denver - 9.850
Gymnast of the Year: Thomasina Wallace, San Jose StateFreshman of the Year: Kalliah McCartney, Sacramento StateCoach of the Year:  Kim Hughes, Sacramento State