Welcome to the second-ever Mountain West championships! Tonight in San Jose, California, four teams bring distinct storylines to a tightly contested competition.
Reigning champion Boise State enters as the frontrunner, led by seniors Alyssa Vulaj and Emily Lopez. With a fully healthy lineup and depth across all events, the Broncos are well-positioned to defend their title. Utah State looks to be their biggest challenger, though the Aggies will have to contend without Nyla Morabito after her recent Achilles injury. Their specialist-heavy bars lineup could be a meet highlight.
San Jose State holds the lowest season high of the four teams, but its potential is undeniable. The Spartans boast impressive beam depth, with specialists Marissa Ashton and Madison Gustitus playing key roles. Their senior class will be crucial, contributing nine routines to the competition. Air Force, meanwhile, has the talent to shake up the standings, with a roster full of 9.8+ potential that has yet to fully align in one meet. Alyssa Bigler and Maggie Silfe, both having surpassed 39.300 in the all-around this season, lead the charge. A hit bars rotation could keep the Falcons in the mix, making this a battle that won’t be decided until the very end.
This afternoon’s meet is streaming through the Mountain West and has live scoring available from Virtius.
Rotation 1: San Jose State VT, Air Force UB, Boise State BB, Utah State FX
Valuch (SJSU): y full, nearly holds the stick. great start for the Spartans! 9.725
Vulaj (BSU): gainer bhs loso with a small check, then a larger check in her switch to gainer loso. specialist of the year rallies hard, then takes a third check on her front toss. solid roundoff 1.5. 9.575
Eagles (USU): we join partway through for her second pass, in time to watch her launch a double tuck. strong start judging by the celebration from the fifth year! 9.775
Reardon (SJSU): STUCK Y half, and a big smile. 9.825
Brochi (AF): big geinger! 9.650
Kho (BSU): clean through her mount sequence, and nails her bhs pike. very clean twist in her switch half, and a stuck gainer full! 9.850
Stuart (USU): switch ring to switch ring half, will get deducted on the shape for both. double tuck to the controlled lunge, making a point of keeping her front foot down. 9.750
Jurries (SJSU): Y full, keeps it to one big step back. 9.750
Hartley (AF): blind half to Jaeger at bar height, and a solid bail hs. small hop back on her blind full to double tuck. 9.750
Lopez (BSU): very precise twisting jumps, and cleanly through her front toss mixed series. stuck gainer full! 9.825
Orengo (USU): having fun with her choreo, seamlessly into a switch half to wolf 1.5. forwards pass finds the landing easily. 9.800
Pitts (SJSU): plenty of height on her fhs front pike half! 9.850
Bigler (AF): blind full Geinger to overshoot with her legs glued. tiny hop back on an otherwise amazing FTDLO! 9.800
Loyim (BSU): nails her bhs loso loso. small check on her aerial, but regroups for a strong switch switch. sticks her gainer full as well. 9.800
Medrano (USU): joining halfway through, in time for a clean switch half to wolf full. finds the landing on her double tuck easily to finish. 9.775
Kirsch (SJSU): sticks her Y1.5! 9.850
Slife (AF): clean Maloney to Pak, and a nearly stuck toe full to FTDT. 9.800
Shchennikova (BSU): bobbles on her full turn, very uncharacteristic. clean switch to split 1/4. checks again after her front aerial, then rallies for a stuck gainer full. definitely the dismount of choice for the Broncos. 9.700
Vater (USU): opens with her front double twist. she absolutely floats through her roundoff 1.5 to layout! 9.850
Lopes (SJSU): near stick, has to take a step back on her y full. 9.775
Wallace (AF): joining right after her overshoot. clean blind full, into a slightly underrotated double tuck. 9.775
Leitch (BSU): fun reverse full turn! off on her bhs pike, then hops back up quickly. check on her jumps, then off again on her front toss. 8.350
Peterson (USU): perfectly rotated roundoff double tuck to start her routine, and then a high switch side to Popa. front layout to Rudi and a double stag gets great height as well. strong finish to the Aggies’ first rotation. 9.850
AFTER ONE: San Jose State and Utah State 49.050, Air Force 48.775, Boise State 48.750
This is very much anyone’s meet after one rotation! Boise State has opened the door, with San Jose State and Utah State tied for the lead while Air Force ties their bars season high. The Aggies are proving their depth on floor, with all six routines scoring within a point of each other. They’re fighting uphill without Morabito, but aren’t letting it show in their performances thus far. Co-leader San Jose State finds themselves at the top after two sticks, and two 10.0 vaults from Kirsch and Pitts.
Rotation 2: Utah State VT, San Jose State UB, Air Force BB, Boise State FX
VanderToolen (USU): big y full, slightly bent knees but a clean landing. 9.800
Lopes (SJSU): joining in time for the dismount, starting the rotation with a stick! 9.800
Brochi (AF): clean bhs loso, and switch to straddle 1/4. she dials in, taking a small check on her cat leap to aerial. sticks the roundoff 1.5! 9.750
Vulaj (BSU): strong first pass, keeps it in bounds. unique tour jete half to immediate wolf hop full. massive double pike, from our angle we see her front foot staying down in the lunge. 9.725
Brooks (USU): another big y full, knees with a slight bend and a hop to the left out of it. 9.750
Bacott (AF): strong isolated back tuck. aerial calm as ever, repeats for aerial to aerial scale series. switch to double stag, great head release in the latter. sticks her gainer full as well! 9.800
Kemp (BSU): full in tuck, and putting the same energy into her dance as her tumbling. tour jete half to Popa both get tons of height, and she takes them seamlessly to a front layout to Rudi. 9.825
Valuch (SJSU): blind half to a crispy pike Jaeger and overshoot. blind full finishes late, but goes to a stuck double tuck nonetheless. 9.775
Hartley (AF): handstand bhs loso and opening jumps are rock solid. she shushes the judges, and then drills her gainer full. 9.775
Leitch (BSU): opens with a strong double pike. takes her time and nearly sticks her double tuck cold, but has to hop forward. 9.750
Medrano (USU): big hop out of an otherwise clean y full. 9.800
Weyhmiller (SJSU): blind half to a massive Jaeger and Pak. she’s showing off her handstands, and takes her giants to a nearly stick double layout. 9.750
Juarez Baez (AF): joining halfway. gets one foot on landing the front toss, and comes off. small step back out of her bhs gainer full dismount. 9.050
McGovern (BSU): sky high Rudi loso! switch half Popa to wolf full, all rotate easily. double tuck finds the ground with a low chest, but covers well with a big lunge back. 9.850
Eagles (USU): y full, hop back. 9.750
Konieczny (SJSU)L Blind half to Jaeger and a clean overshoot, then sticks her DLO! 9.900
Slife (AF): nails her bhs loso. small check on her front tuck, dials in for a strong switch to straddle 1/4 and a stuck roundoff 1.5. 9.875
Pascal (BSU): very open on the switch ring into a switch half, we’ll see if they credit it as such. very floaty roundoff 1.5 to layout, going higher in the second salto. beautiful Rudi to split jump to finish! 9.775
Jurries (SJSU): strong Geinger and shootover, with the tiniest of hops on her DLO. 9.750
Greene (AF): very quick switch switch series, and checks but stays on for her cat leap to gainer loso. small step forward out of her roundoff 1.5. 9.750
Loyim (BSU): HUGE whip to double tuck, and continues to get height through her switch side to two Popas. just as strong in the double pike as well — should be the leading routine at the halfway point in today’s meet. 9.875
AFTER TWO: San Jose State 98.025, Utah State 97.950, Boise State 97.850, Air Force 97.725
The pack is just as close as rotation one! Only 0.300 separates leaders San Jose State from Air Force, who set two season highs in as many rotations. Highlights of the rotation include Loyim’s dynamic 9.875 on floor, and Konieczny’s bars breaking the 9.900 benchmark.
Utah State trails in the challenger position, but has potential to break away after the coming rotation on bars. The combination of specialists Jelen, Bibbey, and Kirstine will be crucial to the Aggies making up ground in rotation three.
Rotation 3: Boise State VT, Utah State UB, San Jose State BB, Air Force FX
Kho (BSU): very strong off the table, nearly sticks her y full. 9.725
Orengo (USU): joining for her high bar. hop back on her DLO. 9.775
Ashton (SJSU): bhs loso fluid as ever. switch to switch half look just as easy, and she carries her calm energy to a stuck bhs gainer full. 9.850
Greene (AF): clean twisting in her front double full to start. wastes no time going back for an equally clean fhs rudi. third pass loses the form on her roundoff 1.5 to layout, rotating in an open tuck on the second salto. this will affect start value, with one judge devaluing. 9.525
Kyrzywanski (BSU): near stick for her y full! 9.650
Jelen (USU): super high Maloney and Pak. she attacks the handstands, and unfortunately takes a big lunge forward out of her DLO. 9.500
Valuch (SJSU): solid on her front tuck, and cat leap to switch half. flares out her roundoff 1.5, and takes a step back out of it. 9.750
Meccia (AF): quick twisting to open — roundoff 1.5 to front full. roundoff 2.5 twists just as quickly, small shuffle on the landing before a standing ring full. 9.725
Ball (BSU): y full on pike off, great flare to find the landing. 9.700
VanderToolen (USU): open double tuck for the stick. 9.825
Brochi (AF): hops into her lunge after a powerful roundoff 2.5. equally strong front double twist. closing with a clean front full front layout, at the end of her twisting clinic of a routine. 9.750
Kemp: y half, soft knees and a small hop forward. 9.775
Weyhmiller (SJSU): check on her aerial, but finishes on a strong point with a stuck gainer full. 9.825
Bibbey (USU): stuck DLO! 9.825
Bigler (AF): tiniest of shuffles landing her Rudi. cleanly around in her switch side to Popa, wrapping the full twist around. truly massive roundoff 2.5, and then gets big air on her front lay front full. 9.725
Kirsch (SJSU): bhs onodi with a check, then similar to Weyhmiller she dials in and sticks her ronudoff 1.5. 9.725
Lopez (BSU): should be the highest scoring y full of the night so far, big block off the table and nearly sticks. 9.850
Willis (AF): high double tuck to start, then muscles around her switch half to two Popas but will get dinged on the rotation. roundoff 1.5 to front pike. double pike doesn’t get the same height or flare as her double tuck, but gets around without any major issues. 9.625
Gustitus (SJSU): clean through her jumps. bhs loso, then rides her teammates’ stick momentum for a stuck gainer pike of her own. 9.875
Kirstine (USU): big blind half to Jaeger and shootover. clean handstands throughout, and a shuffle out of an incredibly high full in tuck. 9.875
Slife (AF): she has the whole audience on her, and can turn that into a big routine. double pike to start, then shushes the judges for her roundoff 1.5 to layout. LAUNCHES her double tuck, with a shuffle back and a big smile. 9.825
AFTER THREE: Utah State 147.150, San Jose State 147.075, Boise State 146.725, Air Force 146.375
The scoring is opening up, with Utah State able to capitalize on their strong bars core to take the lead. If both the Aggies and Broncos can hit their final rotation, we could have a repeat of last year’s championship with it coming down to the last routine! Brianna Brooks quietly raked in the second 9.900 of the meet, coming on bars to bring the Aggies’s event total to a meet-high 49.200.
Rotation 4: Air Force VT, Boise State UB, Utah State BB, San Jose State FX
Juarez Baez (AF): low y full, deep squat and a lunge forward. 9.375
Werline (BSU): strong handstands, and nearly sticks her stalder to double tuck. 9.850
Jelen (USU): aerial bhs, and a clean beat to double stag jump. sticks her gainer full as well. Utah State is here to make good on their #PZF promise. 9.850
Valuch (SJSU): joining partway through, she puts up a strong roundoff 1.5 front layout. clean through her rudi to finish her all around. 9.850
Meccia (AF): gets the stick on her y full! well deserved emotional celebration after she holds and salutes the judges. 9.775
Buell (BSU): toe hs Maloney to bail hs with her legs glued. small slide back after a powerful DLO. 9.800
Eagles (USU): bhs loso with a check. aerial to split jump, and switch to split jump both go smoothly, as she distances herself from the acro series. near-stick for her roundoff 1.5 too! 9.725
Reardon (SJSU): graceful roundoff 1.5 layout! open on her double tuck and has to put her hands down. 8.950
Greene (AF): another strong y full, pikes a tad to find the landing and takes a step back 9.750
Ball (BSU): toe hs Maloney Pak all graceful as ever, great lines throughout and a stuck dismount! 9.850
Orengo (USU): joining in time for a high roundoff 1.5, fights for the stick but shuffles forward. 9.750
Johnson (SJSU): speedy twisting in her front double twist! she puts up a fun cartwheel onodi en route to the second pass, and it’s a textbook Rudi loso. switch half to Popa just as clean to finish. 9.850
Raife (AF): Y full up into the rafters! hops back out of an otherwise incredibly clean post flight. 9.700
Shchennikova (BSU): BIG Jaeger and Pak. her handstands all look ten feet tall, and she takes that into a near-stuck blind full double tuck. 9.825
Medrano (USU): bhs loso with a small check. cat leap to aerial without any wobbles, then checks again after her jump series. stuck gainer full. 9.750
Slife (AF): Y1.5 with great form in the air, takes a jump forward out of it. another strong all around for her today. 9.750
Lopes (SJSU): big tucked full in! all at the same time as Brooks. 9.850
Brooks (USU): one arm bhs smooth, as is her front aerial to swingdown and back roll. making a point of her flaring out the full turn, and then sticks a bhs gainer full. 9.850
Bigler (AF): second Y1.5 for Air Force, small hop forwards out. 9.800
Lopez (BSU): leave it to her to have open shoulders and a strong core on each handstand, and drill a double layout! 9.900 puts her in a three way tie for the lead at the moment.
Gustitus (SJSU): big double pike to open, keeps the controlled lunge in bounds. travels sideways on her front tuck through to double tuck, putting her hands down. 8.875
Leitch (BSU): sticks her dynamic DLO. 9.725
Vater (USU): check on her front aerial to back tuck. small hop out of her roundoff 1.5. 9.750
East (SJSU): all eyes on the freshman, starting with a big double tuck. she sends all three jumps into the rafters, and is giving her all in the dance just as she is in the counting elements. clean through her front layout to Rudi, helping her team finish the meet with a hit routine. 9.775
It came down to the last ten minutes, with Utah State able to put up five beam routines over 9.750 to nab the team title! San Jose State was right there, and will no doubt continue to put pressure on the Aggies in seasons to come. Boise State snuck back to within 0.150 of the championship after a massive 49.225 bar rotation, while Air Force put up a fourth event total on vault above the team’s average. The Mountain West is now two for two on exciting gymnastics championships, and looks towards a bright future!
In the coming days we’ll have confirmation on which athletes will see the postseason. As of writing, Boise State and Utah State sit in 30th and 33rd respectively, with a handful of individuals still in the mix for event qualification.
FINAL: Utah State 196.100, Boise State 195.950, Air Force 195.150, San Jose State 194.450
VT: Mikaela Pitts (San Jose State), Madison Kirsch (San Jose State), Emily Lopez (Boise State): 9.850
UB: Sophia Konieczny (San Jose State), Brianna Brooks (Utah State), Emily Lopez (Boise State): 9.900
BB: Maggie Slife (Air Force), Madison Gustitus (San Jose State): 9.875
FX: Emma Loyim (Boise State): 9.875
AA: Maggie Slife (Air Force): 39.250
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Live blog by Peri Goodman
