CEDAR CITY, Utah – Utah State concluded its season by placing fourth at the 2023 Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championships on Saturday night at the America First Event Center.
 
The Aggies (2-15) finished with a 195.825 – their third-highest score of the season. No. 21 Southern Utah (17-5) placed first with a 196.875, BYU (6-12) took second with a 196.575 and Boise State (5-9) came in third with a 196.000.
 
"The biggest thing I take away from this meet is that this team has heart," Utah State head coach Kristin White said. "It's been a really long season and we've been faced with so many different challenges week after week from the preseason through the entire season. I couldn't be prouder of their fight to come in here and believe.
 
"The future is very bright for Utah State and a lot of people saw that we are still here to compete. We're going to be a threat in the future."
 
Brianna Brooks placed second in the all-around with a 39.125. The junior from Las Vegas, Nevada, tied for 16th on vault (9.750), tied for third on bars (9.850), placed fourth on beam (9.875) and tied for 21st on floor (9.650).
 
"We came in and just wanted to get it done, put a meet together and hit all the routines like we know we can and we did," Brooks said. "It was really cool to see us bounce back. Knowing this was our last meet together was emotional and I just love this team."
 
Sophomore Dani Kirstine was the only other Aggie to record a top-three finish as she tied for third on bars with a 9.850.
 
Utah State began the meet on vault, recording a 48.900 – its third-highest score of the season on the event. Senior Alivia Ostendorf led the way with a 9.850, while junior Jenna Eagles came through with a personal-best 9.800.
 
In the second rotation, the Aggies scored a 49.025 on bars, highlighted by the 9.850s from Brooks and Kirstine. Competing in her final meet for Utah State, grad senior Grace Rojas tied for ninth with a 9.800.
 
The Aggies moved to beam in the third rotation, where they recorded a 48.925. Following Brooks' 9.875, Eagles and Kirstine tied for 15th with matching 9.775s.
 
"I was really proud of the beam squad," White said. "We've had a couple of poor performances over the last several weeks and really had a hard time hitting five, even six routines in a row, and they did an awesome job tonight."
 
Like Rojas on bars, grad senior Carley Bayles performed her final routine as a senior on beam, tying for 17th with a 9.750 – as did Ostendorf.
 
"The senior class, I am so incredibly proud of all of them," White said. "They've given their heart and soul to this program, and they're a big reason why they won the conference championship last season. To come back and believe in this staff and this program, and help continue to lead the way has been incredible.
 
"I am so thankful that Carley and Grace came back. To end your career as a senior winning the conference championship and then turn around and decide to take a fifth year with a program that was hit with the challenges that we've faced head on from the very beginning. I was so excited to have them be a part of this team and continue to help build the legacy that they started."
 
Closing the meet on floor, Utah State scored a 48.975 as Ostendorf, junior Angel Stuart and senior Ariel Toomey all tied for fifth with 9.850s. For Stuart, it matched her career-high score on the event.
 
For more information on the Utah State gymnastics program, follow the Aggies on Twitter at @USUGymnastics, on Facebook at UtahStateGymnastics and on Instagram at USUGymnastics.
 
MRGC Championships | Cedar City, Utah | America First Event Center | March 18, 2023
 
Team Results: 1. Southern Utah – 196.325 (vault: 49.400, bars: 48.375, beam: 49.300, floor: 49.250); 2. BYU – 196.325 (vault: 49.400, bars: 48.375, beam: 49.300, floor: 49.250); 3. Boise State – 196.325 (vault: 49.400, bars: 48.375, beam: 49.300, floor: 49.250); 4. Utah State –195.675 (vault: 48.950, bars: 49.050, beam: 48.350, floor: 49.325).
 
Vault: T1. Ellie Cacciola – SUU, 9.900; T1. Courtney Blackson – BSU, 9.900; T3. Caitlin Kho – SUU, 9.875; T3. Kylie Eaquinto – BYU, 9.875; T5. Kayla Pardue – SUU, 9.850; T5. Hailey Vultaggio – SUU, 9.850; T5. Sydney Benson – BYU, 9.850; T5. Alyssa Vulaj – BSU, 9.850; T5. Emily Lopez – BSU, 9.850; T5. Alivia Ostendorf – USU, 9.850; T11. Karley McClain – SUU, 9.825; T11. Adrianna Popp – BSU, 9.825; T13. Madison Raesly-Patton – BYU, 9.800; T13. Jenna Eagles – USU, 9.800; 15. Rebekah Bean Ripley – BYU, 9.775; T16. Rachel Smith – SUU, 9.750; T16. Sophie Dudley – BYU, 9.750; T16. Allix Mason – BYU, 9.750; T16. Sydney Kho – BSU, 9.750; T16. Payton Gatzlaff – USU, 9.750; T16. Brianna Brooks – USU, 9.750; T16. Angel Stuart – USU, 9.750; 23. Chelsea Southam – USU, 9.625; 24. Emma Loyim – BSU, 9.575.
 
Bars: T1. Trista Goodman – SUU, 9.875; T1. Kylie Eaquinto – BYU, 9.875; T3. Karley McClain – SUU, 9.850; T3. Anna Bramblett– BYU, 9.850; T3. Brianna Brooks – USU, 9.850; T3. Dani Kristine – USU, 9.850; T7. Erin Morden – BSU, 9.825; T7. Courtney Blackson – BSU, 9.825; T9. Aubri Schwartze – SUU, 9.800; T9. Shylen Murakami – SUU, 9.800; T9. Allix Mason – BYU, 9.800; T9. Anyssa Alvarado – BYU, 9.800; T9. Elaina McGovern – BSU, 9.800; T9. Kylie Hambley – BSU, 9.800; T9. Grace Rojas – USU, 9.800; T17. Isabella Neff – SUU, 9.775; T17. Lindsey Hunter – BYU, 9.775; T17. Avery Bibbey – USU, 9.775; T20. Caitlin Kho – SUU, 9.750; T20. Lexi Aragon – USU, 9.750; 22. Jessica Gutierrez – USU, 9.675; 23. Talia Little – BSU, 9.650; 24. Emily Lopez – BSU, 9.075.
 
Beam: 1. Elease Rollins – BYU, 9.975; 2. Karley McClain – SUU, 9.925; 3. Ellie Cacciola – SUU, 9.900; 4. Brianna Brooks – USU, 9.875; 5. Mina Margraf – BYU, 9.850; T6. Shylen Murakami – SUU, 9.825; T6. Rachel Smith – SUU, 9.825; T6. Hailey Vultaggio – SUU, 9.825; T6. Sophie Dudley – BYU, 9.825; T6. Adrianna Popp – BSU, 9.825; T11. Aubri Schwartze – SUU, 9.800; T11. Madison Raesly-Patton – BYU, 9.800; T11. Talia Little – BSU, 9.800; T11. Emily Lopez – BSU, 9.800; T15. Jenna Eagles – USU, 9.775; T15. Dani Kristine – USU, 9.775; T17. Alivia Ostendorf – USU, 9.750; T17. Carley Bayles – USU, 9.750; T19. Eliza Miller – BYU, 9.725; T19. Emma Loyim – BSU, 9.725; 21. Sofi Sullivan – USU, 9.675; 22. Erin Elkabchi – BSU, 9.625; 23. Alyssa Vulaj – BSU, 9.050; 24. Lauren Ono – BYU, 9.000.
 
Floor: 1. Karley McClain – SUU, 9.925; 2. Hailey Vultaggio – SUU, 9.900; T3. Rebekah Bean Ripley– BYU, 9.875; T3. Courtney Blackson – BSU, 9.875; T5. Ellie Cacciola – SUU, 9.850; T5. Aubri Schwartze – SUU, 9.850; T5. Sophie Dudley – BYU, 9.850; T5. Elease Rollins – BYU, 9.850; T5. Alyssa Vulaj – BSU, 9.850; T5. Emma Loyim – BSU, 9.850; T5. Ariel Toomey – USU, 9.850; T5. Alivia Ostendorf – USU, 9.850; T5. Angel Stuart – USU, 9.850; T14. Sydney Benson – BYU, 9.825; T14. Heidi Schooley – BYU, 9.825; T16. Eliza Miller – BYU, 9.800; T16. Brantley Lucas – BSU, 9.800; T18. Elaina McGovern – BSU, 9.775; T18. Sydney Leitch – BSU, 9.775; T18. Jenna Eagles – USU, 9.775; T21. Emma Ingrassia – SUU, 9.650; T21. Brianna Brooks – USU, 9.650; 23. Taylor Gull – SUU, 9.625; 24. Payton Gatzlaff – USU, 9.025.
 
All-Around: 1. Karley McClain – SUU, 39.525; 2. Brianna Brooks – USU, 39.125.
 
-USU-