Bronco Gymnasts Top Arizona State, Penn State

The Boise State gymnasts went on the road to take on two other Top 25 teams and came back to Boise after scoring a 196, nearly a point better than Penn State and nearly a point and a half better than host Arizona State.

#22 Boise State took a major step towards qualifying for the NCAA Regional Gymnastics Championships with a shocking win over both host and #20 Arizona State and #21 Penn State last night.  The Broncos posted a team score of 196.00 to 195.050 for Penn State and 194.550 for ASU.  Boise State’s score was their ninth best total in school history.

Boise State came out on top on the vault and uneven bars, tied with Penn State on the floor and placed second on the beam behind the Sun Devils.  The seeding for the regionals is determined by a complex score known as the Regional Qualifying Score.  Loosely, it is based on the average score this season, and Boise State’s score of 196 will boost its RQS.

"I am really proud of this team; they believe in their talent and work ethic," said co-head coach Tina Bird. "We (the team) dedicated this meet to our senior associate athletic director, Lisa Parker. We went into the meet really proud to be representing Boise State and Lisa, and that kept us focused against the tough competition. It was a great win for us."

The Bronco gymnasts jumped out of the gate with a 49.025 on bars to grab a lead that they never lost.  Lindsay Ward won the individual title for the fifth time this season, tying her for fourth all-time, by matching her career high of 9.925.  Sophomore Taylor Jacob placed second with a score of 9.875, just short of her career best.  

Boise State followed with a respectable 48.90 on the beam as freshman Kelsey Lang posted a career best of 9.825 to tie for second place.  The Broncos rang up a 48.950 on the floor.  Sarah Smith’s second-place finish led the way as she put on a dazzling routine that netted a career best 9.90.  Hannah Redmon was third with a 9.850 and Amy Glass finished in a tie for fourth with her career best score of 9.825.     

The Broncos finished off the meeting of three Top 25 teams by nailing their vaults, finishing with a 49.125, and the fourth best mark in school history.  Redmon tied her career best of 9.90 to earn second place, while Glass and Ward were part of a tie for third with 9.850.

Redmon posted her third all-around win, tying with PSU’s Brandi Personett with a total of 39.325. 

Boise State has two more meets before the Western Athletic Conference Championship in Boise March 29^th.  The Broncos take on Oregon State, Sacramento State and Missouri in Corvallis next weekend.