WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Utah State's gymnastics team posted a season-high 193.600 to place fourth at the Rio Tinto Best of Utah held here at the Maverik Center on Monday. USU began the meet with a 48.250 on beam, followed by a 47.675 on floor, a season-high 48.600 on vault and a season-high 49.075 on bars.  

Fifth-ranked Utah won the meet with a 197.725, 26th-ranked BYU finished second with a 195.775 and 25th-ranked Southern Utah placed third with a 194.000.  

"We are disappointed with our performance today," said second-year head coach Kristin White. "We made great progress in the gym this week, but we didn't show up to compete. We will get back in the gym to work on our errors and be prepared for Southern Utah on Friday."   

Rotation One – Beam (48.250)  
Senior Brianna Brooks started her night off with a team-high 9.775 on beam to tie for ninth on the event. Following Brooks' score were senior Lexi Aragon and junior Dani Kirstine with a pair of 9.725s, which tied them for 14th. Kirstine's score was a season high.   

Rotation Two – Floor (47.675)  
Utah State took the floor for the second rotation. Senior Jenna Eagles highlighted the event with a season-high 9.850 to tie for sixth. Graduate student Alivia Ostendorf followed with a season-high-tying 9.800 as she tied for 13th.  

Rotation Three – Vault (48.600)  
Utah State's vault rotation began the turnaround for the Aggies as they scored a season-high 48.600. Brooks and Ostendorf, along with freshman Nyla Morabito, lead the team with 9.750s, tying for 10th. Also posting scores for the team were senior Angel Stuart and junior Payton Gatzlaff, tying for 21st with a score of 9.675. Brooks and Ostendorf both tied their season high scores on the event, while Stuart and Gatzlaff both had season highs.  

Rotation Four – Bars (49.075)  
The Aggies saved their best rotation for last as they recorded a season-high 49.075 on bars. Brooks posted the best score of the night for Utah State with a season-best 9.875, which tied her for fifth on the event. Graduate transfer Juliette Boyer earned a season-high 9.825 and tied for 12th, while Aragon and sophomore Avery Bibbey tied for 15th with a pair of 9.800s, which is a season-high for both gymnasts, and junior Dani Kirstine scored a season-high 9.775.   

 Next Up  
Utah State travels to Cedar City, Utah to take on Southern Utah and 24th-ranked Arizona State in a tri meet on Friday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.  
  
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.  

Utah State at Best of Utah Meet | West Valley City, Utah | January 15, 2024  

Team Results: 1. Utah – 197.725 (vault: 49.075, bars: 49.500, beam: 49.550, floor: 49.600); 2. BYU –195.775 (vault: 48.775, bars: 48.950, beam: 48.975, floor: 49.075); 3. Southern Utah –194.000 (vault: 48.775, bars: 49.350, beam: 47.650, floor: 48.225); 4. Utah State –193.600 (vault: 48.600, bars: 49.075, beam: 48.250, floor: 47.675).  

Vault: 1. Makenna Smith – Utah, 9.875; 2. Ella Zirbes – Utah, 9.850; 3. Jaedyn Rucker – Utah, 9.825; T10. Nyla Morabito – USU, 9.750; T10. Brianna Brooks – USU, 9.750; T10. Alivia Ostendorf – USU, 9.750; T21. Payton Gatzlaff – USU, 9.675; T21. Angel Stuart – USU, 9.675; 26. Chelsea Southam – USU, 9.625.  

Bars: T1. Grace McCallum – Utah, 9.950; T1. Amelie Morgan – Utah, 9.950; 3. Maile O'Keefe - Utah, 9.925; T5. Brianna Brooks – USU, 9.875; T12. Juliette Boyer – USU, 9.825; T15. Avery Bibbey – USU, 9.800; T15. Lexi Aragon – USU, 9.800; T19. Dani Kirstine – USU, 9.775; 27. Amari Evans – USU, 9.575.  

Beam: 1. Maile O'Keefe - Utah, 10.000; T2. Amelie Morgan – Utah, 9.950; T2. Abby Paulson – Utah, 9.950; T9. Brianna Brooks – USU, 9.775; T14. Lexi Aragon – USU, 9.725; T14. Dani Kirstine – USU, 9.725; T19. Isabelle Vater – USU, 9.625; 22. Alivia Ostendorf – USU, 9.400; 23. Jenna Eagles – USU, 9.375.     

Floor: T1. Maile O'Keefe - Utah, 9.950; T1. Grace McCallum - Utah, 9.950; T3. Makenna Smith - Utah, 9.925; T3. Abby Paulson – Utah, 9.925; T6. Jenna Eagles – USU, 9.850; T13. Alivia Ostendorf – USU, 9.800; 21. Amari Evans – USU, 9.700; 22. Brianna Brooks – USU, 9.475; T25. Angel Stuart – USU, 8.850; T25. Marley Peterson – USU, 8.850.  

-USU-