PROVO, Utah - Feb. 27 - Southern Utah gymnastics completed the season
sweep against Brigham Young University as the Thunderbirds posted a
194.675-189.125 victory over the Cougars in Provo on Friday night. The win was the third straight over BYU this season as the T-Birds will likely vault into NCAA regional qualifying scene with their score in the 194's.
SUU began the night on the uneven bars and was a perfect six-for-six as head coach Scott Bauman rearranged the lineup to try to break the team of a recent funk. The squad responded with a season-high 49.025 as Erin Morgan captured the individual title, her first of the year, with a 9.875. Jenna Vogt tied for second on the event with a 9.850 with the Thunderbirds then sweeping the next four spots.
Brigham Young was off to a rocky start during its first rotation, scoring a 48.150 on vault after incurring a three-tenths deduction for going out of order.
Southern Utah finished one-two in the individual standings on the vault as the team moved to the apparatus during the second rotation. Lindsey Schultz (9.875) and Melissa Johnson (9.850) led the team as the T-Birds finished with a 48.850 team score. Wheeler (9.750), Shannon Coughlin (9.700) and Vogt (9.675) rounded out the team score.
Following the second rotation, SUU increased its lead to 97.925 to BYU's 93.700.
The Thunderbirds struggled on floor during the third rotation, scoring a season-low 47.475 on the event. Freshmen Gaby Grey (9.850) and Lauren Jeffrey (9.750) were the only gymnasts to avoid falling during their routines, as Grey finished first overall. Grey's mark was a career-high, but falls by Dangerfield (9.625), Johnson (9.175) and Vogt (9.075) were all factored into the final team score.
The Cougars were not able to gain any ground during the rotation, matching SUU's score of 47.475 during their time on the balance beam.
Southern Utah fought back during the final rotation as the team was looking to replace its first road score of the year (190.450) and did so by scoring a season-best 49.275 on beam. Grey, once again, led the T-Birds, scoring a career-high 9.900 on the event to capture her second individual title of the night. The Thunderbirds proceeded to sweep the top five spots with all but one gymnast in the lineup scoring a 9.825 or higher. Dangerfield (9.875), Wheeler (9.850), Vogt and Johnson rounded out the team score with matching 9.825's, respectively.
Dangerfield continued SUU's streak in the all-around, as a Thunderbird gymnast finished first in the event for the third consecutive meet. In all, the T-Birds have captured all but one all-around title this season.
"Both of our freshmen were fantastic tonight," Bauman said after the meet. "They did a great job and they have improved a lot. We still have yet to put four events together at one meet so I know we are capable of even better things.
I would like to say that it was good for us to score as we did on floor, but a 47 is a horrible score," he continued. "I think our team was just a little too cocky on that event and this will be a wake-up call for them."
Southern Utah will return to the Centrum Arena next weekend as the team host San Jose State in the final home meet of the year. Seniors Kellie Dangerfield, Katie Hicks and Erin Morgan will be honored during the night as part of senior day activities with the meet set to begin at 7:00 p.m.
