LOGAN, Utah - The Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference has announced its final weekly awards as all four teams were represented, showing a high level of competition going into the MRGC Championships this Saturday.

Southern Utah, the host of the 2023 MRGC Championships, generated five weekly awards as senior Shylen Murakami scored a 9.900 on bars to secure her second-straight MRGC Bars Specialist of the Week award. Murakami also shared MRGC Beam Specialist of the Week accolades with senior teammate Karley McClain, as the duo scored matching 9.925s on the event in the Thunderbirds' Senior Day victory over Iowa and San Jose State.

McClain scored a season-high-tying 39.475 in the all-around to win her eighth MRGC Gymnast of the Week award. SUU senior Caitlin Kho rounded out the T-Birds' awards, scoring a 9.900 on vault to earn MRGC Vault Specialist of the Week.

Kho was joined on vault by Boise State junior Courtney Blackson, also with a 9.900 on the event in the Broncos' dual meet defeat at Alabama. BYU sophomore Sydney Benson and senior Allix Mason were also in the mix, as each scored a 9.900 on vault in the Cougars' regular season finale loss at Arizona.

Blackson tied with a group of four gymnasts on floor, logging a 9.900 on the event, to earn MRGC Floor Specialist of the Week honors. She was joined by BYU sophomore Sophie Dudley and Utah State seniors Ariel Toomey and Alivia Ostendorf with matching 9.900s. Toomey and Ostendorf provided the highlights in the Aggies' fourth-place finish at the Cal Quad as USU closed out its 2023 regular season.

The 2023 MRGC Championships will be hosted by Southern Utah on Saturday, March 18. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the Southern Utah ticket office at 435-586-7872 or by visiting the Southern Utah ticket office online at www.suutbirds.com. The meet will be streamed on ESPN+.

The Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference is one of only two NCAA Division I gymnastics-only conferences in the nation and is made up of member institutions: Boise State University (Boise, Idaho), Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah), Southern Utah University (Cedar City, Utah) and Utah State University (Logan, Utah).

Vault Specialist of the Week

WK1 - Kayla Pardue, SUU (9.850)

WK2 - Emily Lopez, BSU (9.850)

WK3 - Ellie Cacciola, SUU (9.850)

Kayla Pardue, SUU (9.850)

Emily Lopez, BSU (9.850)

WK4 - Allix Mason, BYU (9.850)

Kylie Eaquinto, BYU (9.850)

Emily Lopez, BSU (9.850)

WK5 - Adriana Popp, BSU (9.950)

WK6 - Sydney Benson, BYU (9.900)

WK7 - Emily Lopez, BSU (9.900)

Courtney Blackson, BSU (9.900)

WK8 - Caitlin Kho, SUU (9.900)

Alivia Ostendorf, USU (9.900)

WK9 - Kayla Pardue, SUU (9.900)

WK10 - Courtney Blackson, BSU (9.900)

Sydney Benson, BYU (9.900)

Allix Mason, BYU (9.900)

Caitlin Kho, SUU (9.900)

Bar Specialist of the Week

WK1 - Trista Goodman, SUU (9.900)

Anyssa Alvarado, BYU (9.900)

WK2 - Emily Lopez, BSU (9.950)

WK3 - Anyssa Alvarado, BYU (9.925)

Shylen Murakami, SUU (9.925)

WK4 - Emily Lopez, BSU (9.925)

Courtney Blackson, BSU (9.925)

WK5 - Courtney Blackson, BSU (9.925)

Lindsey Hunter, BYU (9.925)

WK6 - Anna Bramblett, BYU (9.950)

Emily Lopez, BSU (9.950)

WK 7 - Emily Lopez, BSU (10.000)

WK 8 - Emily Lopez, BSU (9.950)

WK9 - Emily Lopez, BSU (9.900)

Shylen Murakami, SUU (9.900)

Brianna Brooks, USU (9.900)

Anyssa Alvarado, BYU (9.900)

WK10 - Shylen Murakami, SUU (9.900)

Beam Specialist of the Week

WK1 - Elease Rollins, BYU (9.900)

WK2 - Emily Lopez, BSU (9.900)

Sofi Sullivan, USU (9.900)

WK3 - Emily Lopez, BSU (9.925)

Ellie Cacciola, SUU (9.925)

WK4 - Emma Loyim, BSU (9.925)

Adriana Popp, BSU (9.925)

Sofi Sullivan, USU (9.925)

Elease Rollins, BYU (9.925)

WK5 - Mina Margraf, BYU (9.925)

WK6 - Elease Rollins, BYU (9.950)

WK7 - Elease Rollins, BYU (9.925)

Karley McClain, SUU (9.925)

Hailey Vultaggio, SUU (9.925)

WK 8 - Emily Lopez, BSU (9.900)

Brianna Brooks, USU (9.900)

Carley Bayles, USU (9.900)

Mina Margraf, BYU (9.900)

WK9 - Alyssa Vulaj, BSU (9.950)

Adriana Popp, BSU (9.950)

WK10 - Shylen Murakami, SUU (9.925)

Karley McClain, SUU (9.925)

Floor Specialist of the Week

WK1 - Hailey Vultaggio, SUU (9.875)

WK2 - Karley McClain, SUU (9.925)

WK3 - Rebekah Bean Ripley, BYU (9.925)

Rachel Smith, SUU (9.925)

Karley McClain, SUU (9.925)

WK4 - Karley McClain, SUU (9.900)

WK5 - Karley McClain, SUU (9.950)

WK6 - Karley McClain, SUU (9.925)

Aubri Schwartze, SUU (9.925)

WK 7 - Ariel Toomey, USU (9.925)

Courtney Blackson, BSU (9.925)

WK8 - Alivia Ostendorf, USU (9.900)

Karley McClain, SUU (9.900)

Emma Ingrassia, SUU (9.900)

WK9 - Courtney Blackson, BSU (9.925)

Sophie Dudley, BYU (9.925)

Karley McClain, SUU (9.925)

WK10 - Ariel Toomey, USU (9.900)

Alivia Ostendorf, USU (9.900)

Courtney Blackson, BSU (9.900)

Sophie Dudley, BYU (9.900)

Gymnast of the Week

WK1 - Karley McClain, SUU (39.175)

WK2 - Karley McClain, SUU (39.475)

WK3 - Karley McClain, SUU (39.475)

WK4 - Karley McClain, SUU (39.100)

WK5 - Karley McClain, SUU (39.475)

WK6 - Karley McClain, SUU (39.425)

WK7 - Karley McClain, SUU (39.475)

WK 8 - Brianna Brooks, USU (39.050)

WK9 - Brianna Brooks, USU (39.275)

WK10 - Karley Mcclain, SUU (39.475)

NEXT UP

The Flippin' Birds will play host to the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championship next Saturday, March, 18th at America First Event Center. The teams from the conference are BYU, Boise State, and Utah State. The Thunderbirds are looking to win their first MRGC Conference title next week at home. The Championship meet will begin at 6:00 PM MT and will be broadcast on ESPN+. 

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