Saturday, March 20
Logan, Utah
6 p.m. MT
Boise State
196.725
vs
196.250
Utah State
Broncos Finish Second at MRGC Championships
3/20/2021 9:25:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
FINAL RESULTS
LOGAN, Utah – The 19th-ranked Boise State gymnastics team made things interesting in the final rotation, but came up just short, ultimately finishing second at the 2021 Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championships at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Saturday.
The Broncos recorded a 196.725, their sixth-highest team score at a conference championship in school history, but were edged by the 12th-ranked Cougars (196.925). No. 21 Utah State finished third with a 196.250, and 20th-ranked Southern Utah finished fourth with a 196.225.
Individually, Boise State claimed conference championships in three of the four events. Freshman Courtney Blackson, senior Emily Muhlenhaupt and sophomore Adriana Popp earned league titles on vault, bars and beam, respectively.
"What an exciting meet!" head coach Tina Bird said. "We had some phenomenal performances tonight and were so close to that win. I'm really proud of our effort tonight, and know that we have more to give in the postseason. Winning three event titles really shows what we are capable of."
Muhlenhaupt was also named MRGC Bars Specialist of the Year following the meet, in addition to garnering first-team All-MRGC honors in the event. Muhlenhaupt was joined by freshman Emily Lopez on the All-MRGC Bars First Team. Blackson was named second-team All-MRGC on both vault and floor, while Popp and redshirt senior Maddi Nilson picked up All-MRGC Floor Second Team accolades.
Entering the final rotation, Boise State trailed BYU by a tenth, and then put together its best performance of the season on vault. Three Broncos recorded their career highs, including a 9.950 from Blackson to earn the conference championship. Redshirt junior Tessa Otuafi and freshman Emily Lopez each recorded 9.875s to establish their new career bests, but despite a season-high 49.325, the Broncos were unable to overtake the Cougars.
The Broncos' vault score was their best of the season, and also the second-highest score in the event at a conference meet in school history. In addition to vault, the bars (49.150, 10th), beam (48.950; eighth) and floor (49.300; seventh) performances each also cracked the school's all-time top-10 list at a conference championship.
Blackson's 9.950 on vault is tied for the third-highest score at a conference meet in school history, and earned her the first conference championship in the event by a Bronco since Ann Stockwell in 2018.
With Muhlenhaupt's 9.925 on bars, the Broncos have now claimed a conference champion in the event in each of the last seven meets. Her score is tied for the seventh-highest in the event in school history at a conference championship.
On beam, Popp's 9.900 gives the Broncos four-consecutive conference titles in the event. The score is tied for the sixth-highest all-time by a Bronco at a conference championship meet.
Nilson led the Broncos with a career-high-tying 9.900 on floor, finishing third at the MRGC Championships. The score is tied for ninth all-time at a conference championship.
Boise State had won five-consecutive MRGC Championships (2015-19) prior to the cancellation of last year's meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It had been the longest streak by a Boise State Athletics program since the football team also won five-straight titles in the Western Athletic Conference from 2002-06.
The Broncos will now wait to hear where they will be headed for the 2021 NCAA Regional Championships, which will be held April 1-3, at one of four regional sites - Salt Lake City, Utah, Columbia, Mo., Durham, N.H., and Morgantown, W.V. The NCAA Regional Selection Show is set for Monday, March 22, at 3 p.m. MT, and will be streamed live at NCAA.com.
BARS (ROTATION 1)
1. Gabriela Cavinta (9.825)
2. Courtney Blackson (9.775)
3. Maddi Nilson (9.800)
4. Emily Lopez (9.800)
5. Emily Muhlenhaupt (9.925)
6. Talia Little (9.800)
TEAM: 49.150
BEAM (ROTATION 2)
1. Emily Lopez (9.650)
2. Hope Masiado (9.750)
3. Gabriela Cavinta (9.800)
4. Erin Elkabchi (8.775)
5. Adriana Popp (9.900)
6. Emily Muhlenhaupt (9.850)
TEAM: 48.950
FLOOR (ROTATION 3)
1. Hope Masiado (9.775)
2. Erin Elkabchi (9.825)
3. Adriana Popp (9.850)
4. Courtney Blackson (9.850)
5. Maddi Nilson (9.900)
6. Samantha Smith (9.875)
TEAM: 49.300
VAULT (ROTATION 4)
1. Hope Masiado (9.750)
2. Maddi Nilson (9.825)
3. Tessa Otuafi (9.875)
4. Emily Lopez (9.875)
5. Samantha Smith (9.800)
6. Courtney Blackson (9.950)
TEAM: 49.325
LOGAN, Utah – The 19th-ranked Boise State gymnastics team made things interesting in the final rotation, but came up just short, ultimately finishing second at the 2021 Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championships at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Saturday.
The Broncos recorded a 196.725, their sixth-highest team score at a conference championship in school history, but were edged by the 12th-ranked Cougars (196.925). No. 21 Utah State finished third with a 196.250, and 20th-ranked Southern Utah finished fourth with a 196.225.
Individually, Boise State claimed conference championships in three of the four events. Freshman Courtney Blackson, senior Emily Muhlenhaupt and sophomore Adriana Popp earned league titles on vault, bars and beam, respectively.
"What an exciting meet!" head coach Tina Bird said. "We had some phenomenal performances tonight and were so close to that win. I'm really proud of our effort tonight, and know that we have more to give in the postseason. Winning three event titles really shows what we are capable of."
Muhlenhaupt was also named MRGC Bars Specialist of the Year following the meet, in addition to garnering first-team All-MRGC honors in the event. Muhlenhaupt was joined by freshman Emily Lopez on the All-MRGC Bars First Team. Blackson was named second-team All-MRGC on both vault and floor, while Popp and redshirt senior Maddi Nilson picked up All-MRGC Floor Second Team accolades.
Entering the final rotation, Boise State trailed BYU by a tenth, and then put together its best performance of the season on vault. Three Broncos recorded their career highs, including a 9.950 from Blackson to earn the conference championship. Redshirt junior Tessa Otuafi and freshman Emily Lopez each recorded 9.875s to establish their new career bests, but despite a season-high 49.325, the Broncos were unable to overtake the Cougars.
The Broncos' vault score was their best of the season, and also the second-highest score in the event at a conference meet in school history. In addition to vault, the bars (49.150, 10th), beam (48.950; eighth) and floor (49.300; seventh) performances each also cracked the school's all-time top-10 list at a conference championship.
Blackson's 9.950 on vault is tied for the third-highest score at a conference meet in school history, and earned her the first conference championship in the event by a Bronco since Ann Stockwell in 2018.
With Muhlenhaupt's 9.925 on bars, the Broncos have now claimed a conference champion in the event in each of the last seven meets. Her score is tied for the seventh-highest in the event in school history at a conference championship.
On beam, Popp's 9.900 gives the Broncos four-consecutive conference titles in the event. The score is tied for the sixth-highest all-time by a Bronco at a conference championship meet.
Nilson led the Broncos with a career-high-tying 9.900 on floor, finishing third at the MRGC Championships. The score is tied for ninth all-time at a conference championship.
Boise State had won five-consecutive MRGC Championships (2015-19) prior to the cancellation of last year's meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It had been the longest streak by a Boise State Athletics program since the football team also won five-straight titles in the Western Athletic Conference from 2002-06.
The Broncos will now wait to hear where they will be headed for the 2021 NCAA Regional Championships, which will be held April 1-3, at one of four regional sites - Salt Lake City, Utah, Columbia, Mo., Durham, N.H., and Morgantown, W.V. The NCAA Regional Selection Show is set for Monday, March 22, at 3 p.m. MT, and will be streamed live at NCAA.com.
BARS (ROTATION 1)
1. Gabriela Cavinta (9.825)
2. Courtney Blackson (9.775)
3. Maddi Nilson (9.800)
4. Emily Lopez (9.800)
5. Emily Muhlenhaupt (9.925)
6. Talia Little (9.800)
TEAM: 49.150
BEAM (ROTATION 2)
1. Emily Lopez (9.650)
2. Hope Masiado (9.750)
3. Gabriela Cavinta (9.800)
4. Erin Elkabchi (8.775)
5. Adriana Popp (9.900)
6. Emily Muhlenhaupt (9.850)
TEAM: 48.950
FLOOR (ROTATION 3)
1. Hope Masiado (9.775)
2. Erin Elkabchi (9.825)
3. Adriana Popp (9.850)
4. Courtney Blackson (9.850)
5. Maddi Nilson (9.900)
6. Samantha Smith (9.875)
TEAM: 49.300
VAULT (ROTATION 4)
1. Hope Masiado (9.750)
2. Maddi Nilson (9.825)
3. Tessa Otuafi (9.875)
4. Emily Lopez (9.875)
5. Samantha Smith (9.800)
6. Courtney Blackson (9.950)
TEAM: 49.325
Players Mentioned
All-Around
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/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
Bars, Beam
/ Women's Gymnastics
All-Around
/ Women's Gymnastics
Vault, Bars, Beam
/ Women's Gymnastics
All-Around
/ Women's Gymnastics
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/ Women's Gymnastics
All-Around
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