Cougs advance to second round of NCAA Regionals

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The BYU women’s gymnastics team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional after winning the tiebreaker against Boise State, 233.650-233.400.

Freshman powerhouse Brynlee Andersen scored BYU’s highest individual score of the dual meet with a 9.900 on the balance beam. The Cougars’ highest event score of the day was the beam, with a team score of 49.150.

"Every year, you have a different make-up with different players, and the make-up of this team this year is about fight and having each other's backs," said head coach Guard Young. "And how do you tie the first round of the NCAA tournament? It's by fighting and having each other's backs, so today embodied what this team is all about."

 

The Cougars opened their first rotation on the uneven bars. After a slow start, seniors Anyssa Alvarado and Anna Bramblett anchored with scores of 9.800 and 9.875, respectively. BYU ended with a final bars score of 48.900, while Boise State led with a vault score of 49.000.

BYU soared on vault in the second rotation, earning a score of 49.000. Kylie Eaquinto led the Cougs with a 9.850. Sydney Benson scored a 9.825, her ninth-straight score above a 9.800 on the apparatus. Junior Sophie Dudley added a 9.800 for the Cougars to round out the vault rotation.

Improving on its first rotation, BYU jumped ahead of Boise State, 97.900-97.775 as the teams prepped for rotation three.

The Cougars opened their floor routines with a pair of 9.800’s from Eliza Millar-Crossman and Olivia Matern. Benson closed out the rotation with a 9.825 and BYU finished with a floor score of 48.700.

BYU finished the dual meet on the balance beam. Millar-Crossman scored a 9.850 followed by a 9.875 from senior Elease Rollins and a 9.900 from Andersen. The Cougars earned a team beam score of 49.150, their highest event score of the meet. 

Following a strong beam rotation, the Cougars and Broncos ended the competition in a tie, with a score of 195.750. Because of the tie, all six scores on each event were then tallied up to determine the winner of the dual competition, giving BYU the advantage 233.650-233.400.

The Cougars will compete against No. 2 LSU, No. 15 Minnesota and Oregon State in the second round of the NCAA Regionals tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. MT. The meet will be streamed on ESPN+.