Utah State gymnastics: Aggies finish second to Southern Utah

LOGAN — To kick off a four-meet homestand Friday, the Utah State gymnastics team finished in second place in a tri-meet between Southern Utah and No. 13 Boise State with a final score of 194.050. Freshman Sarah Landes was the gymnast of the meet, setting personal bests on beam, floor and all-around competition with a total score of 39.225, making her mark in the USU record book in the process.

Last season, it took until the second-to-last meet of the season for the Aggies to score over a 194. Southern Utah finished with 194.525 to win the meet while Boise State took third with 193.525.

With the result, USU is now 2-4, as Friday night was the Aggies' first win over Boise State since the 2007 Western, snapping a 13-meet losing skid vs. the Broncos. Southern Utah and Boise State both evened their records to 2-2.

The Aggies scored season highs on three of the four events, opening with a 48.575 on vault, then a 48.850 on bars to lead at the meet's midway point. USU scored another season-high on beam with a 48.550 and finished with a 48.075 on floor, the second-highest score this season.

Southern Utah sealed the win with a 48.675 on vault in the fourth rotation after a 48.875 on floor. SUU also scored a 48.325 on bars and a 48.650 on beam. Boise State recorded a 47.825 on beam, a 49.075 on floor, a 49.150 on vault and a 47.475 on bars.

Meanwhile, Landes won the all-around while sharing the beam title with BSU's Amy Glass and finishing third on floor with a 9.825. Landes' winning beam score of 9.875 is tied for the fifth-best score in school history, while her 39.225 all-around score was just outside of USU's top 20 individual all-around performances.

Southern Utah's Michaela Chernoch was second in the all-around with a 39.050 while Glass was third with a 38.725.

Sophomore Paige Jones tied for second on vault with a career-high 9.875. BSU's Hailey Gasper tied Jones for second while fellow BSU gymnast Brittany Potvin-Green won the event with a 9.900. The Broncos took the top two spots on bars, as Ciera Perkins took top honors with a 9.875 followed by Kelsy Morris with a 9.825. Glass and Chernoch shared the floor title with 9.900's.

The Aggies opened the meet on vault with freshman Breyanna Aufiero getting it started with a 9.375. Junior Amanda Watamaniuk was next with a 9.575, followed by freshman Susie Miller and her 9.600, tying a career-high. Landes notched a 9.725 while junior Amelia Montoya beat her career-high with a 9.800. Jones also beat her personal record, landing a 9.875.