UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Solid performances throughout the night landed the No. 29 BYU gymnastics team a 194.325 at the NCAA Regionals on Saturday night at Penn State University.
That posting, though, was not enough to send the Cougars to the NCAA Championships. With tight competition, facing three top-15 teams the Cougars finished fifth. No. 2-ranked Georgia won the meet with a 197.775, while No. 13 Denver finished second with 195.775. Host No. 20 Penn State took third place at 195.700 and No. 12 Auburn earned a fourth-place finish with 195.150. Iowa State came in behind BYU with an overall score of 194.200.
"I thought we did pretty well," said BYU coach Brad Cattermole. "I wish we would have done better in a couple of the events, but for us to succeed everyone needs to do well."
Alethea Boon was the only Cougar to compete in the all -around. The senior posted a 38.950 and took ninth out of the all-around competitors.
The Cougars started the night with a bye in the first rotation and began the evening on floor exercises in the second rotation. BYU had solid performances on the event recording 48.700. Sophomore Danielle Goldman led off landing 9.750, with Boon also scoring 9.750. But it was the last performer, junior Hayley Jensen, who topped the Cougars with 9.775.
Moving to vault on the third rotation, the Cougars tumbled their way to 48.675. For the second meet in a row, Boon led the Cougars earning 9.850. With that posting Boon tied for fifth place on the event. Smart- Allen and Donehue followed both landing 9.750.
After a bye in the fourth rotation, BYU moved to the uneven bars.
Despite a couple of struggles in routines, the Cougars recorded 48.700. The team ended the event strong as Donehue and senior Kylee-Draper Marvin both stuck scores of 9.800.
BYU moved to beam for the sixth rotation. The squad posted 48.250 on its final event of the night. Like the uneven bars, the Cougars had a rough start on the apparatus. But with a 9.850 performance by Jensen, the Cougars regained their momentum. Jensen tied for sixth place on the event, and that mark was a career high for the junior.
Draper-Marvin followed suit tying her personal best recording 9.800.
Smart-Allen rounded out the event for BYU and landed 9.825.
Last season BYU placed fourth at Regionals recording 193.300. This year marked the 19th time Cattermole has taken the BYU gymnastics program to a NCAA Regionals berth, missing only one year since taking the position as head coach.