BOISE, Idaho – Multiple career and season highs were not enough for BYU gymnastics to top the Boise State Broncos Friday night at the Gem State Invitational in Boise. 

"We started flat and in an important meet against No. 10 ranked Boise State you can’t start flat," BYU head coach Guard Young said. "You have to start on fire and instead we finished with fire. It was great to end that way and see our beam team come through, but we have to hit the gym this week and work on starting with fire."  

BYU finished with a 195.100 to BSU's 196.400. Makenzie Johnson Halliday came in third in the all-around with a 39.050 while also setting a career high on beam and placing fourth on floor. Natasha Trejo had a phenomenal meet with career-high performances on beam and floor, while Taylor Harward, Mikaela Jones and Emily Vidmar also posted career-high scores during the meet.

Éliane Kulczyk and Trejo led the Cougars on the bars with a 9.800 score, both setting season highs on the event. Emily Vidmar put up a 9.750 to help the team to a total of 48.625 compared to the Bronco’s 49.075 in the first rotation.

On vault, sophomore Mackenzie Douglas tied for first with a 9.850. Sin To followed right behind with a 9.825 for third place, while Halliday recorded a 9.800 to give the Cougars a running total of 97.575.

The Cougars ended the third rotation on floor with a total of 48.475 to the Bronco’s 49.076 on beam. Halliday clinched fourth place on the event with a 9.825. Trejo scored a 9.775 while Kyleigh Greenlief recorded a season high of 9.500.

BYU ended the meet on beam with all six gymnasts scoring season or career highs. Halliday recorded a 9.925 for her new personal best and also claimed the individual title on beam. Vidmar came in second overall with a 9.875, a career high for her as well. Jones and Trejo helped the team with career-high 9.775s, while Harward and To both scored season highs of 9.700 and 9.675, respectively.

“Our main theme for this meet was to overcome,” Young said. “We had a lot of sicknesses, so our training wasn’t exactly how we wanted to prepare. We were in survival mode, but the girls really overcame that and did a great job tonight.

The team continues on the road next week to take on the University of Alaska Anchorage in Anchorage on Saturday at 7 p.m. AKST.

PROVO, Utah – After setting a new season high last week, the BYU women’s gymnastics team will travel to Boise for a rematch against No. 10 Boise State in the 2016 Gem State Invitational Friday night.

“Boise is one of the strongest teams in our conference and I feel like we’re staying with them minus our falls,” BYU head coach Guard Young said. “If we're going to be close to beating them then we’ll have to have a perfect night. We have to hit our routines and stick our landings. I’m looking for a team that can put it all together Friday night.”

The Cougars and Broncos met last week in a tri-meet with UC Davis at the Smith Fieldhouse where the Broncos came out victorious over the Cougars, 196.425-195.475. BYU came in second while UC Davis finished in third. Senior Makenzie Johnson Halliday tied BSU’s Shani Remme for first in the all-around and as the MRGC Gymnast of the Week. Halliday also won the individual title on beam and set season highs on all four events.

This will be the second time the team has competed against the Broncos this year, but will not be the last as they are set to go back to Boise in March for the MRGC Championship.

Halliday will compete on all-around, while sophomore Jill Van Mierlo will sit out due to injuries. Walk-ons Jessie Westergard, Brittni Wilde, Taylor Harward and Kyleigh Greenlief will fill in for Van Mierlo on the four different events. 

The meet will begin at 7:30 p.m. MST in Boise at the Century Link arena.