Final Results

DENVER, Colo. – No. 20 Utah State notched its third-best team score in school history and had season-best totals on two events and overall team score to place second with a 196.775 at the Denver tri meet on Sunday afternoon at Hamilton Gymnasium.
 
The 13th-ranked Pioneers (8-3) won the meet with a 197.650, while No. 15 Southern Utah (4-7, 3-6 Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference) placed third with a 195.125. The 196.775 turned in by Utah State is the third-best road score in school history.
 
For the second-consecutive meet, the Aggies (2-9, 2-7 MRGC) recorded a 49 or better on each event. Utah State opened with a 49.125 on floor and followed that up with a season-best 49.225 on vault, which is tied for third all-time in school history.
 
"It was a great day for the Aggies," said fourth-year Utah State head coach Amy Smith. "We had a few little hiccups here and there, but the team just kept battling through. Our vault warmup was a little wonky, so for them to flip the switch and deliver like that was so awesome to watch. I am proud of the team, and the coolest thing about today is we've got more. I feel like we are peaking at the right time, which is very exciting."
 
In the third rotation, USU notched a 49.025 on bars for the second-straight week. The Aggies closed the day with a season-high 49.400 on beam, which ranks third all-time in school history.
 
"It was great to get another conference rotation under our belt and end on beam the way that we did," Smith said. "It was a great cap to the day."
 
Utah State graduate Leighton Varnadore placed second in the all-around with a season-best 39.325. The native of Aiken, S.C., tied for fourth on vault (career-high-tying 9.875), tied for ninth on bars (career-high-tying 9.800), placed ninth on beam (season-high-tying 9.850) and placed 12th on floor (9.800).
 
"Today was so fun," Varnadore said. "We are finally showing the gymnastics that we are capable of. The most exciting part is what we showed today is still not our best and we still have so much room for improvement. With the MRGC Championships coming up in two weeks, we are more motivated than ever to get back in the gym and get to work."

Just like they will for the MRGC Championships on March 20, the Aggies started on floor with their 49.125. Senior Autumn DeHarde placed fourth on the event with a season-high 9.900, while sophomore Rebecca Wells tied for seventh with a 9.850.
 
In the second rotation, Wells and Varnadore each tied for fourth with matching 9.875s, while DeHarde and fellow senior Mikaela Meyer each had a 9.850 to tie for sixth. For Wells, the 9.875 proved to be a career high, while it matched a personal best for Varnadore.
 
On bars in the third rotation, freshman Brianna Brooks led the way for Utah State with a 9.825 to tie for seventh.
 
Utah State closed the meet on beam, where it recorded a 49 or better on the event for the seventh-consecutive meet to extend the school record. Wells had a career-best 9.900 to tie for fifth, while Brooks matched her career best of 9.875 to for seventh, along with senior Taylor Dittmar.
 
UP NEXT: Utah State wraps up its season-long four-meet road stretch when the Aggies travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, to take on No. 4 on Friday, March 12, at 2 p.m.
 
Fans can follow the Aggie gymnastics program at twitter.com/USUGymnastics, on Facebook at Utah State Gymnastics, and on Instagram at USUGymnastics. Fans can also follow the USU athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at UtahStateAthletics.
 
No. 20 Utah State at No. 13 Denver/No. 15 Southern Utah – Denver, Colo. – Hamilton Fieldhouse – March 7, 2021

Team Results: 1. Denver – 197.650 (Vault: 49.300, Bars: 49.625, Beam: 49.125, Floor: 49.600); 2. Utah State – 196.775 (Vault: 49.225, Bars: 49.025, Beam: 49.400, Floor: 49.125); 3. Southern Utah – 195.125 (Vault: 48.825, Bars: 48.950, Beam: 48.775, Floor: 48.575).
 
Vault: 1. Lynnzee Brown – DU, 9.950; T2. Jessica Hutchinson – DU, 9.900; T2. Rylie Mundell – DU, 9.900; T4. Rebecca Wells – USU, 9.875; T4. Leighton Varnadore – USU, 9.875; T6. Autumn DeHarde – USU, 9.850; T6. Mikaela Meyer – USU, 9.850; T10. Logan Varnadore – USU, 9.775; T17. Brianna Brooks – USU, 9.675.
 
Bars: 1. Lynnzee Brown – DU, 9.975; 2. Emily Glynn – DU, 9.950; 3. Abbie Thompson – DU, 9.925; T7. Brianna Brooks – USU, 9.825; T9. Leighton Varnadore – USU, 9.800; T9. Jessica Gutierrez – USU, 9.800; T9. Grace Rojas – USU, 9.800; T9. Maia Fishwick – USU, 9.800; 16. Eve Jackson – USU, 9.450.
 
Beam: 1. Rylie Mundell – DU, 9.975; 2. Alexis Vasquez – DU, 9.950; T3. Lynnzee Brown – DU, 9.925; T3. Alexandria Ruiz – DU, 9.925; T5. Rebecca Wells – USU, 9.900; T5. Autumn DeHarde – USU, 9.900; T7. Brianna Brooks – USU, 9.875; T7. Taylor Dittmar – USU, 9.875; 12. Carley Bayles – USU, 9.775.
 
Floor: 1. Lynnzee Brown – DU, 9.975; 2. Jessica Hutchinson – DU, 9.950; 3. Emily Glynn – DU, 9.925; 4. Autumn DeHarde – USU, 9.900; T7. Rebecca Wells – USU, 9.850; T10. Ariel Toomey – USU, 9.825; 12. Leighton Varnadore – USU, 9.800; 13. Eve Jackson – USU, 9.750; 16. Jessica Gutierrez – USU, 9.650.
 
All-Around: 1. Lynnzee Brown – DU, 39.825; 2. Leighton Varnadore – USU, 39.325l; 3. Alexandria Ruiz – DU, 38.725. 
 
-USU-