WVU Gymnastics Falls to Utah & BYU in Salt Lake City | Scores & Recap
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The West Virginia University gymnastics team faced a challenging road meet on Saturday, falling short against both No. 12 University of Utah, and No. 24 Brigham Young University at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Utah secured the victory with a score of 197.65, while BYU finished with 196.55, leaving the Mountaineers with a final tally of 195.3.
WVU began the competition on uneven bars, led by a 9.775 from Jurnee Lane, marking the highest score on the event for the Mountaineers. Sophomore Kaelyn Skeel opened with a 9.75, followed by matching 9.725s from freshman Haley Mendoza and junior Amber Lowe. The team posted a combined 48.7 on bars, but Utah responded with a dominant performance on vault, consistently scoring above 9.9, and BYU delivered strong beam routines, creating an early deficit for West Virginia.
The second rotation saw the Mountaineers transition to balance beam, traditionally a challenging event. Freshman Kayla Smith led off with a 9.7, and Lowe continued to shine, earning a 9.875 – WVU’s highest beam score of the night. Mendoza added a 9.8, while routines from senior Miranda Smith (9.7) and a dropped score of 9.65 from Lane impacted the team total. Freshman Auden Pederson made her beam debut, contributing a 9.7. Despite solid individual performances, Utah maintained its momentum with another impressive 49.5 on uneven bars, highlighted by a near-perfect 9.975 from Ana Padurariu, extending their lead to 99.00-98.375-97.475 over BYU and WVU respectively.
West Virginia moved to floor exercise for the third rotation. Senior Carlee Nelson and sophomore Taylor Tuohy both posted 9.75s, while Lane delivered a 9.8. Kayla Smith added a 9.775, and sophomore Emerson Smith contributed a 9.8. Pederson closed out the rotation with another 9.75, resulting in a team score of 48.875. Utah, however, continued to perform consistently on beam, though their scores dipped slightly from previous rotations, still extending their overall advantage.
The final rotation featured vault for the Mountaineers. Emerson Smith started with a 9.725, followed by a 9.825 from Kayla Smith and a 9.8 from Nelson. Sophomore Karleigh DiCello scored a 9.725, and Sophia Rice concluded the meet with a 9.875, tying the meet-high vault score. WVU finished the vault with a 48.950, bringing their overall total to 195.3.
Utah sealed their victory with a strong floor exercise rotation, including a 9.975 from Makenna Smith, finishing with a 197.65. BYU secured second place with a 196.55.
The Mountaineers will now prepare to face North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, , at 6 p.m. The meet will be broadcast on the ACC Network. This upcoming competition offers WVU an opportunity to regroup and build on their performances as they navigate the remainder of the season.
The result in Salt Lake City highlights the competitive landscape of collegiate gymnastics, with Utah consistently demonstrating its strength as a top-ranked program. BYU’s performance also underscores the rising talent within their gymnastics team. For West Virginia, the meet serves as a valuable learning experience, identifying areas for improvement and solidifying individual strengths as they head into their next challenge.