Cougs score a 196.450 on Senior Night

Behind a season-high beam score of 49.425, BYU women’s gymnastics scored a 196.450 on senior night Friday evening at the Marriott Center. Despite several season and career highs, the Cougars fell to No. 15 Ohio State 197.125-196.450.

Author Brenna Seeman
Elease and Lindsey hug after beam Elease and Lindsey hug after beam

PROVO, Utah — Behind a season-high beam score of 49.425, BYU women’s gymnastics scored a 196.450 on senior night Friday evening at the Marriott Center. Despite several season and career highs, the Cougars fell to No. 15 Ohio State 197.125-196.450.

"This is a special senior class," assistant coach Brogan Evanson said. "We have fought through Covid and the ups and downs of NCAA athletics. I love these athletes for their passion for gymnastics and the love they have shown their teammates over the years. They are the strength of a BYU Cougar."

After receiving a 10 from one judge for the second time this season, freshman Brynlee Andersen scored a new career high and led the Cougars on beam with a 9.975. Only five other gymnasts in BYU history have earned that beam score, with one being fellow teammate, Elease Rollins. 

Rollins’ 9.925 and Anderson’s 9.975 on beam led to BYU’s season-high beam score of 49.425, the fifth-highest beam score in program history.

The vault got things rolling for the Cougars in the first rotation. With a 9.850 from senior Sydney Benson and three 9.775s, BYU finished with a score of 48.925. The Buckeyes led with a 49.100 after the first rotation.

Competing on the uneven bars for the first time ever, freshman Ava Jorgensen scored a 9.800 to open the second rotation. Fellow freshman Alilah Alvarado also scored a 9.800 for the fourth time this season. Lindsey Hunter-Kempler and Kylie Eaquinto followed with a pair of 9.825's and senior Anyssa Alvarado anchored with a 9.800 for a team bars score of 49.050.

The Cougars trailed Ohio State 98.400-97.975 after the second rotation. 

BYU tallied five scores above a 9.800 on the balance beam in rotation three. Senior Allix Mason got things going for the Cougars with a 9.825 before Madison Raesly-Patton tied her season-high score of a 9.850. Sophie Dudley and Eliza Millar-Crossman followed with scores of 9.850 and 9.800, respectively. Competing on the apparatus for her final time in the Marriott Center, Rollins scored a 9.925 before Andersen anchored for BYU with a career and a team-high 9.975. 

After recording a team score of 49.425 on the beam, the Cougars trailed the Buckeyes 147.950-147.400 heading into the final rotation. BYU’s score on the beam was the fifth-highest output in program history.

Millar-Crossman opened the final rotation for the Cougars on the floor scoring a 9.825 before Dudley and Heidi Schooley each recorded 9.800’s. Eaquinto wrapped up the evening for BYU with a 9.850 and ended the night with a final floor score of 49.050. 

Up next, the Cougars head to Seattle for a Quad Meet against Sacramento State, Southern Utah and Washington Friday, Mar. 15 at 6:00 p.m. MDT at Alaska Airlines Arena.

The depth of experience, personality and work ethic from my senior beamers, Lauren, Allix and Elease, cannot be overstated. All three lead by example and have always shown trust in my coaching and in their teammates. I will miss laughing with them daily and setting high expectations together.

Natalie BroekmanAssociate Head Coach

Anyssa Alvarado: Anyssa has not only survived five years of college gymnastics, but has thrived. She keeps getting better and better each year, and as a senior is still learning new tricks for her bars routine. This year has been amazing for her, and we are so happy she came back for a fifth season to compete alongside her sister, Alilah.

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Anna Bramblett: Anna started off her BYU career with an ACL injury, which is super hard to recover from. We are so proud of her achievements and making it into our bars lineup. Anna has even learned a new bars routine for her senior season, which is incredible and takes so much work and effort. She has always come through for us when we needed her.

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Sydney Benson: Sydney has been a workhorse on three events for us week in and week out. She has been able to stay relatively healthy throughout her BYU career, which is amazing. It has been fun to see her do the gymnastics she is capable of and that we always knew she could do.

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Allix Mason: Allix has overcome a lot from her freshman year, from being sick to having a mass found in her lung that had to be removed. She now competes on three events for us and does an incredible job. We are so proud of her for all she has accomplished here at BYU.

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Elease Rollins: Elease has been our beam queen for the last few years, and to see her pass that mantle over to our freshman, Brynlee, has been fun to watch. She is going to school to become a teacher and has some fun plans for her future to teach off in Washington D.C. We are so excited to see what else she will achieve.

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Lindsey Hunter-Kempler: Lindsey is so tough. She went through a lot in high school to even make our team, and for her to now be a leader on bars is amazing. She has been super resilient over her years at BYU, and we are so proud of her success.

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Lauren Ono: We are so proud of Lauren for coming back from injury and working hard to be in our beam lineup. This year she unfortunately had a season and career-ending injury, but her ability to stay positive and come to practice and be with the team has been commendable.

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