Broncos Fall to Cougars in First Round

Courtesy of Boise State

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Boise State gymnastics team was edged by BYU in the first round of NCAA Regional competition. Both teams scored 195.750, but the Cougars had a 0.25 advantage in the dropped scores to secure the tiebreaker and win the meet.

The Broncos opened the day with a 49.000 on vault, their third-best score of the season on the apparatus. Emily Lopez paced the Blue and Orange, winning the event with a 9.900. On bars, Courtney Blackson returned to the lineup to post a team-high 9.825, finishing second.

The Broncos trailed after two rotations, but regained the lead after a strong effort on beam. The top performance was a 9.900 from Emma Loyim, which tied the second-best regional score in program history. Boise State recorded a 49.100 on the apparatus, matching the fourth-best regional total in school history.

In the final rotation, BYU posted a meet-high 49.150 on beam to tie the Broncos. With the addition of dropped scores from each rotation, the Cougars advanced with a 37.900-37.650 lead.

Quotables

• “What an exciting meet! I’m very proud of this team for the fight and poise they showed,” said head coach Tina Bird. “I’m excited to see what tomorrow brings for our individuals.”

Top Broncos

• Emily Lopez won on vault with a 9.900, matching the seventh-highest regional score in program history. She also added a third-place finish on bars (9.800).
• Emma Loyim tied for first with a 9.900 on beam, tying the second-best regional score in school history.
• Blake Pascal scored 9.825 on floor to tie for first.

Notables

• Loyim tallied a 9.900 on beam, equaling the second-highest regional score in Boise State history. This was her third beam win of the year, putting her season win total at six. She has five-career beam wins and 10 total wins.
• The Broncos scored a 49.100 on beam to match the fourth-best regional mark in program history.
• Lopez posted a 9.900 on vault, tying the seventh-best regional score in program history. She finished first on the apparatus for the second time this year, bringing her career win total to eight, tying for 10th in program history. She has 27 total victories as a Bronco, including 11 this season.
• Pascal tied for first on floor with a 9.825, notching her second-career victory.
• Brantley Lucas posted a season-high score of 9.800 on floor.
• The Broncos scored higher than 49.000 on beam for the sixth-consecutive meet.
• This was Boise State’s 16th-straight appearance at an NCAA Regional.

What’s Next
Four individuals will represent Boise State in the second round of the NCAA Regional. Courtney Blackson (bars), Emily Lopez (bars and beam), Emma Loyim (beam and floor) and Adriana Popp (beam) will compete at the 6 p.m. MT meet on Thursday, April 4.