UTAH STATE OPENS TWO-MEET HOMESTAND FRIDAY AGAINST BOISE STATE 
Utah State (1-5, 1-4 Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference) will be at home for its next two meets beginning on Friday, Feb. 10, when the Aggies take on Boise State (1-5, 1-2 MRGC) at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The dual meet featuing the Aggies and Broncos is slated to begin at 7 p.m.

FOLLOW ALONG 
Friday's dual meet will be streamed online at utahstateaggies.com/watch and live scoring will be available online at utahstateaggies.com. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State gymnastics social media outlets for meet updates.

SCOUTING BOISE STATE 
Boise State rallied for a 196.325-195.675 victory over Utah State last weekend as it raised its season-best score for the fourth time in as many meets. Trailing 147.325-147.075 heading into the final rotation, the Broncos tallied their highest score of the season on floor with 49.250 to clinch their first victory of 2023.

Emily Lopez leads the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference and ranks 36th in the nation on vault with an average of 9.869 on the apparatus. She is also tied for third in the MRGC, along with teammates Adriana Popp and Emma Loyim, and tied for 40th in the NCAA on beam with an average of 9.869. Courtney Blackson and Lopez rank first and second, respectively, in the conference on bars with averages of 9.919 and 9.912.

A native of Milwaukie, Oregon, head coach Tina Bird came to Boise State in 1985 as a freshman on the gymnastics team under former head coach Jackie Carringer. She was a scholarship athlete for the Broncos from 1986-89 and held the school record on floor for four years.

Prior to being named co-head coach in 2008, Bird spent 18 seasons as an assistant at Boise State under Sam Sandmire (1990-2007). She was then promoted to co-head coach alongside Neil Resnick, leading the Broncos to nine conference championships, including a streak of five straight (2015-19).

AGGIES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS 
Utah State is ranked 40th in the country in Week 5 of the Road to Nationals rankings with an average team score of 195.200. The Aggies also rank 29th on floor (49.100), 36th on bars (48.775), 44th on beam (48.638) and 45th on vault (48.688). Individually, junior Brianna Brooks is tied for 70th nationally on bars (9.850) and tied for 87th in the all-around (38.783). Seniors Sofi Sullivan and Alivia Ostendorf rank 29th on beam (9.883) and tied for 73rd on floor (9.856), respectively.

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS 
In Utah State's Feb. 3 outing at Boise State, six different gymnasts set or tied nine career-best marks in the meet. Junior Brianna Brooks won the all-around with a career-high 39.200 and tied for eighth on floor with a personal-best 9.800. Senior Alivia Ostendorf tied for first on floor with a career-high 9.925 and placed sixth on vault with a personal-best 9.825. Sophomore Amari Evans placed third on floor with a career-high-tying 9.900 and tied for seventh on vault with a personal-best 9.775. Senior Ariel Toomey tied for fourth on floor with a career-high-tying 9.875, sophomore Payton Gatzlaff placed seventh on floor with a personal-best 9.825 and freshman Avery Bibbey placed fifth on bars with a career-best-matching 9.825.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK'S DUAL MEET AT BOISE STATE 
With a strong performance on floor in the final rotation, Boise State rallied to beat Utah State 196.325-195.675 in a Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference dual meet on Friday, Feb. 3, at ExtraMile Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Following a season-high 49.325 on floor, the Aggies were leading the Broncos 147.325-147.075 heading into the final rotation of the night.

But, Utah State couldn't maintain the lead as Boise State turned in a 49.250 on floor, while the Aggies finished the meet with a 48.350 on beam.

For the second-consecutive meet, Brianna Brooks won the all-around with a career-best 39.200. The junior from Las Vegas, Nevada, tied for fourth on vault with a season-high 9.850, placed third on bars with a season-high-tying 9.875, tied for eighth on beam with a 9.675 and tied for eighth on floor with a career-high 9.800.

Senior Alivia Ostendorf captured her first-career title as an Aggie as she tied for first on floor with a career-high 9.925.

Sophomore Amari Evans placed third on floor with a career-high-tying 9.900, senior Ariel Toomey tied for fourth with a personal-best-tying 9.875 and sophomore Payton Gatzlaff placed seventh with a career-best 9.825. 
 
The Aggies couldn't keep the momentum going on beam, though. Fifth-year senior Carley Bayles, competing for the first time this season, led Utah State on the apparatus as she placed sixth with a 9.800.

Utah State began the meet on bars, where Brooks placed third with her 9.875, fifth-year senior Grace Rojas placed fourth with a 9.850 and freshman Avery Bibbey placed fifth with a career-high-tying 9.825.

The Aggies finished with a 49.050 on bars, while the Broncos opened with a 49.400 on vault.

Utah State turned in a season-high 48.950 on vault in the second rotation. After Brooks' 9.850, Ostendorf placed sixth with a personal-best 9.825. Boise State had to count a fall on bars and finished with a 48.375, which allowed the Aggies to move in front 98.000-97.775.

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