MRGC Championship

Recap

The Big Storyline: Southern Utah won its first MRGC championship, just edging out BYU, thanks to a stellar all-around performance from Karley McClain.

Postseason Implications: After the MPSF championship earlier in the day, BYU and Boise State were already locked into regionals. Southern Utah is confirmed not to be in a play-in meet while Boise State and BYU most likely will be. 

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Karley McClain (Southern Utah)
• Event Specialist of the Year:
  • Vault: Sydney Benson (BYU), Emily Lopez (Boise State)
  • Bars: Emily Lopez (Boise State)
  • Beam: Elease Rollins (BYU)
  • Floor: Karley McClain (Southern Utah)
• Newcomer of the Year: Kylie Eaquinto (BYU)
• Coach of the Year: Scotty Bauman (Southern Utah)

Preview

• No. 21 Southern Utah | 196.765 NQS | 197.125 season high
• No. 34 BYU | 196.295 NQS | 196.650 season high
• No. 35 Boise State | 196.225 NQS | 196.825 season high
• No. 45 Utah State | 195.560 NQS | 196.175 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one… If you’re interested in the regionals bubble, this meet is for you. Both BYU and Boise State are perennial regionals qualifiers, with neither having missed in over a decade. They now find themselves on the bubble. Pending the results of meets earlier in the day, the pressure will likely be on BYU and Boise State to get large enough scores to qualify for regionals. At the very least, they’ll know what they need to qualify.

This meet will also feature conference leader Southern Utah who’s had a fantastic season so far. It should also be Southern Utah’s to lose, but it has had some beam troubles in the last month. If the Thunderbirds slip up on beam, BYU or Boise State could challenge for the conference title with hit meets. Last but certainly not least, Utah State will be capping off its season here. The Aggies have only scored as high as 196.175, but if multiple teams have errors, the Aggies could be in the mix to defend their title from a year ago.

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this… Southern Utah on floor is a must-watch, scoring as high as 49.500 this season with excellent tumbling highlighted by Karley McClain. Boise State on bars has not been as consistent as in years past, but the duo of Courtney Blackson and Emily Lopez is pristine, with Lopez scoring a 10.000 this season—the Broncos’ first in program history. BYU has struggled with beam this season, but the trio of Elease Rollins, Madison Raesly-Patton, and Mina Margraf are all stunning beam workers. This rotation could be key to BYU’s regional hopes. 

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on? BYU and Boise State hitting complete meets will be the focus of this meet as both teams look to secure their regionals spots. Additionally, Southern Utah is looking to build momentum with another hit beam rotation moving into the postseason.

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• BYU: 2 titles, last won in 2021
• Boise State: 5 titles, last won in 2019
• Southern Utah: 0 titles, (1 title in former conferences)
• Utah State: 1 title, last won in 2022

Note: The MRGC was formed in 2013

Records Watch

• Team: 197.050 | Vault: 49.325 | Bars: 49.475 | Beam: 49.475 | Floor: 49.575
• All Around: 39.600 | Vault: 9.950| Bars: 9.975| Beam: 9.925 | Floor: 9.950

Last Time Out

Utah State won its first conference championship last season thanks to 49.3-plus scores on bars, beam, and vault. This team is drastically different than this season’s, as former head coach Amy Smith took the coaching job at Clemson while six athletes transferred there as well. As for the rest of the conference, Boise State, Southern Utah, and BYU all finished within two tenths of one another, which ensured all four MRGC teams qualified to regionals.