On Friday, Jan. 13, the Red Rocks travelled south to Provo, Utah, to compete against the BYU Cougars. After a strong match between the two teams, the Red Rocks came out on top, and they beat their in-state rival 196.9-194.125.

“I thought it was a great meet, and we had a lot of fans come out, so it was just a blessing to have a fan crowd that we do,” said sophomore Sabrina Schwab. “They are amazing. They come to support us at all of our meets, and I think that it was a great start to the season. We still have things to work on, but overall, it was a really good day.”

In all-around, freshman MyKayla Skinner won the night with a score of 39.6. Schwab followed with a 39.3, and sophomore MaKenna Merrell with 39.25.

“I feel like one of the best things about this meet is that if someone had a little hick up, then they would finish their routine the best they could, and then the next person would jump right on board and pick everyone back up,” said junior Tiffani Lewis. “I think that is really important in away meets for sure.”

Up first, while the Cougars tackled the vault, the Utes went to the uneven bars. Skinner dominated the bars with a score of 9.875. Schwab had a 9.825, and Lewis had a 9.85. By the end of the first round, Utah led the way with a score of 49.125, but the Cougars only trailed by .425, making it anyone’s game early in the meet.

In the second rotation though, the Utes extended their lead by .85, making it more difficult for the Cougars to catch up. As the Red Rocks took on the vault, Merrell joined Skinner in domination as both scored a 9.9, followed by Lewis with a 9.85. By the end of the rotation, the Red Rocks had a solid score of 98.425, and they showed no signs of faltering any time soon.

Fortunately for the team, after a few falls from the Cougars, its lead extended even further, scoring a 147.7 in the third rotation of the meet. Skinner, again, led the floor routines during the meet, and she scored her highest score this season with a 9.95, and Schwab followed with a 9.9.

In the final rotation of the night, the Utes finished on the beam. Skinner led the event with a 9.875 followed by senior Baely Rowe and juniors Maddy Stover and Kari Lee with a 9.85. By the end of the rotation, the Red Rocks had not only won their events, but they won the night.

“I think that we all were just ready to go out there and have fun and enjoy ourselves,” Skinner said. “We have been working hard in the gym, and we were kind of relaxed today, and we went out there and did our thing. It was a really good meet tonight.”

Up next for the Utes, the Red Rocks will stay at home as they compete against another in-state school along with Boise State, Denver, and Illinois-Chicago on Friday, Jan. 20. The meet is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

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