Happy Friday! It’s an in-state showdown as BYU heads north to Salt Lake City to take on Utah in a rivalry matchup that always delivers energy.
BYU is riding momentum after a season-high 196.975 on the road last week. While the Cougars don’t lean on a single, set all-arounder every meet, their depth allows them to field six competitive routines on each event—a formula that’s paying off. Brynlee Anderson-Broekman will be one to watch, particularly on beam and floor, where she’s capable of anchoring big numbers. Ava Jorgensen has also been a steady presence, consistently boosting event totals and stepping in across multiple lineups, occasionally contributing on all four events.
Utah, meanwhile, is still chasing week-to-week consistency but boasts one of the most talent-rich rosters in the country. The Utes are coming off a 197.125 road win and continue to shine on vault, where they rank No. 4 nationally. The lineup is stacked with 10.0 start values, highlighted by Avery Neff’s perfect score earlier this season. Ella Zirbes has grown into the all-around role as the season has progressed, and Mackenna Smith remains a dependable, high-scoring option who can deliver across multiple events. If Utah hits to its potential—especially on vault—it will be tough to beat at home.
The meet will be streamed on ESPN+, and scores can be found on Virtius.
Rotation 1: Utah VT, BYU UB
Raposo (UU): Y-1.5, good block and big step forward. 9.800
Kirkham (BYU): Maloney with leg separation to bail. Short on final HS, tiny step back on DLO, keeps feet glued together. 9.800
Zirbes (UU): Y-1.5, good body position and distance, takes a step forward on landing. 9.825
Glazier (BYU): Good HS, blind to straddle jaeger, catches close and bends arms. Bail to HS, ends with a DLO and hops in place. 9.775
Johnson (UU): Y-1.5, nice height but sits it down. 9.275
Silva (BYU): Blind to straddle jaeger, too far and falls. Short HS to pak. Ends with a full twisting double tuck, tiny hop back. 8.975
Smith (UU): Y- half on pike off, steps forward but stays on her feet. 9.900
Eaquinto (BYU): Pressures on her after a fall. Maloney to pak, legs glued. HS to a stuck DLO! 9.825
Glynn (UU): Y-1.5, amazing block off table and form in air, small slide back on landing.
Alvarado (BYU): Maloney to bail HS, fights for that. Love her lines on the handstands! DLO, small hop back. 9.800
Neff (UU): Y-1.5, is off with her steps into vault and steps back on landing. 9.800
Jorgensen (BYU): HS to high ray, bail to HS. Short on last HS. Sticks her DLO! 9.775
Ex. Winger (UU): Y-1.5, not a lot of height but nice controlled landing, steps forward. 9.825
Ex. Tenesch (BYU): Short HS, Maloney to pak, blind full to double tuck, miss times and lands on her hands and knees. She’s okay. 8.650
AFTER ONE: Utah 49.225, BYU 48.975
Both teams survive after a fall in their lineups. With no sticks from Utah, they will want to work on nailing in landings on the rest of the events, but are going into bars with the lead! BYU had a solid start with Kylie Eaquinto highlighting their bars rotation with a 9.825! On to the second rotation!
Rotation 2: BYU VT, Utah UB
Stephenson (BYU): Y-full, not a lot of height and slight pike down. Small hop in place on landing. 9.750
Smith (UU): HS to pak, toe shoot into VL, sticks her front pike half! Great start for Utah! 9.900
Kirkham (BYU): Y-full, great distance and small slide back. 9.775
Raposo (UU): Maloney, goes up to free hip, pak with leg separation, VL, DLO with step back. 9.875
Sonnenberg (BYU): Y-1.5, nice block on table and hops forward. 9.825
Ryssman (UU): Nice HS, blind to piked jaeger, pak, pirouette is right on top, holds her final HS, DLO with a small pike down but sticks it! 9.925
Silva (BYU): Y-full, nice body position in air, just lifts her heels on the landing! 9.850
Zirbes (UU): Blind to straddle jaeger, bail, sticks her full twisting double tuck! 9.975!
Jorgensen (BYU): Y-full on- pike off, hops back! So unique! 9.775
Padurariu (UU): Maloney to pak, bail to HS, holds last HS, front pike half off and sticks it! 9.950
Eaquinto (BYU): Y-full, nice extension in her body and hops back. 9.800
Neff (UU): She is set up for a big score! HS to piked gienger into bail, ends with a stuck full twisting DLO! It’s a 10.0!!
Ex. Hale (BYU): Y-full, nice and open with great distance, just a hop on landing. 9.700
Ex. Winger (UU): Maloney to pak, pirouette, almost goes over on last HS, ends with a full in double tuck and steps forward. 9.725
AFTER TWO: Utah 98.975, BYU 98.000
What a performance from Utah on bars! They went lights-out on the second rotation, scoring an impressive 49.750 event score and only counting scores of 9.900+! Avery Neff scores a perfect score in the anchor spot to give the Utes a very comfortable lead in the first half of the meet! BYU scores in the 49+ range on vault, even with their lack of 10.0 SV vaults, with their execution and controlled landings!
Rotation 3: Utah BB, BYU FX
Gantner (UU): Starting with a BHS LOSO, solid. Little check on dance. Switch half to straddle jump is nice. Full turn. RO 1.5, nails that landing! 9.875
Sonnenberg (BYU): First pass is a double tuck, slides her foot back to lunge. Nice rotation on leaps. Fun dance! Ending with a back 1.5 to front layout, a little flat on layout but controls the landing. 9.825
Smith (UU): Full turn. I love that she dances to “We Will Rock You.” BHS LOSO, small lean back. Cat leap into front aerial is nice. Switch leap to straddle quarter, small check. Sticks her front gainer pike off the end! 9.850
Hoke (BYU): Switch 3/4 to straddle, nice extension. First pass is a roundoff to double tuck, steps back OOB. Final pass is a front layout to front full, second flip rises and controls landing! 9.625
Ryssman (UU): Showing her flexibility in her dance. BHS LOSO, no problems there. Looks confident. Switch leap to side sumi, a little off but covers well. Full turn to beat jump. RO double twist, hops back. 9.850
Stephenson (BYU): Really pretty leap. Front layout to rudi, nice timing and control. Switch full to split full. Last pass is front layout to front full, good height on second half of salto! 9.875
Padurariu (UU): She’s a performer in her dance! Double wolf turn, nice control. Front aerial to BHS, pretty. Switch leap, wobbles but covers it with dance. Check on sheep jump. Front gainer pike, stuck! 9.875
Anderson-Broekman (BYU): Switch ring. Punch rudi to straddle, goes backwards in jump. Energetic routine, team is clapping to music. Ending with a 1.5 to front layout, good air awareness and keeps it in bounds! 9.850
Neff (UU): Side aerial to BHS, controlled. Barani, solid. Split jump to shoosh. Full turn, tiny check. Cartwheel to side gainer full, rises and sticks! 9.950
Silva (BYU): Punch rudi, high and controlled! Second pass is a double tuck, hops out. Switch full to wolf full. Ends with a 1.5 to front full, not a lot of rise but good landing. 9.825
Winger (UU): BHS LOSO LOSO, check. Switch leap to split jump. Full turn, nice control. BHS side gainer full, sticks it! 9.950
Eaquinto (BYU): Amazing height and control on double pike. Switch ring to wolf full. Baseball themed routine, so entertaining! RO 1.5 to whippy front layout but stays on her feet. 9.825
Ex. Stroud (UU): BHS BHS LOSO, solid. Full turn. Switch leap to BHS swing down. Ending with RO 1.5, nails that landing! 9.850
Ex. Kirkham (BYU): Lots of power in double pike, slides foot back. Switch half to wolf full, a little low. Finishing with a front layout to rudi to double stag, so pretty! 9.825
AFTER THREE: Utah 148.475, BYU 147.200
Another amazing performance from Utah! They have found their momentum this meet, scoring a 49.500 in their third rotation. The back-to-back 9.950’s from Neff and Winger helped cap off beam for the Utes, but they head to ranked, their lowest ranked event. BYU also had a great rotation in floor with a 49.200, highlighted by Daisy Stephenson’s 9.875! Let’s see how these teams end the night, onto the last rotation!
Rotation 4: BYU BB, Utah FX
Sonnenberg (BYU): Beat to straddle half. BHS LOSO, solid. Full turn. Cat leap to side aerial, pretty. BHS side gainer full, sticks it? Good leadoff for the Cougars! 9.800
Glynn (UU): Front double, hops out. Switch ring to jump series, good positions. Second pass is a 1.5 to front layout, form and timing issues on that layout. 9.800
Jorgensen (BYU): BHS BHS LOSO, nice. Full turn. Beat jump to straddle half, check. RO 1.5 with a small hop forward. 9.750
Neff (UU): Starts with front double to barani to stag, nicely controlled! Another fun routine, love her dancing! Ending with a RO 1.5 to front full, good landing! 9.950
Alvarado (BYU): Full turn. BHS LOSO is good. Hitch kick to side aerial, bends at hips. Switch leap to piked BHS swing down, SO pretty! BHS to side gainer full, a little wonky in connection but gets the stick! 9.750
Johnson (UU): First pass is a DLO, nicely controlled! Intense music! Ending with a front tuck through to double pike, under rotates and takes a big step forward. 9.750
Hoke (BYU): BHS LOSO, big wobble but saves it. Full turn. Split jump to straddle half is solid. Side aerial, leg up check. Crowd in singing along to her music. RO 1.5 with a hop forward. 9.500
Zirbes (UU): Beginning with a front double twist, great landing. Switch half to straddle full, nice extension. RO 1.5 to front full, controlled! 9.950
Anderson-Broekman (BYU): BHS LOSO, check. Beat jump to straddle half. Full turn. Cat leap to side aerial. She’s moving fast! BHS to side gainer full with a stick! Not a lot of rise on that gainer. 9.700
Smith (UU): Starts with so much energy! Front double twist to punch front, perfectly timed! She is so fun to watch on floor! Ending with a rudi to LOSO, amazing routine for Utah! 9.950
Smith (BYU): BHS to side aerial, smooth connection. Full turn, small check. Working through a loud crowd. BHS side gainer full, stuck!
Curtis (UU): Her team set her up for something big. Starts with a HUGE DLO, nice landing. I love this routine. Front tuck into leaps. Front full to front full, great rise in her second flip! 9.900
Ex. Ermisch (BYU): BHS LOSO, solid. Nice work through the crowd, they seem excited about that Curtis score! Split jump to split 3/4. Cartwheel to side gainer full, fights for that stick!
Ex. Stickler (UU): Last routine of the night. DLO, lands completely OOB with both feet. Front layout to rudi, controlled.
FINAL: Utah 198.025, BYU 196.025
What. a. night. for Utah! I think it’s safe to say that they have found their rhythm after that amazing bars rotation. With career-highs, a perfect score, and a season-high all-around score, Utah comes out with a win! Avery Neff is the star of the night, winning the all-around and showing great execution throughout the entire meet! BYU also had a great night on the road, hitting that 196.000 mark in a wild environment!
VT: Makenna Smith (Utah), Ashley Glynn (Utah) 9.900
UB: Avery Neff (Utah) 10.0
BB: Avery Neff (Utah), Camie Winger (Utah) 9.950
FX: Ella Zirbes (Utah), Makenna Smith (Utah), Avery Neff (Utah) 9.950
AA: Avery Neff (Utah) 39.700
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Live blog by Jenna Garcia
