Today marks the first of three scheduled meetings between these conference foes in 2026, and early-season momentum is already shaping the storyline. Both teams made statements in their openers, with San Jose State upsetting Arizona State on the road and Utah State posting the second-highest opening score in program history. Last week, the Spartans validated that upset with another steady outing, while the Aggies again got the better of Southern Utah—this time in their home opener.
After an uncharacteristically shaky season debut, Utah State junior Nyla Morabito bounced back in a big way, posting team-high scores on both vault and beam and further cementing her return from a season-ending injury in 2025. Fellow junior Isabella Vater paced the Aggies on bars, while freshman Anabelle Dewey earned co–Freshman of the Week honors after winning floor in her first collegiate appearance on the event.
For San Jose State, freshman Genesis PeBenito turned in three 9.800 performances, and classmate Sophie Patterson continued to establish herself as a reliable all-arounder. As a team, the Spartans eclipsed the 49.000 mark on vault for the second consecutive week, reinforcing that event as a growing strength.
For both squads, the goal this week is to post a score they’ll be happy to count toward NQS. Utah State, in particular, will have its sights set on breaking the 196.000 barrier after coming within just a few tenths in each of its first two meets.
The meet is streaming for free on the Mountain West Network, and live scores are available here.
Rotation 1: Utah State VT, San Jose State UB
Witte (Utah State) – FTY with a medium hop back, piked down. 9.750
PeBenito (San Jose State) – Cut to it in progress. She sticks the double layout dismount. 9.725
VanderToolen (Utah State) – FTY with a big hop back, good distance, less piking. 9.750
Reardon (San Jose State) – again joining in progress. Shoot to handstand is good. Short on final handstand. She lands in a squat on the double layout and takes a big step forward. 9.450
Dewey (Utah State) – FTY with a big hop back. Good dynamics and body position. 9.800
Patterson (San Jose State) – Maloney to Pak with leg separation in both skills. Giant full to double back is nearly stuck, takes a tiny step with one foot. 9.725
Southam (Utah State) – Yurchenko half, body position looks better than last week. 9.800
Kisch (San Jose State) – Maloney to overshoot to handstand with a lot of leg separation throughout. Double layout is landed with chest a bit down, medium step forward. 9.650
Morabito (Utah State) – FTY with good dynamics, a medium hop back and an arm swing to keep from moving her feet again. 9.750
Macasu (San Jose State) – Maloney to shoot to handstand, leg separation in the first skill. Full in, our view was blocked by a coach, but that looked stuck. 9.850
Valdez (Utah State) – FTY with great distance and a medium hop back. 9.825
Valuch (San Jose State) – Piked Jaeger. Shoot to handstand is short of position. Double layout looks stuck, but she has to take an arm swing and a small step. 9.250
Jurries (San Jose State) – exhibition – Clear hip to Geinger to overshoot. Double layout is stuck.
AFTER ONE: Utah State 48.925, San Jose State 48.400
The Aggies started strong on vault, with a season debut from VanderToolen and strong contributions from Valdez and Southam. This rotation looks like it will continue to improve for them as the season goes on, although hoppy landings tonight held them back from a higher number. San Jose State was steady on bars, but will be happy to move to vault, their strongest event. Valuch’s score is showing as a 9.250, which leaves me confused – all I can think is that she was missing a requirement. That leaves them counting Reardon’s 9.450.
Rotation 2: San Jose State VT, Utah State UB
Valuch (San Jose State) – FTY with a big slide/hop back and pike down. 9.675
Jelen (Utah State) – Maloney to overshoot to handstand, leg separation in both elements. Double layout is stuck. 9.850
Macasu (San Jose State) – FTY with some pike at the end, just a medium step back. 9.725
Laufer (Utah State) – Overshoot to handstand, toe hecth. Shushunova release! Giant full to double back with a medium hop back and then another small hop before she can get to the salute. 9.525
Johnson (San Jose State) – We missed it live. On replay – FTY with a big step back, and she has some leg separation on the table. 9.700
Bibbey (Utah State) – Tkatchev. Short handstand before clear hip to shoot to handstand with some leg separation. High double layout is stuck. 9.800
Jurries (San Jose State) – HUGE FTY and she sticks it! 9.875
Vater (Utah State) – Clear hip to Deltchev to overshoot. Double layout with a large step forward. 9.700
Patterson (San Jose State) – FTY with a big hop back. 9.750
Orengo (Utah State) – Jaeger to overshoot. Double layout with leg separation, but an emphatic stuck landing. 9.775
Pitts (San Jose State) – Front handspring pike half, lands with a lower chest and a backward cross step. 9.775
VanderToolen (Utah State) – Maloney to Pak with leg separation in both. Stalder to stuck double back. 9.800
Evans (Utah State) – exhibition – Maloney to Pak, big leg separation in both skills. Gets stuck in her blind full for a minute but pulls it around to a double tuck with a small hop back.
AFTER TWO: Utah State 97.850, San Jose State 97.225
Bars is becoming a signature event for Utah State, but, like vault, a few too many hops on landing kept the number down and the squad just off 196 pace. Regardless, they’ll be taking good momentum into the next event. Meanwhile, San Jose State was hoppy themselves on vault, keeping the total down on their best event. Jurries posted a career high for her effort, however. Everyone wants less hoppy landings in this next rotation.
Rotation 3: Utah State BB, San Jose State FX
Jelen (Utah State) – Side aerial to BHS is solid. Beat jump to double stag ring jump. Orphan switch leap. BHS gainer full is stuck. 9.825
Valuch (San Jose State) – Front double full with a controlled step forward. 1.5 twist to front layout. Switch half to Popa. Front handspring Rudi has a small movement of her front foot on landing. Conference as the judges have a 9.700/9.450 split. 9.600
Valdez (Utah State) – BHS layout stepout with a small wobble. Switch leap to switch half. Second element looks good on split and rotation, but her front foot loses toepoint. Double full dismount with a medium hop back. 9.750
Ashton (San Jose State) – Front layout to Rudi is good. Switch leap full. Front layout to front full with a larger step forward. Switch half to Popa. 9.700
Orengo (Utah State) – Cat leap, front toss, BHS, but she misses her hand and comes off. Switch leap to split jump. 1.5 twist dismount is stuck, although her heels together is more of a hop. 9.025
PeBenito (San Jose State) – Front double full that she runs out of. Cat leap to switch ring full. 1.5 twist to front layout. Switch full to split jump full. 9.775
Medrano (Utah State) – BHS layout stepout. Beat jump side aerial is smooth. Split jump to split 3/4. Gainer full with a tiny step. 9.825
Larson (San Jose State) – Double back with a larger step back. Switch side half to Shushunova. Front layout to front full. Switch leap 1/2 to Popa. 9.800
Witte (Utah State) – BHS BHS layout stepout is nice. Split jump to split 3/4. Front aerial with a small balance check. Gainer pike dismount is stuck, but she lands very close to the beam. 9.775
Patterson (San Jose State) – Double pike is good. Front layout to front full is underrotated and she lands low but manages it. Switch full to Popa. Double back with a small slide back. 9.650
Morabito (Utah State) – Cat leap to side somi and she comes off. BHS BHS layout stepout and she has a huge wobble and has to touch the beam to stay on. Switch leap to split leap. Front full dismount with a small hop forward. 8.700
Johnson (San Jose State) – Front double full with legs and decent control on the step forward. Rudi to layout stepout is nice. Switch half to Popa.
Vater (Utah State) – exhibition – Front aerial to back tuck. Switch leap to straddle 1/4. Wobbles a tiny bit as she preps for her dismount. 1.5 twist with a medium hop forward.
Jurries (San Jose State) – exhibition – Front tuck through to double back that is short and she has to take a medium step forward. Switch leap full. Front handspring front full front layout is landed with great control. Popa to wolf full.
AFTER THREE: Utah State 146.050, San Jose State 145.955
Hitting 196 won’t happen for the Aggies tonight after having to count a fall on beam. Despite the misses, Utah State showed a strong beam rotation that can be a strength for them alongside bars. They’ll need to start quickly on floor to get some more positive momentum. San Jose State continued their steady meet, but only had o97ne routine hit 9.800, as small landing errors added up.
Rotation 4: San Jose State BB, Utah State FX
Ashton (San Jose State) – BHS layout stepout. Switch leap to switch half with a leg-up wobble. BHS gainer full is stuck. 9.725
Gruber (Utah State) – 1.5 twist to front full. Tate McRae music. Switch side 1/2 to straddle jump. 2.5 twist lands deep and she takes a step to the side. 9.450
Macasu (San Jose State) – BHS layout stepout. Switch leap to switch 1/2 with a bit of a pause in between elements, but no wobble. 1.5 twist with a big step forward. 9.750
Yelle (Utah State) – Front double twist with a controlled step forward. Switch side 1/2 to straddle jump. 1.5 twist to front layout with some pike. 9.725
Reardon (San Jose State) – Forward roll mount. Small adjustment on the full turn. Standing layout stepout x2 is great. Switch leap to straddle 1/4. Switch leap to gainer full, small step with one foot. 9.375. Not sure why this one is lower, to be honest.
Southam (Utah State) – Front layout to Rudi with well controlled landing. Switch side 1/2 to straddle jump. Double back is landed on two feet with a quick presentation to the lunge. 9.725
Valuch (San Jose State) – BHS layout stepout with knees and an arm wave correction. Punch front. Cat leap to switch 1/2 that looks a bit under split. 1.5 twist is stuck. 9.775
Vater (Utah State) – Front double full with a larger step out of it. Switch leap to switch side 1/2. 1.5 twist to front layout with good height on both elements. 9.875
Patterson (San Jose State) – Forward roll mount. Switch leap to straddle jump. BHS layout stepout x2 with a small balance adjustment. BHS 1.5 twist with knees and a medium step forward. 9.750
Dewey (Utah State) – Front through to double back with a small slide back. Switch side 1/2 to straddle jump. 1.5 twist to front layout. 9.850
PeBenito (San Jose State) – BHS layout stepout with a lean and arm swing correction. Switch leap to switch leap is good. Side aerial. Split jump 1/2 transverse. 1.5 twist with a small step forward. 9.750
Orengo (Utah State) – Front through to a high double tuck is stuck on two feet, then a small adjustment of one foot. Whoops, I missed her leap combo. 1.5 twist to front full is good. 9.825
Johnson (San Jose State) – exhibition – BHS BHS layout stepout and she splits the beam, boo. Switch leap to split 3/4 – both elements under split and a lean forward on landing. BHS gainer full with a small step forward. 8.650
Peterson (Utah State) – exhibition – Front layout to Rudi to double stag jump, the front layout shows a lot of leg separation. Switch side 1/2 to straddle jump, lands a little bouncy. Front layout to front full.
FINAL: Utah State 195.050, San Jose State 194.675
VT: Jurries (San Jose State) 9.875
UB: Macasu (San Jose State) and Jelen (Utah State), 9.850
BB: Jelen (Utah State) and Medrano (Utah State), 9.825
FX: Vater (Utah State), 9.875
AA: Patterson (San Jose State), 38.875
Both teams will feel a bit disappointed with their scores tonight. Utah State closed strong, scoring a 49.000 on floor, but the mistakes on beam held them back from a higher score. Morabito has now missed two of three beam routines, but the hit one was a team high. Will the Aggies stick with her as their anchor while she finds her groove? San Jose State closed its meet with a solid beam rotation, but they would prefer not to count a 194.675 for NQS. Jurries’ career-high 9.875 on vault was a highlight, but the Spartans had a sub-49.000 rotation on their strongest event. That plus counting a low score on bars led to a showing below their potential.
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Live blog by Diana Scroggins
