LOGAN, Utah – Utah State gymnastics (12-4, 4-2 MW) continues its 2026 season on Friday, Feb. 27, as it hosts Mountain West-foe Air Force (13-7, 3-2 MW) in a dual meet at 6:30 p.m. USU is ranked 30th in the nation in this week's Road to Nationals Poll and AFA is ranked 35th.
Utah State's rotation will be vault, bars, beam, floor. Air Force will start on bars, followed by vault, floor, and beam. The meet will be streamed live on the MW Network and live scoring will be available via StatBroadcast.
Utah State is promoting this meet as the 'My Cause Meet'. Student-athletes and staff will display posterboards along the concourse to bring awareness to the 'Causes' that each of them is passionate about.
The causes that will be highlighted by the team are - Mental Health Awareness, Puppy Jake, Immigration Rights, Veteran Suicide Prevention, Suicide Awareness, Andre Seldon Foundation, Animal Rescue, Heart Disease Awareness, Autism, Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome, Alzheimer's, Breast Cancer, Cancer Awareness, Lymphoma Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Helping the Homeless, Colon Cancer, and Women's Sports Empowerment.
MEET INFORMATION
Utah State vs. Air Force
Date: Friday, Feb. 27, 2026
March In: 6:30 p.m.
Site: Logan, Utah
Venue: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum
Tickets: Purchase Here
Live Stream: MW Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
HEAD COACH KRISTIN WHITE
"We are looking forward to another great competition on Friday. The energy and crowd were so electric for Spectrum Magic, and we are hoping to have that same environment this weekend. Coming off a season high will give our athletes tremendous momentum for our final conference regular season matchup."
UTAH STATE NOTES
Utah State's 12-4 start to the 2026 campaign is its best since the 1999 squad started with a 13-3 record. Overall, USU's 12-4 record is tied for the sixth-best start to a season in program history.
Utah State ranks first in the Mountain West and 30th in the nation heading into the seventh week of competition with a National Qualifying Score (NQS) of 195.700. USU ranks first in the MW and 24th in the nation on bars with a NQS of 48.986, first in the MW and 30th in the nation on floor with an NQS of 49.089, second in the MW and 30th in the nation on beam with an NQS of 48.854, and second in the MW and 39th in the nation on vault with an NQS (48.800).
Individually, junior Nyla Morabito ranks first in the MW and 53rd in the nation on vault with an NQS of 9.835. Junior Isabella Vater ranks second in the MW and 53rd in the nation on floor with an NQS of 9.870. Sophomore Olivia Orengo ranks second in the MW and 55th in the nation on bars with an NQS of 9.850. Junior Sydney Jelen ranks second in the MW and 70th in the nation on beam with an NQS of 9.835.
FROM THE RECORD BOOKS
Junior Nyla Morabito has won nine vault titles in her career, which is the seventh-most in program history. Morabito has already won six vault titles this year, which is tied with two other gymnasts for the fifth-most in a single season in program history.
SIX AGGIES WIN TITLES AGAINST BOISE STATE
Utah State had six gymnasts (senior Avery Bibbey, senior Chelsea Southam, junior Nyla Morabito, junior Isabella Vater, sophomore Olivia Orengo, freshman Mara Gruber) claim titles in its dual meet against Boise State last weekend.
Morabito won vault with a 9.825. She now has seven event titles this year (6 VT, 1 BB) and 16 in her career (9 VT, 6 FX, 1 BB). Vater shared the bars title with a career-high 9.875 and shared the floor title with 9.850. She now has five event title this year (3 FX, 2 UB) and six in her career (4 FX, 2 UB). Orengo won beam with a career-high 9.875 and shared the bars title with 9.875 to give her three event titles this year (2 UB, 1 BB) and four in her career (3 UB, 1 BB). Bibbey shared the bars title with a season-high 9.875. It was her first event title this year and the fourth of her career (4 UB). Gruber shared the floor title with 9.850 for her second floor title this year. Southam shared the floor title with 9.850 for her first career event title.
Overall, Utah State posted three career-high and three more season-high scores during the meet.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Air Force ranks third in the Mountain West and 35th in the nation with a National Qualifying Score (NQS) of 195.238. AFA ranks second in the MW and 35th in the nation on bars with an NQS of 48.817, second in the MW and 36th in the nation on floor with an NQS of 48.967, third in the MW and 36th in the nation on beam with an NQS of 48.708, and third in the MW and 43rd in the nation on vault with an NQS of 48.742.
Individually, junior Maggie Slife ranks first in the MW and eighth in the nation in the all-around with an NQS of 39.470. Slife ranks first in the MW and sixth in the nation on bars with an NQS of 9.915, first in the MW and 22nd in the nation on floor with an NQS of 9.895, first in the MW and 33rd in the nation on beam with an NQS of 9.865, and first in the MW and 53rd in the nation on vault with an NQS of 9.835.
SERIES HISTORY
Utah State is 19-4 all-time against Air Force, including a 6-0 home record. Both teams have a win in the series this year as USU posted a 195.250-194.225 neutral site win at the Boise State Quad Meet (1/30), while AFA posted a 195.800-195.400 home win at the AFA Tri Meet (2/6).
LAST TIME OUT
Utah State posted the ninth-highest home score in program history as it defeated Mountain West-foe Boise State 196.325-194.950 on Feb. 20, 2026. That 196.325 is also a season-high score for the Aggies.
Junior Nyla Morabito took top honors on vault with 9.825. Three Aggies shared the bars title as senior Avery Bibbey, junior Isabella Vater and sophomore Olivia Orengo all scored 9.875. It was a career-high score on the apparatus for Vater and a season-high for Bibbey. Orengo claimed another title as she scored a career-high 9.875 on beam. Three Aggies shared the floor title as well as Vater, senior Chelsea Southam and freshman Mara Gruber each scored 9.850.
Utah State won all four events as it posted three career-high and three more season-high scores during the meet.
Utah State began the meet on the vault and scored 48.900, followed by a season-high 49.250 on bars, 49.050 on beam and 49.125 on floor. Boise State scored 48.725 on vault, 49.050 on bars, 48.325 on beam and 48.850 on floor.
Utah State opened the meet with 48.900 on vault, which is tied for its third-highest score on the event this season. Morabito led the Aggies with 9.825 to win the title. Junior Mya Witte led off with 9.725 and sophomore Lundyn VanderToolen followed with a season-high 9.800. Freshman Anabelle Dewey scored 9.750, freshman Alianna Valdez scored 9.800 and Southam posted 9.650. VanderToolen and Valdez tied for second on the event.
Utah State moved to bars for its second rotation and posted a season-best 49.250. Three Aggies tied for first on the event in Vater, Orengo and Bibbey as all three scored 9.875. For Vater, that score is a career-high and for Bibbey it is a season-high. VanderToolen posted 9.850, junior Sydney Jelen scored 9.775 and freshman Charley Laufer scored 9.725 in the anchor spot.
Moving to beam for its third rotation, Utah State scored 49.050 for its third-best score on the apparatus this year. Once again, Jelen got the Aggies going as she posted 9.850. Orengo followed with a career-high 9.875 to win the event. Sophomore Kaylie Medrano then posted 9.775 and Valdez followed with 9.700. Laufer scored a career-high 9.650 and Witte concluded the event with 9.850 in the anchor spot. Jelen and Witte both tied for second.
Utah State finished the competition with 49.125 on floor. Three Aggies tied for first on the event as Vater, Southam and freshman Mara Gruber all scored 9.850. Orengo began the event with 9.825 and Morabito followed with a season-high 9.750. Southam then scored her 9.850 and Dewey posted 9.625. Varter scored her 9.850 next and Gruber concluded the meet with 9.850 in the anchor spot.
NEXT UP
Utah State has two meets next week as it competes at Southern Utah on Monday, March 2, at 6:30 p.m., and hosts future Pac-12 opponent Oregon State on Friday, March 6, at 6:30 p.m.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets for the 2026 Utah State gymnastics season here.
FOLLOW ALONG
For more information on the Utah State gymnastics program, follow the Aggies on X, Facebook and on Instagram.
