Keeping Up with the Aggie Gymnastics Team

THIS WEEK - Utah State gymnastics (5-5) returns to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Friday, Feb. 21. The Aggies face Brigham Young (2-5) at 7 p.m. after two meets on the road.

NEXT WEEK - The Aggies host No. 21 Ohio State at 7 p.m. in the Nelson Fieldhouse because of the Jamie O'Neal concert scheduled for the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

LOOKING AT BRIGHAM YOUNG - BYU is 2-5 this season, with a season-best score of 195.900 coming in a home loss to Boise State Friday. All-arounder Lindsay Butterfield led the Cougars with a 39.200, finishing second overall. Head coach Brad Cattermole is in his 15th season at BYU, and led his team to a final national ranking last year of 24th. The Cougars took fourth at the south central regionals in 2002. USU is 37-46-1 against BYU, and the Aggies are 20-12 all-time in the Spectrum. Last season, BYU defeated USU in Logan, 195.425-191.925. The Cougars also won the teams' meeting in Provo, 195.775-192.850. USU's last win against BYU in Logan came in 2001.

KILPATRICK FINISHES AMONG TOP THREE IN EVERY MEET - USU senior Nicole Kilpatrick is the only Aggie to record a top three finish in at least one event of every meet this season. She was USU's only gymnast to finish among the top three against No. 4 Utah on Feb. 7.

NELSON SETS ANOTHER USU RECORD - Freshman Meagan Nelson is the first gymnast in Utah State history to score more than 39.00 in the all-around in six consecutive meets. In 1999, Christy Denson competed in the all-around in six of seven meets, and scored better than 39.00 in all six appearances.

RQS RANKINGS BEGIN NEXT WEEK - Rankings by Regional Qualifying Scores (RQS) start on Monday, Feb. 24. The RQS is determined by a team's top six scores, three of which must be from away meets. The high score is thrown out and the remaining five are averaged.

CONSISTENT TEAM BARS WORK CONTINUES - Utah State has scored at least 49.025 on the bars in each of its last three meets, the first time the Aggies have scored that well in the event in the last seven years.

IMPRESSIVE FRESHMEN -In USU's six meets this season, freshmen have accounted for 61 of the 120 scoring routines.

BARR SETS CAREER BESTS - Ashley Barr set two career bests at the Hearts Invitational at No. 25 NC State Friday, as she scored 9.850 on bars and 9.775 on floor.

BEST SEASON START IN SEVEN YEARS - As a team, USU has scored better than 49.000 in three of its first six meets on bars and floor and in two of the first six meets on beam. Since 1996, USU put together a multiple team event scores of better than 49.000 just once - when the Aggies posted two bars scores above 49.000 in 1998.

AGGIES SET HOME RECORD - USU's 196.150 against Utah was its best home score ever, and is the second-best score in USU history.

PARENTI MATCHES FRESHMAN RECORD - Against Utah, Jessica Parenti became the second freshman ever - and the second this season - to score better than 39.00 in her all-around debut. Parenti's 39.275, the 13th-best score in school history, matched teammate Meagan Nelson's achievement of topping the 39.00 mark in her first all-around competition.

NELSON SETTING FRESHMAN RECORDS... - In her first six meets, Meagan Nelson has set records for freshmen performances and is making her mark on the USU record book. Her 39.500 all-around score against Boise State was the third-highest overall in school history, and she is the first freshman ever at Utah State to post 39-plus scores in the all-around in her first four meets.

...AND ALL-TIME RECORDS, TOO - In addition to her No. 3 all-around score against Boise State, Meagan Nelson also posted the No. 2 floor score (9.950), the sixth-best vault score (9.850) and the eighth-best beam score (9.900) in USU history.

ROPELATO POSTS PERSONAL BESTS - Rachel Ropelato had a career night on vault (9.850) and bars (9.800) on Jan. 24. She and teammate Meagan Nelson tied for both the vault title and for second on the team on bars.

TEAM BEAM WORK SET SIX CAREER BESTS - Utah State's 49.250 on beam against Boise State on Jan. 24 marked the first time the Aggies broke 49.000 in the event since March 16, 2001. Each of USU's six beam performers set a career-best score, ranging from Nicole Kilpatrick's 9.950 to freshman Liesel Kohler's 9.625.

HEARTS INVITATIONAL RECAP - Utah State finished second to No. 25 NC State, but defeated William and Mary and Rhode Island, thanks to two more strong all-around performances from Meagan Nelson (39.225) and Jessica Parenti (39.075). USU never trailed in the meet and went into the final rotation with a .600 lead, but the Aggies had to count two falls on beam. However, USU won bars, as the Aggies topped the 49.000 mark on bars for the third consecutive meet (49.100). Additionally, the team's vault score of 48.725 and floor score of 49.100 are its second-best of the year in each of those events.

HEAD COACH RAY CORN - Ray Corn (Northern Colorado '71) is in his 26th year as the Aggies' head coach. Corn's teams own a 348-216-2 regular-season meet record and have participated in postseason competition 24 times, including 17 straight trips to the NCAA Regionals. USU has competed at the national championship meet five times. Corn was named NCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 1991, was honored as High Country Athletic Conference Coach of the Year three times and selected Big West Conference Coach of the Year in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2001. Corn's overall record, including postseason action, currently stands at 406-355-2. He's assisted by Mark Lee and Ernestine Russell.

A LOOK AT THE 2002-03 AGGIES

ASHLEY BARR - Freshman from Littleton, Colo... Career bests of 9.850 on bars and 9.775 on floor came at NC State (2/14)... Scored a 9.800 on beam against Boise State (1/24)... Career bars high of 9.325 came against Utah (2/7)... Competed as a Level 10 gymnast for Lindy Franzini, Vinici Liera and Enis Hudson at Colorado Gymnastics Institute... A 2002 Level 10 national qualifier... Second in the all-around at the state Level 10 competition in 2002... Won the 2002 state Level 10 title on floor, finished third on vault, fifth on bars and eighth on beam... Finished second on bars and sixth in the all-around at 2002 regional competition... Graduated from Cherry Creek High with a 3.6 GPA.

NALANI CHUNG - Sophomore from Fort Collins, Colo... Set a career high on bars (9.900) against Utah (2/7), her season debut... Competed in six meets in 2002, posting a 9.713 bars average in that span... Set a career-best at Cal State Fullerton (3/15/02), where she scored a 9.825 and took fourth in the event... Her first collegiate action came at BYU, where she scored 9.550.

SARAH COLSON - Sophomore from Littleton, Colo... Suffered a stress fracture after the meet at Oklahoma... Had a career-best vault at Oklahoma (1/19), with a 9.650... Broke her ankle in practice prior to the 2002 Western Gymnastics meet and did not participate the rest of the season.

NICOLE KILPATRICK - Senior from Ringwood, N.J... Owns 15 top-three finishes on the year... Only Aggie to finish among the top three against Utah... Has already improved upon four career-best scores this season, including bars (9.875) and all-around (39.475) against Utah (2/7), and beam (9.95) and floor (9.925) against Boise State (1/24)... Career-best beam score ties (9.925) the school record shared by Tina Ellis (2001) and Krissy Richards (1997), and her floor score ties the fifth-best in USU history... Has four event titles (two vault, one beam, one all-around) this season... All-around score against Utah tied the fourth-best in USU history... 9.925 vault score at the 2002 Western Gymnastics Conference meet (3/22/02) was the second-best score in school history and gave her the event title... 2002 season average of 38.468 in the all-around is 11th all-time at USU.

LIESEL KOHLER - Freshman from Watsonville, Calif... Career-best 9.825 on beam came against Utah (2/7)... Scored 9.850 on floor against Boise State (1/24)... Competed as a Level 10 gymnast for Javier Vargas at Elite Gymnastics Academy in Salinas, Calif... A 2002 graduate of Monterey Bay Academy (La Selva Beach, Calif.) with a 3.75 GPA.

RACHAEL MANDY - Freshman from Fargo, N.D... Tore her ACL in practice prior in December, and will redshirt this season... Competed as a Level 10 gymnast for Amy Sahli and Kelli Dronen at American Gold Gymnastics in Fargo... 1999 and 2000 Level 10 state champion... Took second at 2001 state... Qualified for regional competition seven consecutive years, once at Level 9 and six times at Level 10... Won the 2001 regional vault championship and took second in 1999.

KYLA MATTIOLI - Junior from Hampton, N.J... A career-best 9.850 vault score against Boise State (2/27/02) claimed her the event title... Career high on floor (9.750) at Cal State Fullerton (2/4/02), was tied at Southern Utah (3/13/02)... Career-best 9.750 on bars at San Jose State (1/26/02)... Vault average of 9.696.

MEAGAN NELSON - Freshman from Las Vegas, Nev... All-around scores in the first six meets were better than 39.000, including 39.500 against Boise State (1/24), the third-best all-around score in USU history... Has 16 top-three finishes on the year... Against Boise State, she set career highs on beam (9.900) and floor (9.950)... Beam score (9.900) ties the seventh-best score in USU history, while her career floor score (9.950) ties the second-best... Seven event titles on the season (vault, three floor, three all-around)... Competed as a Level 10 gymnast for Cassie Rice and Jill Enritta at GymCats Gymnastics in Las Vegas... An eight-time state champion, she has titles in the Level 10 bars, vault, floor and all-around... Took second at the 2001 state meet in the all-around... Finished 11th at Level 10 nationals as a senior.

JESSICA PARENTI - Freshman from Glendora, Calif.... Became just the second freshman in USU history - and the second this season - to score better than 39.00 in an all-around debut, with 39.275 against Utah (2/7)... Career high 9.875 on bars and beam were set against Utah (2/7)... Won the bars title at CS Fullerton, her first collegiate meet (1/12), with a 9.925, which tied the sixth-best bars score in school history... Has four event titles this season (three bars, one beam)... Competed as a Level 10 gymnast at Charter Oak Gliders for Lisa Muellers and Jay Wells... Three-time nationals competitor (1999-2001)... Second at 2000 nationals in bars, beam and the all-around... Finished second on beam and third in bars at 2001 national competition... Glendora High valedictorian (class of 540), she graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

JESSICA RANDS - Sophomore from Sammamish, Wash... Scored a career-best 9.825 on vault against Boise State (2/2/02).

RACHEL ROPELATO - Sophomore from Nibley, Utah... Career-high scores on bars (9.800) and vault (9.850) came against Boise State (1/24)... Has one event title on the year, tying teammate Meagan Nelson on vault against Boise.

ALLISON ROSENTHAL - Senior from Scottsdale, Ariz... Posted career-high beam score against Boise State (1/24) with a 9.775... Tied her top career floor score of 9.875 for the fourth time at Western Gymnastics Conference meet (3/22/02)... Ranked second on the team in floor average, ending the year with a 9.690... Had three top-three finishes, including an event title (beam).

KATIE RUTHERFORD - Sophomore co-captain from Chappaqua, N.Y... Keeps improving on career vault scores in 2003, with a 9.700 at NC State (2/14)... Also tied her career high on bars (9.925) against the Utes this season... Earned bars title at the WGC meet (3/22/02), scoring 9.925 and tying the fifth-best bars score at USU... Career-best 9.900 on beam tied the seventh-best beam score in school history... Only freshman to compete in all 14 meets for the Aggies in 2002.

KIMBERLY SCHARMAN - Senior co-captain from Salt Lake City, Utah... Has not competed in 2003... Set a career best on beam at the Western Gymnastics Conference meet on March 22 with a 9.750... Finished in the top three on bars twice as a junior.

ASHLEY YOUNG - Freshman from Longmont, Colo... Set career highs on vault (9.650), beam (9.825) and floor (9.700) against Boise State (1/24)... Competed as a Level 10 gymnast Richard Villarela and Blythe Baca at Berthoud School of Gymnastics... Was the 2001 regional vault champion... Also finished fifth on bars and sixth in the all-around at the 2001 regionals... A 2001 national qualifier... Graduated with a 3.7 grade point average from Skyline High.