BYU’s gymnastics team is on an upward trajectory for what could be the Cougars’ best season to date. The team just recorded its highest score since the 2024 Big 12 championships in a 196.975-196.000 win over SUU on the road last week.
That effort included season highs on vault (49.15), beam (49.375) and floor (49.30). The event highs were a nice complement to bars, which has been the Cougars’ strongest event this year.
BYU currently ranks No. 23 in the country and boasts a roster of 21 gymnasts, including 10 who call Utah home. Recruiting locally is nothing new for the Cougars, but there seems to be a momentum boost in recent years. That includes this year’s freshman class, which is arguably BYU’s most impressive.
“I chose BYU because I’m not going to be doing gymnastics forever. This was an opportunity to be part of a program that is continually climbing and one that was going to help me grow outside of gymnastics, surrounded by good people.”
— BYU gymnast Scarlett Sonnenberg
Highlighting that freshman class is Scarlett Sonnenberg from Springville, Utah. Sonnenberg came to BYU with a five-star rating and was recruited by several top-25 programs. She is only the second five-star recruit in the state since the ratings system began, the other being Utah gymnast Avery Neff, who is from South Jordan, Utah.
“I think with the rating it is nice to know that I deserved it, that I got myself there and achieved something high,” said Sonnenberg. “But now, I’m really enjoying the team environment that everyone told me was a big change from club to college.
“I chose BYU because I’m not going to be doing gymnastics forever. This was an opportunity to be part of a program that is continually climbing and one that was going to help me grow outside of gymnastics, surrounded by good people.”
Sonnenberg’s ability to compete against the best gymnasts during her club career, many of whom she’s still competing against across college meets, prepared her for the mental and physical load of a college season. She is a regular in the vault, beam and floor lineups and has taken on the tough assignment of leading off events in her debut year.
“Scar is so talented,” said senior Kylie Eaquinto. “She’s been settling into the leadoff role for us on beam and floor, and she’s amazing.”
Eaquinto is another local product, who along with fellow Orem, Utah, native Brynlee Andersen-Broekman leads the Cougars. Both have already earned event titles this season as well as a Big-12 Weekly Award.
“Kylie and Brynlee are both so talented,” said BYU coach Guard Young. “Every time I watch Kylie perform on bars, I’m just like, ‘How am I going to ever replace that.’
“With Brynlee, if you ever just need something that makes you smile, watch her beam, she’s just a star,” said Young.
Andersen-Broekman is so good on beam that she qualified for nationals last season as an individual competitor after tying for the event title at regionals (with Neff and others).
She has carried over her success this season, hitting a meet-high 9.925 on beam in the win over SUU. The junior is the highest-ranked beamer from the Big 12 in the national rankings, just ahead of her former club teammate and now Utah gymnast Camie Winger at No. 17 and 18, respectively.
Eaquinto leads a strong bars lineup for the Cougars, and has a new floor routine this season that fans love. It’s a baseball themed routine that is a tribute to her five brothers and their love for the sport.
“It’s a very different vibe shift for me on floor — I never thought I would do something like this, but it’s been fun,” explained Eaquinto. “Finding music is my least favorite part of floor; I know some people love it, but I don’t. When the ”Centerfield" song played, I was like, ‘This could be fun.’ It’s gotten me out of my comfort zone and been a nice tie to my brothers.”
Eaquinto, like Sonnenberg and other teammates, was also presented with multiple offers from college programs.
“I really liked BYU because it was close to home so I could go home for Sunday dinners and because I could be surrounded by people who have the same beliefs and values as me,” explained Eaquinto. “It’s been fun to see past club teammates join the team and meet new teammates, and really watch the program grow.”
Sonnenberg, Eaquinto and Andersen-Broekman, among other Cougars, all trained at Bold Gymnastics in Utah County, which is owned by Utah gymnastics assistant coach Jimmy Pratt and his wife Makenna Pratt. Sophomore Deb Silva, from Lindon, Utah, is another local product out of Bold who just won the floor title with a 9.9 in the Cougars’ win last week.
Bold is one of several clubs in Utah, including Olympus Gymnastics, where Zoe Hale and Mya Kirkham trained prior to BYU, producing talented gymnasts. The sophomore Kirkham is fighting her way into Cougar lineups, while Hale, a four-star recruit, is part of the talented freshman class.
“I think we have a really deep roster with a lot of talent coming from all over the country, and we also have a lot of talented local kids who want to compete close to home and go to an outstanding university,” said Young.
Up next, BYU travels up the road to face No. 12 Utah this Friday in the Huntsman Center. The meet starts at 7 p.m. MST and is being aired on ESPN+.
