2007 Meet Recaps

SAKHITAB NARROWLY MISSES AUTOMATIC BID TO NCAA NATIONALS

Complete Results

DENVER, Colo. – SUU senior Leah Sakhitab finished in eighth-place in the all-around, narrowly missing an automatic qualifying spot to the NCAA Gymnastic Championships by .075 as the Southern Utah competed at the NCAA regional competition in Denver, Colo. on Saturday night.  Freshman Elise Wheeler turned in the best finish of the evening for the Thunderbirds with a sixth-place finish on the vault (9.850) as several other SUU gymnasts turned in career-highs.

Fellow freshman, Shayla Garcia, turned one of those career-high performances on the vault, finishing just behind Wheeler with a 9.825 and an eighth-place finish.

“We did a really good job tonight,” head coach Scott Bauman said of the performance.  “I think if we had the whole team here, the scores would have been higher, but I couldn’t be happier with how we competed.”

Sophomore Kellie Dangerfield scored 9.700 on bars and 9.600 on beam as the only individual qualifier for the T-Birds on multiple events.

Tehani Douglas also turned in a 9.700 performance for Southern Utah on the floor exercise, but finished behind both Sakhitab and Wheeler in the event.

The duo of Sakhitab and Wheeler finished eighth and 11th, respectively in the all-around with scores of 38.850 and 38.400, respectively.

Wheeler scored a team-high on the vault and floor exercise (9.775), but counted a fall on a recently added dismount on her bars routine, ending with a 9.100 on the event.  Her final score of the evening came on the balance beam with a 9.675.

Sakhitab led the Thunderbirds with a team-high 9.800 on beam and finished just behind Wheeler on the floor exercise with a 9.725.  Her vault score of 9.675 came after following one of the premier vaulters in the nation who nailed the routine, despite a solid vault from Sakhitab.  The senior’s final score of the night was a 9.650 on bars.

Sakhitab qualified as an alternate for the NCAA Championships with the finish, but will only head to the competition in Salt Lake City if one of the athletes above her suffers an injury or withdraws for other reasons.

Should she move on, the NCAA Gymnastic Championships are scheduled for April 26-28 at the Huntsman Center on the campus of the University of Utah.

Wheeler Named Freshman of the Year as Thunderbirds Finish Second at WAC Championships

Complete Results

CEDAR CITY, Utah – March 31 – Southern Utah's Elise Wheeler was named WAC Freshman of the Year and the Thunderbirds accumulated seven all-conference citations in a second-place finish at the Western Athletic Conference Gymnastics Championships on Saturday night in the Centrum.  Sacramento State narrowly defeated SUU (195.275-195.225) to claim the trophy for the second consecutive year.

“It was a great meet tonight,” head coach Scott Bauman said of the evening.  “We did everything we had to do to win the championship and came up just short.  I’m really proud of how the girls performed and we’ll come away with no regrets.”

The Thunderbirds began the evening on the floor, scoring a 48.475 for the third-best team score of the meet on that apparatus.  Sophomore Katie Hicks led Southern Utah in the event with a 9.775 and garnered all-conference second team honors with her sixth-place finish.

Four of six gymnasts equaled or set new career-highs as the team moved to the next rotation on vault.  Elise Wheeler led the team with a career-best 9.875 and first-team all WAC honors with a second-place overall finish.  Other career-high Thunderbirds included Shayla Garcia (9.800), Katie Hicks (9.725) and Melissa Johnson (9.675).  Erin Morgan and Leah Sakhitab narrowly missed tying career or season highs with scores of 9.700 (9.725, career high) and 9.775 (9.800, season high), respectively.

The effort gleaned a season-high score for the team on the vault with a 48.875.

On bars, Southern Utah would live up to its No. 1 seed billing on the event and post a meet-high team score of 48.875 on the apparatus.  Wheeler picked up her second all-WAC honor with a second team nod after a sixth-place 9.775.  Teammate Kellie Dangerfield was honored with first-team all-WAC kudos after a second-place finish with a 9.850.

With the meet still very much in doubt, Southern Utah moved to its final event of the evening to compete on the balance beam.  Wheeler began the rotation with a fall to a collective sigh from the home crowd and it seemed that the demons that had haunted the team all season looked to rear its ugly head.

“That is one of the few times you will see Wheeler fall on the beam,” Bauman said of the mishap.  “But her team had her back and we came back and nailed five of five routines.”

The demons seemed to be exorcised as the Thunderbirds ripped off five routines of 9.725 or higher to post a team score of 49.000 to mark the second-highest team score of the meet.  Leah Sakhitab tied for third with a 9.850 to earn first-team all WAC honors.

In the end, Sacramento State would narrowly edge Southern Utah with a .05 advantage for the overall team title.  Utah State’s Jessica Parenti-Otte was named WAC Gymnast of the Year after capturing the all-around and Cal State Fullerton’s Jill Hicks garnered WAC Coach of the Year for saving the Fullerton program from extinction.

Wheeler capped off her phenomenal freshman year with WAC Freshman of the Year honors and will likely be an all-around competitor at the NCAA regional championships on April 14 in Denver.

Other likely regional qualifiers include Shayla Garcia, Leah Sakhitab, Erin Morgan and Kellie Dangerfield.

SUU Improves Regional Score with Third-Place Finish

Complete Results

PROVO, Utah – March 23 – Southern Utah led for three rotations, but had to count two falls on the beam in the final rotation to finish third behind BYU (195.675) and Arizona (195.300) with a score of 194.875.

“For three rotations we did really well,” head coach Scott Bauman said after the meet.  “Our entire team had a great meet, but we have to stay in all four rotations and we weren't able to get it done tonight.”

The Thunderbirds got off to an early lead after the first rotation with a strong showing on the floor.  Senior Leah Sakhitab led Southern Utah with a 9.900, followed by Elise Wheeler with a 9.850 and Kellie Dangerfield and Katie Hicks with marks of 9.800.

The opening scores following the first rotation found the Thunderbirds in first with 49.100, with BYU in second (48.675) and Arizona in third with 48.525.

Southern Utah held onto its lead following the second rotation with career-high vaults by freshmen Wheeler, Shayla Garcia and Melissa Johnson.  Wheeler and Garcia led the team with marks of 9.800.  Sakhitab followed with a 9.750 and Johnson’s 9.675 career-high tied with Katie Hicks rounded out the Thunderbird scores.

With a team score of 97.800, SUU continued to lead with BYU and Arizona close behind with team scores of 97.675 and 97.350, respectively.

In the third rotation the Thunderbirds scored a season-high 49.150 as Wheeler and Dangerfield tied a school record with 9.900 marks and Erin Morgan tied a career high with a 9.825.  The showing maintained the overall lead with a team score of 147.075 to Arizona’s 146.350 and BYU’s 146.225.

As the teams moved to the fourth rotation, the demons that have haunted the team on beam throughout the season surfaced with three of six gymnasts recording falls.

Despite a lead of more than seven-tenths of a point, falls left the door open for teams to catch Southern Utah as BYU and Arizona each had strong showings in the final rotation.

The Wildcats scored 45.950 on the bars to move into second place (195.300) in the meet and the Cougars came from well behind with a season-high 49.450 on the floor to steal the meet with a team score of 195.675.

The score was still the second best mark of the year and will improve the Thunderbirds’ regional qualifying score as the season comes to a close.  Southern Utah will conclude its season when SUU hosts the WAC Championships on March 31 in the Centrum.

T-Bird Gymnasts Post Season-High, Top Boise State

Complete Results

CEDAR CITY, Utah, March 16 – Southern Utah’s gymnasts scored a season-high on floor, tied their season-best on bars and posted their second-highest mark of the season on vault en route to a 195.175-192.750 win over Western Athletic Conference foe Boise State Friday night.

The 195.175 was a season-high for the Thunderbirds, and put the team back in contention for a team berth to the NCAA regional meet.

“This was a great meet for us,” SUU Coach Scott Bauman said. “It didn’t hurt us at all to get this score. We counted a fall on beam and were still able to post a season high, I hope that means we’re peaking at the right time.”

The Thunderbirds started on vault and got personal-best scores from the final two competitors in the rotation, freshman Melissa Johnson and junior Erin Morgan, who scored 9.65 and 9.725, respectively. Add in a pair of 9.775s, from Elise Wheeler and Leah Sakhitab, and the Thunderbirds scored 48.65 in the event, to hold a nice lead over the Broncos after BSU had two falls and scored just 47.525 on bars.

In the second rotation, BSU equaled SUU’s vault mark, with DeAvera Todd and Kristin Aldrich finishing 1-2 in the event after posting respective marks of 9.825 and 9.80, but SUU scored 48.80 on bars, a performance capped by Kellie Dangerfield tying her career-high with a 9.825 to claim the event championship. Morgan and Wheeler each scored 9.80 to give SUU a 1-2-3 individual finish in the event. SUU led 97.45-96.175 after two rotations.

On beam, the Thunderbirds’ normally steady Morgan and Sakhitab each suffered a fall but the other four competitors all scored 9.725 or better with Dangerfield at 9.875 and Wheeler at 9.825 en route to a 48.525 mark, the team’s fourth-best score of the year. Meanwhile, BSU was scoring 48.275 on floor to give SUU a 145.975-144.450 lead after three rotations,

When they went to beam the Broncos’ Tara Oberg scored 9.90 to win the event, with Adrich tied with Dangerfield for second at 9.875, but, like the Thunderbirds, BSU also suffered two falls on the event and wound up with a 48.30.

SUU made the most of its opportunity, hitting on all six floor routines. Tehani Douglas started the Thunderbirds off by tying her personal-best with a 9.825, while Katie Hicks scored a personal-high 9.85 and Sakhitab capped the rotation by posting a 9.925, a personal-best which also tied the fourth-best mark in SUU history. Sakhitab finished first in the event, followed by Hicks and Douglas.

SUU also went 1-2-3 in the all-around, with Wheeler going 39.20, Shayla Garcia posting a 38.90 and Sakhitab finishing at 38.75.             

Wheeler Ties School Record in T-Birds 193.675-193.175 Win over SJSU

Complete Results

CEDAR CITY, Utah – March 9 – Southern Utah and San Jose State would swap the lead during the first three rotations, but the Thunderbirds would seal a 193.675-193.175 with a strong performance in the final rotation in the Centrum on Friday night.

The night was highlighted by freshman Elise Wheeler tying a school record with a 9.900 on the uneven bars.

Southern Utah began the night on the vault, scoring a 48.250 with Wheeler leading the way scoring a 9.750.  Sophomore Katie Hicks was close behind, tying her career-high with a 9.725.  Following the first rotation, the Thunderbirds would trail the Spartans 48.725-48.250.

SUU took the lead back after the second rotation as three Thunderbirds set career marks on the uneven bars.  Wheeler headlined the group with the 9.900, followed by career-highs from Erin Morgan and Kellie Dangerfield with matching scores of 9.825.  The strong showing turned the tide and Southern Utah would take a 96.925-96.800 into the third rotation.

The Thunderbirds had a rough start on the beam as Wheeler narrowly missed falling, but fellow freshman Shayla Garcia was not as fortunate and counted a fall in her routine.

However, SUU recovered and posted scores of 9.725, 9.725 and 9.575 in the next three routines.  Freshman Melissa Johnson, competing on the beam for the first time all year, rounded out the Thunderbird order and recorded a mark of 9.525.

After the third rotation, San Jose took back the lead with a narrow advantage of 145.000 to Southern Utah’s 144.825.

The lead would not last long when the Thunderbirds took to the floor and recorded a 9.675 as their lowest scored mark.  Wheeler would once again secure another career-best with a 9.875 as SUU finished one through four on the event in the meet.

Southern Utah outscored SJSU in the final rotation 48.850-48.175 to seal the 193.675-193.175 victory and snap a three-meet losing skid.

“All of the kids who needed to step up for us tonight did,” head coach Scott Bauman said after the meet.  “The girls who were struggling early in the season have continually gotten better and each meet they fight harder and harder.  I know that when we hit and are solid we are going to be a tough team to beat.”

The Thunderbirds will be back in action next weekend in the teams’ final regular season home meet as SUU host the Broncos of Boise State on Friday, March 16.  Southern Utah will be looking to avenge a loss earlier in the year to BSU when the Thunderbirds fell 193.200-192.975 in Boise on February 9.  The meet is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be held in conjunction with senior day activities for seniors Leah Sakhitab and Jess Langley.

Wheeler and Sakhitab Share All-Around Title in Thunderbird Loss

Complete Results

IOWA CITY, Iowa – March 2 – Elise Wheeler and Leah Sakhitab shared the all-around title with matching scores of 38.975, but their consistency wouldn't be enough as the Thunderbirds fell to the Hawkeyes of Iowa 193.875-192.550 on Friday night in Iowa City.  Southern Utah was shaky on the beam for the second consecutive meet and it would prove to be the difference maker in Iowa's win.

Southern Utah began the night on the uneven bars, posting its highest score of the night of 48.575.  Wheeler recorded a career-best 9.825 to lead the Thunderbirds in the event and to secure the individual title.

Following the bars, SUU would move to the vault and once again use a compact line-up with only five gymnasts in the rotation.  The Thunderbirds narrowly missed a score in the 48-range, settling for a 47.975 as a team.

After the first two rotations, the Hawkeyes would hold the slight advantage with a team score of 96.900 to the T-Birds’ 96.550.

Southern Utah would trim the lead to .050 after the third rotation as five gymnasts represented the Thunderbirds on the floor, but each scored well.  SUU’s lowest score was even noteworthy as Katie Hicks scored a 9.625 in her first floor action since Jan. 19 in a meet with Michigan.  Wheeler once again led the team with an individual mark of 9.725.

With only a 145.050-145.000 deficit going into the final rotation, the Thunderbirds were well within striking distance of the win, but three falls on beam would once again seal the teams’ fate.

Sakhitab would be free of falls in her routine en route to a first-place finish with a meet-high 9.800 followed by Wheeler with a 9.725 and a third-place finish.  Sophomores Kellie Dangerfield, Katie Hicks and freshman Shayla Garcia would each fall for the second time in as many meets opening the door for the Hawkeyes to steal the victory.

Iowa sealed the win with a score of 48.825 to the Thunderbirds’ 47.550 in the final rotation for the 193.875-192.550 triumph.

The conclusion of the meet means the end of three meets in seven days for the gymnastics squad.  The team will now have a week to prepare for WAC opponent San Jose State on March 9 in the Centrum.

Wheeler Honored with Third Weekly Conference Award

CEDAR CITY, Utah – March 1 – SUU freshman Elise Wheeler was named the Western Athletic Conference Gymnast of the Week for the third time this season as announced by the conference offices on Thursday.

Wheeler garnered the award after a career-best 39.300 in the all-around for the individual title as Southern Utah posted a season-high score of 194.700 at Utah State on Feb. 24.  The mark for Wheeler ties the San Diego, Calif. native for fourth on the SUU record books in the all-around.  In addition, her 9.950 mark on the beam ties her for first all-time on the apparatus with teammate Leah Sakhitab in the school record books.

Southern Utah will continue its season on Friday as the Thunderbirds compete for the third time in seven days when the team travels to Iowa City, Iowa for a meet with the No. 24-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes.

Thunderbirds Falter on Beam, Fall to Cougars 194.700-192.575

Complete Results

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Feb. 26 – Southern Utah would lead Brigham Young University after the first two rotations of the evening in gymnastics action on Monday night.  However, a season-high by the Cougars and a meltdown for the Thunderbirds in the third rotation would turn into a 194.700-192.775 loss for SUU in the Centrum.

“It really boils down to the fact that we competed really well in three events and horribly in one,” head coach Scott Bauman said after the loss.

The Thunderbirds would start the night with the second-highest score of the season on the vault with a truncated line-up of five gymnasts.  Senior Leah Sakhitab and freshman Shayla Garcia would lead the team with scores of 9.800, marking a season-high for Sakhitab and a new career-high for Garcia.

After the first rotation, Southern Utah would hold a narrow advantage of 48.475-48.150 over the Cougars.

Garcia would continue her career-best setting trend with a first-place finish on the uneven bars with a career-high 9.825.  The native of Mesa, Ariz. would tie BYU’s Dayna Smart on the event.

The rest of the team would also turn in superior performances as the Thunderbirds racked up a season-high 48.800 team score.  Jess Langley would score an individual season-high with a 9.750 finish.

Southern Utah would hold onto the lead after the second rotation ahead of the Cougars 97.725-97.050.

In the third rotation, the Thunderbirds would have a serious debacle as four of six gymnasts fell on the beam, turning the momentum to the side of the Cougars.  Sakhitab and freshman Elise Wheeler would prove to be the stalwarts of the bunch with team-leading scores of 9.850 and 9.725.

With SUU down, BYU pulled together a season-high 48.975 on the floor exercise as each Cougar hit their routine with the lowest individual scored mark being a 9.750.

Following the third rotation, Brigham Young would take a comfortable lead of 146.025-144.300 going into the final rotation.

Despite only five gymnasts in the line-up for the Thunderbirds in the final rotation, Southern Utah would make a valiant run at the BYU lead with a respectable team score of 48.475 on the floor.

However, the strong performance of Smart with a 9.950 on the beam would seal the 194.700-192.775 win for the Cougars and the all-around title for Smart with a 39.500.

Sakhitab and Wheeler would finish second and third, respectively in the all-around with scores of 39.250 and 39.100.  It would mark only the second time this season that a Southern Utah gymnast has failed to capture the all-around title.

The Thunderbirds will continue their busy week with a third meet in seven days when SUU travels to Iowa City, Iowa on Friday for a meet with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Season-High Not Enough in Defeat to Aggies

Complete Results

LOGAN, Utah – Feb. 23 – Southern Utah’s season high of 194.700 was not enough to edge Utah State’s season-best of 195.675 as the Thunderbirds fell victim of some Aggie revenge in gymnastics action on Friday night.

Utah State would avenge a loss to the Thunderbirds last week and leave no room for error on their home floor as the Aggies’ lowest scored mark on the evening was a 9.225 and the rest of the scores a 9.625 or better.

Southern Utah’s downfall would come on the second rotation with a team score of 48.100 on the vault.  The Thunderbirds fielded only five gymnasts in the event, due to an injury to Lindsey Schultz in the warm-ups.

“Our girls could have given up, but they decided to gut it out tonight,” head coach Scott Bauman said of the teams’ reaction to the injury.  “This group has gone through so much adversity this year, but it was just an amazing team effort tonight.  It was too bad that we lost, but our girls were tough.”

In the first rotation freshman Shayla Garcia would record a career-high 9.750 on the bars, tying fellow freshman Elise Wheeler for second on the team.  Junior Tehani Douglas’ 9.775 would mark a season-high and the top score for the Thunderbirds.  Following the rotation, SUU would trail Utah State 48.975-48.725.

With only five athletes competing on vault for Southern Utah in the second rotation, the Thunderbirds were forced to count a fall.  Despite the outcome, Wheeler and senior Leah Sakhitab tied season-high marks of 9.800 and 9.775 to lead SUU in the event.

Utah State would extend their lead after the second rotation after scoring a season-high 48.975 on the bars, building a 97.900-96.825 advantage.

Although the Thunderbirds fielded only five athletes on the floor exercise in the third rotation, the unit managed a season-high 49.025 as a team in the event.  Four of five athletes set or tied career-highs in the process.

Garcia would record her second of four career marks with a 9.850, leading the team in the event.  Douglas and sophomore Kellie Dangerfield would also post career-highs of 9.825 to finish just behind Garcia.  Not to be out done, Wheeler would tie her career-high of 9.800 on the event with senior Leah Sakhitab rounding out the team scores with a 9.775.

The result would narrow the gap after the third rotation with Utah State still up with a 146.350-145.850 lead.

Southern Utah looked ready to chip into the lead as Wheeler started the final rotation by tying the school record of 9.950 on the beam.  Garcia and Dangerfield would finish just behind with career-high marks of 9.900, but two falls and a season-high 49.375 for the Aggies on the floor would seal the 195.675-194.700 victory for Utah State.

Wheeler would finish first in the all-around, tying the fourth-best total in school history with a 39.300.  Garcia would also finish with a career-high 39.175 and a fourth-place finish in the all-around. 

SUU will have little time to nurse injuries as the Thunderbirds host Brigham Young University on Monday night in the Centrum.  Following the meet with the Cougars, Southern Utah will have its third competition in seven days when the team travels to Iowa for a meet with the Hawkeyes on Fri. March 2.

SUU Posts New Season-High in 194.575-192.275 Win Over Utah State

Complete Results

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Feb. 16 – Southern Utah posted a season-high mark of 194.575 in a blow out win over Utah State (192.275) on Friday night in the Centrum.  The score broke the previous mark (194.075) set in the teams’ home opener.  The Thunderbirds finished one-two in the all-around along with sweeping the first three spots on floor in the win.

“It was great to be back home,” freshman Elise Wheeler said after her all-around victory.  “Meets seem to be a little easier at home and the team is really starting to feel better and better as the season rolls along.”

Southern Utah would score a season-high 48.825 on vault in the first rotation of the evening.  Four Thunderbirds, including Lindsey Schultz (9.800), Shayla Garcia (9.750), Katie Hicks (9.725) and Erin Morgan (9.700) set new career highs.  Morgan’s mark would not be scored as Leah Sakhitab and Elise Wheeler recorded finishes of 9.775, tying for second on the team.

Utah State’s Katy Schilla would pick up the individual victory in the event with a score of 9.825.

The Thunderbirds would hold the lead through the second rotation with a team score of 48.475 on the uneven bars.  Jess Langley and Dangerfield would score season-highs of 9.725 and 9.775, respectively.  Dangerfield would tie teammate Elise Wheeler (9.775) for first on the team in the event.

Meagan Lewis of the Aggies picked up the second of USU’s individual titles, scoring a 9.800 in the win.

Fresh off tying a school record on the beam at Boise last weekend, the Thunderbirds again looked strong on the event, scoring the second-best team score this season with a 48.575.

Dangerfield would once again lead the way for SUU, tying a meet-high 9.800 followed closely by Elise Wheeler with a 9.750.  USU’s Jessica Parenti-Otte would share the first-place honors with Dangerfield.

With a lead of almost two points, Southern Utah entered the final rotation and facing the floor exercise that has haunted the team over the past several meets.  However, for the first time in four weeks the Thunderbirds did not count a fall and scored their second-highest total of the season with a 48.625.

SUU would sweep the top three individual spots with Sakhitab and Schultz tying for first with season-high 9.800 marks.  Wheeler followed closely behind in third place with a score of 9.775

The meet would turn into a blow out as SUU posted a final score of 194.575 to Utah State’s 192.275 with Wheeler and Sakhitab finishing one-two in the all-around with scores of 39.075 and 38.975, respectively.  Wheeler would once again set a new career-high mark in the all-around with the finish.

“This was our toughest meet so far this year,” head coach Scott Bauman said after the win.  “I still think that Utah State is the team to beat this year, but our crowd was just too much tonight.  Our girls don’t want to disappoint the fans and it really puts them at another level.”

The teams will now switch venues next week as the Thunderbirds pay the Aggies a visit in Logan next weekend.  The meet on Feb. 23 is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Thunderbird Gymnasts Sweep Weekly Conference Awards

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Southern Utah gymnasts Leah Sakhitab and Kellie Dangerfield were named the Western Athletic Conference gymnast and specialist of the week as awarded by the WAC conference offices.  The weekly honors are the first for each athlete this season.

Sakhitab, a senior from Rochester, Minn. (John Marshall), scored a season-best 39.125 en route to a first-place finish in the all-around against the Boise State Broncos on Friday night. Sakhitab would earn the individual victory after scoring season-highs on three of four events, including a 9.925 on the beam, the highest mark of the night. Her 9.925 on beam was the highest in the WAC this season, while the 39.125 was tied for fourth in the conference.

Dangerfield, a sophomore from Salt Lake City, Utah (Skyline), scored a career-high 9.900 on the balance beam. The Thunderbirds tied a school record with a 49.400 team score on the balance beam on Friday at Boise State. Three gymnasts, Kellie Dangerfield (9.900), Shayla Garcia (9.875) and Elise Wheeler (9.850), each recorded career-high marks in the record-setting effort.

Sakhitab, Dangerfield and the rest of the Thunderbirds will host Utah State this Friday in SUU’s first home meet in four weeks.  The meet pitting the two WAC opponents is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Centrum Arena.

Southern Utah Posts Highest Road Score of the Season in a Narrow Defeat

Complete Results

BOISE, Idaho – Three falls would be the difference as Southern Utah University came up short 193.200 – 192.975 against Boise State in gymnastic action on Friday night.  With a line-up riddled with injuries, the Thunderbirds had to count one fall on bars and two on the floor in the loss decided by less than half a point.

“When we get into a position to get a win, I know this team can do it,” Head coach Scott Bauman said after the meet.  “The frustrating thing is the fact that we have girls habitually falling every meet.  It isn’t like us and once we hit I know we are going to be ridiculous and get back to kicking butt.”

The Thunderbirds did kick some butt on the beam as the team evened the school record with a team score of 49.400.  Sophomore Kellie Dangerfield and freshmen Shayla Garcia and Elise Wheeler each scored career-highs of 9.900, 9.875 and 9.850, respectively.  Senior Leah Sakhitab also posted a meet-high 9.925 on the beam to finish with the individual title.

SUU would also show strength on the vault, despite only fielding five gymnasts on the event.  With no room for error, the Thunderbirds posted its second highest team score this year with a 48.225.  Freshman Lindsey Schultz and junior Erin Morgan would each record career-highs with scores of 9.625 and 9.550, respectively.  Sakhitab would score a team-high 9.775 for the third-place finish in the event.

The Thunderbirds proved to have an off night on the bars, but still managed to best the Broncos with a team score of 48.025 to BSU’s 47.575.  Senior Jess Langley continued her strong performance on the bars after missing the first three meets of the season with a 9.700 finish.  Freshman Elise Wheeler would record the top score for the T-Birds in the event with a 9.750 and a third-place finish.

Southern Utah’s demise of the night was the floor exercise as the Thunderbirds counted two falls and were outscored by Boise State 48.300 - 47.325.  The point differential would swing the score to the Bronco’s side in the close final.

The point discrepancy issue that has haunted the Thunderbirds all year reared its ugly head as three gymnasts scored 9.750 or higher on floor with the remaining gymnasts scoring 9.050 or lower.

“It baffles my mind and gets me so frustrated in how we are approaching floor,” Bauman said of his teams’ funk.  “I know our girls can do it, but the falls have been killing us all year.”

Wheeler would prove to be one of the strong points for the Thunderbirds on floor, as the reigning WAC Gymnast of the Week scored a career-high 9.800 as she continues her solid freshman campaign.

Overall, Sakhitab and Wheeler would finish one-two in the all-around with scores of 39.125 for Sakhitab and a career-high tying mark of 39.050 for Wheeler.

Wheeler Named WAC Gymnast of the Week

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Feb. 6 – Freshman Elise Wheeler was named the Western Athletic Conference Gymnast of the Week after finishing second in the all-around with a career-high 39.050 at the University of Utah on Friday night.

Wheeler would also tie career highs on the beam and floor with marks of 9.750 and 9.775, respectively.  Her scores of 9.775 on vault and 9.750 on bars were also team-highs in the Thunderbirds’ fourth-place finish against the University of Utah, BYU and the University of Arkansas.

The award is the second conference honor for Wheeler this season.

Southern Utah will travel to Boise State this weekend as the gymnastic season continues.

Fresh Faces Debut in Fourth-Place Finish

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Feb. 2 – Southern Utah debuted fresh faces on several events and sophomore Kellie Dangerfield competed in the all-around for the first time in her career as competition proved to be too much for the Thunderbirds, finishing fourth at the Huntsman Center on Friday night.  The University of Utah would finish first with a team score of 196.150, followed by Arkansas (193.625), Brigham Young (192.600) and SUU with 190.650.

Dangerfield and junior Erin Morgan would highlight the team’s success as the Thunderbirds started the evening on the balance beam.  Performing in front of a hometown crowd, Dangerfield and Morgan would record career-best marks of 9.850 and 9.800, respectively.

Despite three falls on the event, Southern Utah finished the first rotation in third place with a team score of 48.000.  The mark would be the second-best team performance on the beam this year.

SUU would then turn their focus to the floor exercise and suffered a blow even before the event started as freshman all-arounder Shayla Garcia twisted an ankle on a warm-up tumbling pass.

With the loss, the Thunderbirds competed with five and scored a 47.250 and fell into fourth-place overall in the meet.  Freshman Elise Wheeler would tie a career-best mark on the floor, leading the T-Birds with a 9.775.  Dangerfield would make her first appearance on the floor this year, scoring a 9.400.

Southern Utah had little room for error on the third rotation as the team competed on vault, again with only five athletes.  Wheeler would again lead the Thunderbirds with a 9.775.  A lack of depth was evident as Morgan and Dangerfield competed on the apparatus for the second and first time ever in their careers.

The T-Birds would finish the vault with a season-low team score of 46.875 and remained in fourth-place overall with a team score of 142.125.

Southern Utah would bounce back and tally the second-highest team score of the meet on the bars with a mark of 48.525.  The Thunderbirds would be the only team without a fall on the apparatus as Wheeler wouldagain lead the team with a 9.750.

The Lady T-Birds will finish their four consecutive road meets when the team travels to Boise, Idaho and a meeting with Boise State next weekend.

Complete Results

Sakhitab and Wheeler Finish One-Two as Streak Grows to Ten Straight

FULLERTON, Calif. – Jan. 26 – Southern Utah University Gymnastics (190.575) posted wins over UC Davis (189.675) and Hamline (Minn.) University (181.375), but came up short against host Cal State Fullerton (192.225) in a second-place finish on Friday night. Leah Sakhitab would, once again, finish first in the all-around (38.850) to continue a streak of ten consecutive dual meets in which a Thunderbird has captured the individual all-around title.

Freshman Elise Wheeler was just behind Sakhitab, finishing in second-place in the all-around with a score of 38.200.  Wheeler captured the first all-around title in the Thunderbirds’ opening night win over Sacramento State as the duo continues to seal individual victories.

Sakhitab earned her all-around title after first-place finishes in the uneven bars (9.825) and balance beam (9.850).  SUU saw success on each event as Thunderbirds finished one-two on each apparatus as sophomore Kellie Dangerfield finished second on the bars with a career-high mark of 9.775 and junior Erin Morgan also scoring a career-high 9.775 on the balance beam.

The Thunderbirds posted strong team marks on the vault and uneven bars with totals of 48.200 and 48.075, respectively.  However scores on the balance beam looked either really good or really bad as three T-Birds finished with scores of 9.750 or higher while three finished with scores of 8.900 or lower.

Despite the great discrepancy, SUU finished with a team score of 47.000, tying for second-best on the evening.

Southern Utah continued its second-place trend with a team score of 47.300 on the floor as the Thunderbirds only entered five into the final rotation.  Sophomore Katie Hicks, who scored a career-high 9.825 in the first meet of the season was noticeably missing in the lineup.

The T-Birds will face, perhaps, their toughest challenge next weekend when SUU travels to in-state rival Utah.  The Utes are currently ranked No. 3 in the nation and will square off with the Thunderbirds on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7:00 p.m. in the Huntsman Center.

Complete Results

Sakhitab Wins All-Around in Thunderbird Loss

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Jan. 19 – SUU senior Leah Sakhitab finished first in the all-around while the rest of the No. 19 ranked T-Birds came up short against the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines in a 194.775-188.625 loss on Friday night.

The University of Michigan finished with, at least, the top-three scores in each event, including the top-five spots in beam and bars.

The Thunderbirds would score their highest point total of the night on the uneven bars as Leah Sakhitab, Erin Morgan and Shayla Garcia led SUU in scoring with a 9.675, 9.625 and 9.600, respectively.

Sakhitab would continue her consistent effort with a 9.675 on the next rotation in the vault.  The T-Birds’ next highest result came on a vault from Shayla Garcia with a season-best 9.550.

Following the first rotation, the Thunderbirds were in a deep hole, trailing the Wolverines 97.250 - 95.175.

Southern Utah poured in three solid performances on the floor exercise in Elise Wheeler’s 9.725, Leah Sakhitab’s 9.700 and Katie Hicks’ 9.575, but the normally strong floor contingency for the T-Birds was surprisingly missing.

SUU faced a 145.950 – 142.375 disadvantage following the third rotation and two falls on the beam would doom the T-Birds in the 194.775-188.625 loss.

Wheeler and Sakhitab would again lead the Thunderbirds in the final rotation with a 9.600 and 9.550, respectively, on the beam.

Southern Utah will be on the road again next weekend as the Thunderbirds face Cal State Fullerton, UC Davis and Hamline (Minn.) University in Fullerton on Jan. 26.

Complete Results

Wheeler and Hicks Garner Weekly Conference Awards

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Jan. 17 – Freshman Elise Wheeler and sophomore Katie Hicks were named the Western Athletic Conference Gymnast and Specialist of the Week, respectively, as announced by the conference offices today.  The awards are the first for each athlete this year.

Wheeler finished first in the all-around in her first intercollegiate meet of her career.  The freshman led the T-Birds in the vault and uneven bars, scoring meet-highs of 9.800 on each event.  In all, Wheeler would accumulate an all-around score of 39.000.  Her other scores of 9.625 on beam and 9.775 on floor were also scored for SUU in the Thunderbirds’ home opening win over 2006 WAC Champion Sacramento State 194.075 – 191.600.

Hicks tallied the highest mark in the Thunderbirds season opening win over Sacramento State on Friday night, recording a career-best 9.825 on the floor exercise.  Hicks’ other marks of 9.575 on vault and 9.550 on beam were also scored in the 194.075 – 191.600 win.

The Thunderbirds climbed in the latest rankings and now stand at No. 19 as Southern Utah prepares for a meeting with the No. 10 Wolverines of Michigan on Jan. 19.  The meet in Ann Arbor is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET.

Thunderbirds "Stick It" to Sacramento State in Home Opening Win

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Jan. 12 – Freshman Elise Wheeler and Senior Leah Sakhitab finished one-two in the all-around while sophomore Katie Hicks scored a career-best 9.825 on the floor exercise to lead the Thunderbirds over the Sacramento State Hornets 194.075 to 191.600 on Friday night.  The win was the highest scoring output in an initial meet for the Thunderbirds since the inception of the program.

Wheeler would begin the night with a 9.800 on the vault followed by Sakhitab (9.725), freshman Melissa Johnson (9.625), Hicks (9.575) and freshman Lindsey Schultz (9.550) to give the ‘Birds a combined score of 48.275 after the first rotation.  SUU secured the early lead and never looked back after the Hornets finished their first rotation on the bars with a team score of 47.900.

Head coach Scott Bauman’s early season trepidation in his group of athletes on the bars was unfounded as the T-Birds scored its second highest team score of the night with a 48.750.

“The crowd was amazing tonight,” Bauman said of the support for the gymnasts.  “I mean, ‘wow’ it was something else.  A big ‘thank you’ has to go out to everyone that came out and supported us tonight.”

Wheeler would again lead the way for SUU on the bars, scoring a team-best 9.800 followed closely by Sakhitab (9.775), junior Erin Morgan (9.775), sophomore Kellie Dangerfield (9.725) and junior Tehani Douglas with a 9.675.  The output would leave the T-Birds with a 97.025 to 95.825 after the second rotation.

Sakhitab and Dangerfield would equal one another’s score on the beam in the third rotation, leading Southern Utah with scores of 9.775, respectively.  Wheeler finished third for the ‘Birds with a 9.625, followed by Hicks (9.550) and Morgan (9.500).

The Thunderbirds would save the best for last when the team took to the floor, scoring a meet-best 48.825 to cement the 194.075 - 191.600 victory for Southern Utah.  Hicks’ mark of 9.825 proved to be a new career-best for the sophomore with Schultz earning a 9.800 in her first intercollegiate competition.  Wheeler would finish third (9.775) followed by Douglas (9.725) and Sakhitab and freshman Shayla Garcia tied for fifth with a 9.700, respectively.

Wheeler and Sakhitab would accumulate scores of 39.000 and 38.975 to capture first and second in the all-around to compliment the win.

“I really haven’t competed for five years,” Wheeler said of her first intercollegiate meet after having competed on the international stage when she was 13.  “The crowd just pumped me up and all of the hard work so far this season really paid off.”

Southern Utah will now take their show on the road when the team travels to the University of Michigan (Jan. 19/20), followed by Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 26) and Utah (Feb. 2) to round out the three-weekend road trip.

Meet Results

Underclassmen Shine in Gymnastics Preview

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Jan. 8 – Sophomore Katie Hicks and Freshman Shayla Garcia finished with individual titles as the Southern Utah University Gymnastics team concluded its red/white intra-squad meet on Monday night.  The meet was a preview of what fans will see in the teams’ home opener on Friday against Sacramento State.

Garcia finished first on the vault (9.8) and uneven bars (9.8) en route to an all-around title (37.85) in her first collegiate competition.

“I feel I did pretty well, considering I haven’t competed in a while,” the freshman from Mesa, Ariz. said.  “I was a little frustrated because I am typically strongest on the floor and balance beam and things were reversed tonight.  I know we’ll get better and it was good to get rid of some of the ‘yuckies’ tonight.”

Hicks would take first-place honors in the floor exercise (9.85) and balance beam (9.8), bringing some strength to an otherwise shaky night for the T-Birds on the floor.

“I was nervous tonight, but it was a good kind of nervous,” Hicks said of her feelings about the competition.  “As a team, I know we are feeling more confident after the meet tonight.”

SUU began the evening strong on vault with each athlete scoring a 9.5 or better on the apparatus.  Following fault, the T-Birds proved to be just off on the uneven bars despite three scores of 9.7 or better.

The score disparity continued on the balance beam with three athletes scoring 9.7 or better, but the bottom three scores did not clear a 9.4.  On floor, freshman Lindsay Schulz finished second with a score of 9.6, with a 9.15 as the next highest scoring finish.

“Obviously we looked rusty on the floor tonight, but those things will be fixed,” Head coach Scott Bauman said after the meet.  “The energy and the excitement that the crowd brought was great!  Having the audience so close was something that our athletes had to overcome, but we got through healthy and think we will do well on Friday.”

SUU Gymnastics’ home opener against reigning WAC-Champion Sacramento State is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Centrum Arena on Friday, Jan. 12.