LOGAN, Utah – Utah State gymnastics continues its 2025 season on Friday, Feb. 14, in a tri meet with No. 7 California and Texas Woman's in the annual Metroplex Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, at 6:30 p.m. (MT).
 
MEET INFORMATION
Utah State vs. No. 7 California, vs. Texas Woman's
Date: Friday, Feb. 14, 2025
March In: 6:30 p.m. (MT)
Site: Fort Worth, Texas
Venue: Fort Worth Convention Center Arena
Live Stream: Meet Score Online
Live Scoring: Meet Score Online
 
HEAD COACH KRISTIN WHITE
"We are excited to be competing in the Metroplex Challenge. Any time you have the opportunity to compete on podium, you take it. The team enjoys competing in meets like this, and we feel prepared and ready to go. California and Texas Woman's are great teams, and it will be a great competition.
 
"We are excited about our rotation order. Starting on bars and ending on vault is a great rotation for us and we look forward to building momentum throughout the competition."
 
RECAPPING THE SOUTHERN UTAH MEET
Utah State won two event titles and notched three career highs and two more season bests in its 196.475-195.725 loss at Southern Utah Monday night.
 
Utah State began the meet on the bars and scored 49.175, followed by 48.550 on vault, a season-best 49.100 on floor and 48.900 on beam. Southern Utah scored 49.125 on vault, 49.025 on bars, 49.000 on beam and 49.325 on floor.
 
Graduate Brianna Brooks took top honors on beam with a season-high-tying 9.900 and freshman Olivia Orengo tied for first on bars with a career high 9.875.
 
Brooks has now claimed 17 event titles in her career, including five on beam. It is her fifth event title this season as she has placed first on beam three times and first on bars twice. Orengo won her first career title.
 
Utah State opened the meet with three career highs to score 49.175 on bars. Orengo started the night off with a career high of 9.875 as she tied for first on the event. Sophomore Sydney Jelen followed with a career-high-tying 9.800 and freshman Lundyn VanderToolen scored a career high 9.850. Junior Avery Bibbey also scored 9.850 as her and VanderToolen tied for third. Brooks scored 9.800 and senior Dani Kirstine finished the rotation with 9.050.
 
Utah State moved to vault for its second rotation and posted 48.550. Sophomore Nyla Morabito had the top score for the Aggies with 9.800 to tie for fourth on the event. Brooks scored 9.725, followed by sophomore Mya Witte (9.700), VanderToolen (9.675), freshman Kaylie Medrano (9.650) and senior Payton Gatzlaff (9.625).
 
Moving to floor for its third rotation, Utah State scored a season high 49.100. Morabito tied for third to lead USU as she scored 9.875. Graduate Jenna Eagles, fellow graduate Angel Stuart and sophomore Isabella Vater each scored 9.800. For Stuart, her score is a season high. Medrano concluded the scoring for USU with a 9.775.
 
Utah State finished the competition with 48.900 on beam. Brooks won the event with a season-high-tying 9.900. Medrano scored 9.800, Eagles and Orengo scored 9.775, Jelen scored 9.675 and Witte scored 9.575.
 
UTAH STATE NOTES
Utah State is ranked second in the Mountain West and 32nd in the nation with an average team score of 195.129. USU ranks first in the MW and 22nd in the nation on beam (48.921), second in the MW and 31st in the nation on bars (48.921), second in the MW and 52nd in the nation on floor (48.629) and third in the MW and 44th in the nation on vault (48.658).
 
Individually, Brooks ranks second in the MW and tied for 51st in the nation in the all-around (39.100) and fourth in the MW and tied for 70th in the nation on bars (9.837). Kirstine ranks fifth in the MW and tied for 74th in the nation on bars (9.833). Jelen ranks fourth in the MW and tied for 73rd in the nation on beam (9.825). Morabito ranks second in the MW and tied for 100th in the nation on vault (9.800).
 
Utah State had two gymnasts earn weekly Mountain West honors following performances last weekend at Southern Utah. Brooks was named the MW Beam Co-Specialist of the Week with a season-high-tying 9.900 and Morabito was named the MW Vault Co-Specialist of the Week with a 9.800. 
 
Brooks won her 17th career title including her fifth on beam and it is her fifth title this year and second on beam. Brooks has now earned four weekly conference honors this year and nine in her career. It is the second time this year and in her career she has been named MW Beam Specialist of the Week.
 
Morabito earned her fourth conference honor this year and the fifth of her career. It is the third time this year and fourth in her career she has been named the MW Vault Specialist of the Week.
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
California is ranked seventh in the nation with an average team score of 197.025. The Golden Bears rank 11th in the nation on vault (49.150), fifth in the nation on bars (49.308), 10th in the nation on beam (49.208) and third in the nation on floor (49.358).
 
Individually, senior Mya Lauzon is sixth in the nation in the all-around (39.500), seventh in the nation on floor (9.929) and tied for 22nd in the nation on vault (9.867). Senior Abbey Scanlon is tied for fifth in the nation on beam (9.912). Senior Madelyn Williams is tied for 18th in the nation on bars (9.875).
 
Texas Woman's is ranked 49th in the nation with an average team score of 194.100. The Pioneers rank 36th in the nation on vault (48.740), 43rd in the nation on floor (48.780), 48th in the nation on bars (48.400) and 58th in the nation on beam (48.180).
 
Individually, graduate Steelie King is 107th in the nation in the all-around (38.012). Graduate Kaitlyn Hoiland is tied for 122nd in the nation on vault (9.790) and tied for 193rd on bars (9.760). Sophomore Sophie Hernandez is tied for 218th in the nation on beam (9.715). Freshman Kyleigh Ghanbari is tied for 106th in the nation on floor (9.833).
 
SERIES HISTORY
Utah State is 5-10 all-time against California including a 2-4 record in neutral site meets. The last time the two programs faced one another was on March 10, 2023, as Cal posted a 198.100-195.000 win at the California Quad Meet.
 
Utah State is 11-3 all-time against Texas Woman's including a 4-0 record in neutral site meets. In the last meeting between the two programs, USU posted a 196.275-195.425 home win last year.
 
NEXT UP
Utah State hosts Mountain West-foe Boise State on Friday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m.
 
TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets for the 2025 Utah State gymnastics season by visiting www.UtahStateAggies.com.
 
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