Boise State hosts this year’s Mountain West Championship, a meet that in recent seasons has often come down to the final skill. All four teams have shown they can surpass 196, with recent favorite Air Force posting its first 197 last weekend.
Defending champion Utah State enters as the team to beat, ranked in the top 30 nationally by NQS and boasting depth on bars. The Aggies aim for their sixth consecutive 196+, led by two-event title contenders Nyla Morabito (VT/FX), Sydney Jelen (UB/BB), and Isabella Vater (UB/FX).
Air Force is close behind, making its first regional push in 24 years. Maggie Slife is poised to repeat as conference all-around champion if she can best teammate Alyssa Bigler. Beam has emerged as a strength for the Falcons, who scored a nationally competitive 49.525 on senior night; a strong start there could set the tone.
San Jose State has quietly stayed competitive all season, with team scores tightly clustered. A program-record 49.200 vault rotation earlier this year may be the spark the Spartans need, led by Kavianna Jurries, Mikaela Pitts, and standout freshman Sophie Patterson. Boise State rounds out the field as a wildcard, with specialists like Kristina Shchennikova, Mahleea Werline (UB), and Blake Pascal (FX) ready to capitalize after an early-season rough stretch.
Whichever team avoids counting scores in the 9.650-9.750 range will have a strong chance to claim the Mountain West title—and possibly inspire runners-up to swing for the fences at regionals.
The meet will be streamed on the Mountain West Network, and scores can be found on Virtius.
Rotation 1: VT Utah State, UB San Jose State, BB Air Force, FX Boise State
Athlete introductions for all four teams started the stream right off the bat at 8:00 sharp. Major shoutout to Julia Krzywanski, competing at a home regional with her entire head plastered into place with hair glitter — highlighted literally by the spotlights in the introduction procession. Second shoutout of the pre-meet goes to the Mountain West broadcasting team, with the NASCAR-style scoring tower going down the side of the screen.
Witte (USU): y full, small pike down to a hop back. 9.700
Patterson (SJSU): Maloney Pak smooth, and holds. her handstands like a seasoned vet. nearly stuck blind full to double tuck. 9.750
McDermott (AF): hit triple series, small check. revocers well for her switch to straddle 1/4. small hop forward on her roundoff 1.5. 9.725
Shchennikova (BSU): opens with her front layout to rudi and a calm split jump. switch ring to switch half both exceed 180 degrees. equally confident double tuck, maintaining her composure from start to finish leading off. 9.775
VanderToolen (USU): y full, stays open in her hip angle throughout and lands like a dart. setting a high standard for the remaining 30 odd vaults left. 9.850
Valuch (SJSU): tad piked in her first handstand, manages it to a floaty piked jaeger to bail. small step back from her DLO. 9.700
Hartley (AF): cat leap to aerial finds a nice rhythm, and she keeps it up through her dance right in to her handstand to bhs loso series. small bobble on her split jump to ring jump. sticks her gainer full! 9.800
Nero (BSU): massive double tuck, jumps a few feet backwards out of it into a lunge. big breath before her second, and nails a front layout to rudi and a split jump with a calmer landing. 9.750
Valdez (USU): y full, some soft knees and a hop back. 9.750
PeBenito (SJSU): beautiful maloney in combination. double layout cranks around, though not without the slight torso shape change between the two saltos. small step out. 9.775
Bacott (AF): standing pike says “watch me”. switch to split takes a check. nails her stag ring jump right after, and holds the stick on her gainer full. one thing about air force’s beam is that they get back on track before you’ve even noticed any uncertainty. 9.725
Kemp (BSU): massive full in, knees and ankles glued throughout. switch full to split full. stream moves to Vater’s vault before her second pass. 9.800
Medrano (USU): great height in her y full, hops to the side on landing. 9.725
Bigler (AF): NAILS her beat jump to split 3/4, and then follows suit for her roundoff 1.5. 9.925
Ferguson (BSU): big double pike, very precise with her posture. fhs front full front full misses a little of the height, arches over the second salto. cold sticks her double tuck to finish. 9.775
Vater (USU): y full on pike, big lift and rotates with a confident open pike. 9.800
Jurries (SJSU): clear hip Geinger to overshoot! she rocks her handstands and cranks giants into a double layout with only a small hoppy step back. 9.800
Slife (AF): clean bhs loso. unfortunately off on her front tuck. regroups in a matter of seconds and sticks her roundoff 1.5. 9.200
Reeves (BSU): big front double twist to front tuck. 9.800
Morabito (USU): y full with the tiniest of slides. keeps every single angle flared as soon as she leaves the table. 9.850
Macasu (SJSU): Maloney to bail hits vertical, and she carries her momentum to a stuck FTDT and a “lets go” for the camera. 9.900
Greene (AF): gainer bhs to loso like a rock. switch switch takes her to the other end confidently, for a cat leap to gainer loso and a small check. she’s going full force on this routine, and takes a step forward on her roundoff 1.5. 9.750
Pascal (BSU): A routine of her usual caliber can take Boise State ahead of Utah State and into the lead after rotation one. double tuck sticks cold, and barely even has to tuck to do it. switch ring to switch full gets her to her second corner for a hit roundoff 1.5 to layout. closes with the Boise State special rudi to split jump and blows a kiss to the crowd. 9.800
AFTER ONE: San Jose State: 49.000, Utah State 48.975, Boise State: 48.950, Air Force 48.925
This couldn’t have been written any better! All four teams are within 0.100 of each other, led by San Jos State after Macasu’s 9.900 in the anchor spot. It’s scoring like this that will undoubtedly push everyone to dial in that extra bit, and make every skill matter like it’s the last one of the meet.
Rotation 2: VT Boise State, UB Utah State, BB San Jose State, FX Air Force
Kho (BSU): looks like she found the stick on her y full. 9.750
Jelen (USU): clean and strong toe hs to Maloney and bail, just about sticks her DLO. 9.775
Ashton (SJSU): bhs loso hits calmly. switch to a hesitant switch half. drills her bhs gainer full and finds the stick. 9.850
McDermott (AF): front layout to rudi, the latter rising. switch to switch full does a great job slowing her down before her second pass — whip to 1.5 keeping in bounds by a hair. front lay front full with a controlled step finishes her routine. 9.775
Nero (BSU): truly massive y full, manages to keep it to one hop. 9.800
Vater (USU): somehow catches a twisty overshoot, and keeps her DLO on her feet after a large step forward. 9.675
Macasu (SJSU): switch to switch half both go high and hit their 180. one step forward on her roundoff 1.5. 9.850
Hartley (AF): double pike, stays level headed to not overcook her roundoff 1.5 to front pike. closes with a double tuck, stays closed on landing and forces her to take a low-chest step forward. 9.600
Kemp (BSU): almost sticks her yurchenko half, ends up taking one step back after maintaining a straight bodyline all the way through. 9.750
Orengo (USU): wrangles around her DLO, stands up perhaps a little too fast and has to arm circle along with a shuffle. 9.725
Willis (AF): high energy through her routine. clean switch half to Popa and comfortable landings on all of her tumbling. 9.700
Ball (BSU): y full on pike, struggles to get distance. 9.725
Bibbey (USU): big Tkatchev, and clear hip to bail with a bit of a loose catch. textbook stick on her DLO. 9.850
Patterson (SJSU): switch to straddle start her off calmly. swings for the fences with her bhs loso loso but ultimately off on the third skill. bhs 1.5 takes a step forward. 9.025
Greene (AF): fhs front double twist stays in, quick regroup and then nails her rudi pass. closes with more twisting, this time with a roundoff 1.5 to front lay. 9.800
Krzywanski (BSU): incredibly clean y full, the only deduction coming from a hop back. 9.725
VanderToolen (USU): toe hs to Maloney Pak, a tad late finishing her low bar pirouette then takes her time floating her stalder to open double tuck. 9.850
PeBenito (SJSU): joining partway through, for a roundoff 1.5 that hangs in the air and has to take a step forward. 9.800
Slife (AF): she’s back in business after beam, rocking her full in tucked. switch side to straddle half are both patient, going up before adding in a shape or a turn. clean roundoff 1.5 to front full to finish. 9.850
Delarosa (BSU): sticks her y tuck full, as is her go-to vault outing. 9.750
Laufer (USU): catches her ankle on the high bar on her Khorkina, but rallies together for a blind full to double tuck. 9.350
Reardon (SJSU): standing loso loso with a small check. checks again on her switch split, breaking the connection with her gainer full. 9.575
Bigler (AF): she has the audience all to herself. textbook punch front double full, with plenty of space left. switch full to split full get plenty of height. small side-step out of her roundoff 2.5, so far the only break of the routine. closes with a roundoff 1.5 to front layout. 9.800
AFTER TWO: San Jose State 97.875, Utah State 97.850, Air Force 97.850, Boise State 97.775
The meet is, on paper, spreading out. That is from 0.075 separating the leaders and the bottom up to an entire 0.100 between the four teams. San Jose State and Utah State maintain their positions in the top two, but the Aggies are now joined by the Falcons at the halfway point of the competition. San Jose State’s key to fending off the conference in rotation two was their slew of 9.8+ beam scores, highlighted again by Macasu.
Rotation 3: VT Air Force, UB Boise State, BB Utah State, FX San Jose State
Willis (AF): y full, small pike down with a hop back 9.650
Buell (BSU): whips around her DLO and finds the stick. 9.850
Jelen (USU): nails her aerial to bhs series. quickly covers a check on her double stag jump. bhs gainer full finds the stick. 9.875
Ashton (SJSU): clean front lay to front full, keeps her energy just as high for a switch half to Popa. 9.800
Walker (AF): big tsuk lay full! pikes down a little to step back. 9.725
Ball (BSU): very compact blind full to double tuck, holding her arms in at her chest instead of at her knees. 9.850
Orengo (USU): front toss to bhs, quick to connect even going in different directions. switch to split also flows efficiently. almost sticks her roundoff 1.5, college sticks it before hopping back. 9.875
Patterson (SJSU): massive double pike to start, keeps her lunge in bounds by a hair. front lay to front full has plenty of room to spare. switch full to Popa take their time, calming her down before the double tuck. 9.825
Greene (AF): sticks her Y full! 9.725
Reeves (BSU): a little loose on the overshoot, and muscles the blind full around into her double tuck. 9.475
Medrano (USU): fell on her series, putting the pressure on. sticks her gainer full. 9.225
Jurries (SJSU): front tuck through to double tuck, finishes rotating with so much airtime to spare. fhs front full front layout seems to energize her further for her wolf full to Popa. 9.800
Raife (AF): y full, steps back. 9.675
Werline (BSU): form break in her Pak, but pulls it back together for a stuck blind full to double tuck. 9.825
Valdez (USU): bhs loso hits. moves quickly through her switch to switch half. almost sticks the roundoff double full! 9.800
PeBenito (SJSU): punch front double twist, dances right out of it and into her switch ring full. roundoff 1.5 to layout also moves quickly into leaps, maintaining graceful composure throughout the routine. 9.800
Slife (AF): big y1.5, steps to the side on landing. 9.700
Shchennikova (BSU): massive jaeger and pak, her elbows haven’t bent since touching a bar. big height again in her toe hs to toe front half piked. 9.825
Laufer (USU): bhs loso, and then a tiny check on her front toss. switch to straddle 1/4 checks again. sticks her roundoff double. 9.700
Larson (SJSU): casually high double tuck to start. standalone front tuck, then nails two consecutive front fulls as if she has magnets in her feet. 9.850
Bigler (AF): another clean y1.5, small step forward. 9.825
Hamby (BSU): soars in her DLO, and still has enough power to hop forward. 9.850
Witte (USU): bhs bhs loso is the cleanest triple series of the meet so far. clean as well through her front aerial. gainer full sticks as well! lights out routine for the anchor. 9.950!!
Johnson (SJSU): big front double full, small knee bend througout. she’s keeping me on my toes with a cartwheel onodi! rudi loso, and switch half to Popa both look straight out of the code of points. 9.825
AFTER THREE: Utah State 147.050, San Jose State 146.975, Boise State 146.975, Air Force 146.500
Air Force’s pikes down on vault caught up with them in the third rotation, dropping behind the lead by 0.550 from an otherwise very tight meet. They’ll look to rally on bars, where they have a high scoring upside. Utah State currently holds the lead, with Witte’s 9.950 sitting pretty as my pick for routine of the meet so far.
Rotation 4: VT San Jose State, UB Air Force, BB Boise State, FX Utah State
Valuch (SJSU): clean y full, one step back out of her efficient twisting. 9.725
Boyer (AF): bhs loso, flexed feet but no uncertainty in her landings. likewise with her aerial. cat leap to switch side, and transverse straddle half look significantly calmer, setting her up for a roundoff 1.5 with a hop forward. 9.825
Orengo (USU): front tuck through to a stuck double tuck, taking the step back seemingly just to keep moving. switch half to wolf 1.5, and a clean roundoff 1.5 to layout to finish. 9.850
Macasu (SJSU): y full, some bent knees and a hop back. 9.625
Hartley (AF): drills the stick on her blind full to double tuck! the falcons will absolutely fight to claw back with five routines left. 9.825
Delarosa (BSU): showing us she’s confident, taking time to stand up from each skill. small hop on her bhs to tuck 1.5. 9.750
Yelle (USU): punch front double twist, takes it right to the boundary. switch side half to straddle jump. roundoff 1.5 to layout is missing the height in her second salto, but assertively stands up quickly out of it. 9.800
Johnson (SJSU): huge block translates to big distance for her y full, small hop should be the only major deduction. 9.775
Kristianson (AF): big Deltchev to bail, and launches her DLO with a small hop. 9.875
Whipple (BSU): sticks her gainer full! 9.900
Peterson (USU): front lay to rudi, and a fun cartwheel loso to tell us we should expect front tumbling. front lay front full just as smooth as her first pass. 9.850
Jurries (SJSU): sticks her y full cold, should contend for the title now that we’ve seen the other three teams also vault. 9.800
Bigler (AF): nails her FTDLO, even managing to flare the second salto. 9.700
Nero (BSU): bhs bhs loso hits clean. 9.850
Morabito (USU): dialed in for her first pass — front tuck through to a sky high double tuck. takes her sweet time in her front lay front full to front tuck, waiting to find the floor in each before. 9.875
Patterson (SJSU): y full fluid in the air after a fast block, small hop back. 9.750
Greene (AF): blind full to double tuck caps off a much-needed hit for the Falcons. 9.850
Shchennikova (BSU): gracefully through her press mount sequence. clean through her bhs bhs loso. sticks her gainer full as well. 9.875
Vater (USU): booking it into a hit front double twist, very squared on her landing. switch to switch side 1/2, then the feed switches. 9.875
Pitts (SJSU): sends her fhs pike half up to the rafters, nearly stuck but takes a step back. 9.775
Slife (AF): toe hs to a near-stuck FTDT, taking a small step to the left out of it. 9.875
Kho (BSU): bhs back pike stands up quickly. she’s playing with house money following five hit routines. switch to switch half nailed. gainer full near-stuck. 9.825
Gruber (USU): similar to Kho, playing with house money following a full rotation at or above 9.800. Massive 2.5 to punch front. She doesn’t know it yet, but the Aggies are guaranteed the team win. equally clean twisting in her roundoff 1.5 to front full, and big celebrations from Utah state for the camera crews. 9.900
FINAL: Utah State 196.400, Boise State 196.200, San Jose State 195.800, Air Force 195.750
Everyone brought their A-Game to the fourth rotation, including a notable meet-high 49.250 from Air Force on bars and a lights out floor rotation from the now repeat MW champions from Utah State. All but Boise State will advance as a team into regional competition, after a nail biter of a conference meet.
VT: Lundyn VanderToolen (Utah State), Nyla Morabito (Utah State): 9.850
UB: Samantha Macasu (San Jose State): 9.900
BB: Mya Witte (Utah State): 9.950
FX: Mara Gruber (Utah State): 9.900
AA: Alyssa Bigler (Air Force): 39.250
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Live blog by Peri Goodman
