OCR Text |
Show StatesmanSports Monday, March 19, 2012 Page 7 GYMNASTICS Aggies top T-Birds, take third at Arizona quad BY MEREDITH KINNEY sports senior writer USU at SUU Utah State gymnastics topped Southern Utah University for the first time since 2005 to kick off Spring Break. The Aggies beat the T-birds by just under a point 194.200-193.700. Sophomore Paige Jones and freshman Sarah Landes each had a share of the vault title, Jones won the floor and all-around titles outright, and senior Rebecca Holliday won bars. Opening on bars, junior Amelia Montoya and freshman Kaitlyn Betts each scored a 9.750, and Holliday landed a 9.800. On vault Betts flipped to a 9.675 and Jones and Landes tied, each with 9.825. The Aggies' total score of 48.600 on the event was their second best of the season. Holliday scored a 9.750 on floor before Jones tied her career high with a 9.850. Freshmen Ashley Follet and Samantha Wagner were the top Aggie beam workers, each with 9.725. USU at Arizona The Aggies saw their final action of the week in a quad meet hosted by the University of Arizona on Friday. USU picked up its top road score of the season on bars and secondbest overall score of the season but ended up in third. The meet was won by No. 18 Arizona followed by Bridgeport University in second. The Aggies held on to third place at 192.975, just ahead of the Air Force Academy at 192.175. The Aggies were without junior Amanda Watamaniuk, who suffered a season-ending injury in practice. Jones was the top Aggie, tying for second on bars. She also tied for fourth in the allaround — one spot ahead of Holliday. "We started a little slow," Jones said. "We had a few uncharacteristic mistakes." The Aggies opened up the meet on floor. Freshman Susie Miller scored a 9.725 after Montoya posted a 9.775. "It was a good performance," Utah State head coach Jeff Richards said. "We faltered in the second half of our lineup." On vault Jones registered 9.725 and Landes scored a 9.775. Utah State was on bars for the third rotation when Landes and Montoya each landed a 9.825. Jones scored a 9.850. "We were aggressive and confident," Jones said. "We hit." On beam Wagner posted AGGIE SENIOR REBECCA HOLLIDAY runs to vault at a meet earlier this season in the Spectrum. The Aggies will host the WAC Championships on March 24 in the Spectrum. CURTIS RIPPLINGER photo a career-best 9.800 and Jones stuck a 9.775. "Scorewise it seems to be our best event, but we have the most talent on beam and floor," Richards said. The Arizona meet was the Aggies' final regular sea- son meet before the Western Athletic Conference championships March 24. - meredith.kinney@aggiemail. usu.edu From Page 6 Aggies to face Loyola Marymount in quarterfinals at half, started the run with a layup in the post, and USU never trailed the remainder of the game. Idaho's first field goal of the game came on a layup five minutes into the contest from junior forward Wendell Faines. USU held the Vandals scoreless for the next six minutes until sophomore guard Stephen Madison hit a baseline jumper with the shot clock winding down. "We were hustling out there," Medlin said. "We were getting rebounds, and we were making them miss shots because of our energy. And that is what coach emphasized." USU shot 51.9 percent from the field and 66.6 percent from 3-point land during the first half, and limited Idaho to 27.3 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from 3-point range. "We were really aggressive defensively in the first half," Morrill said. "We had a lot of deflections and they were having a hard time scoring and that is what got us a nice halftime lead." Idaho went on several small runs during the game, but the after the first half, USU never let its lead be less than 20. "We had a lot of intensity on the defensive end and I think that halted their runs," USU freshman forward Ben Clifford said. "The big thing for us this game was to stop them in transition and we had three guys back instead of two." After scoring one point against Bakersfield, USU's reserves scored 23 points on the night with Clifford scoring eight points. "Everybody was involved," Morrill said. "I told them before the game, 'You are either going to be excited and ready to play or you're going to be completely flat. You've got to decide what you want to be.' To their credit, they wanted to play and that's how they've been since we got beat in the (WAC) tournament." USU shared the ball particularly well finishing with 21 assists. Senior guard Brockeith Pane notched a game-high 11 assists to one turnovers and chipped in seven points. USU hosts Loyola Marymount University from the West Coast Conference on Wednesday at 7 p.m. as part of the CIT quarterfinal matches. - ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu NOW itINI CIIMMER num Apply online at: www.usu.edu/ucc Deadline: March 26 USU JUNIOR FORWARD KYISEAN REED had 15 points and five rebounds in the 20-point win over Idaho in the Spectrum on Saturday. TODD JONES photo From Page 6 Track opens 2012 outdoor season In the women's race Stephanie Burt finished second, while Hannah Williams took fourth and Kim Quinn finished fifth. Junior distance runner Brittany Fisher did not compete because she was injured in a rock climbing accident Monday morning. Gensel said USU probably would have had success in the 1500 even if his athletes weren't trying to run well for their injured teammate. "I'm not saying that it didn't have anything to with it," Gensel said. "They're here for a reason in running, and although we support Brittany and mean well — and what's best for her and everything — the kids know that they're here for a reason and that's to run. And they are prepared for that, so they ran well." Kaylee Campbell took second in the steeplechase with a time of 11 minutes, 38.60 seconds, and Austin Neuner took fifth in the men's with a 9:53.44. Gensel said the young Aggie steeplechasers ran well in their first outdoor meet. "It's early in the season," he said. "We haven't had a chance to practice it outdoors, so that's good." Camille Fehlberg won the 400 hurdles in 1:02.73 and Tyler Killpack finished second in the 800 in 1:54.23. "We've got a lot of the people who didn't win events," Gensel said. "But, we've got a lot of people who stepped up and performed well." Other performances include Silas Pimentel and Nic Bowens in the 100, clocking 10.57 and 10.58, respectively. Spela Hus took fifth in the shot put with a throw of 14.89. The Aggies will next compete in UC Irvine's Spring Break Invitational on March 23-24. - tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu TIER II TUITION PROPOSAL — Public Forum — MARCH 22, 2012, 11:00 A.M. TAGGART STUDENT CENTER AUDITORIUM All concerned students and citizens are invited to the public hearing on the proposed increase. Comments are welcome. A UtahStateUn iversity |