2017 Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championships

MRGC Championships: Boise St, Utah St, Southern Utah, BYU Aim For Title

Boise State, Southern Utah, Utah State and BYU will battle it out for the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference title this weekend.

Mar 17, 2017 by Lauren Green

MRGC Championships: Boise St, Utah St, Southern Utah, BYU Aim For Title

The Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Championships are being held on Saturday, March 18, in Logan, Utah, and broadcast LIVE on FloGymnastics at 8 PM ET / 6 PM MT. Three of the four squads have already secured their places at regionals while the fourth team is still in contention to lock up its spot.

Boise State

RANKING: 11th
The Broncos have had a historic season and were ranked as high as seventh this season. Boise State put up a season-high 197.675 in its final meet of the season against Denver last weekend. They've gotten big contributions from freshman Courtney McGregor and sophomore Shani Remme as well as senior Diana Mejia. All three have brought in the big scores, especially on uneven bars and balance beam.

McGregor, who came into this season after competing at the Olympics in Rio, competed in the all-around six times this season. Remme competed in the all-around in eight out of nine meets. Her top two all-around totals both came against Denver.

Best Event: Uneven bars (ranked fifth)

Key to the Meet: Hitting uneven bars and floor exercise
The uneven bars have been the high-scoring event for the Broncos all season and will be a key event as Boise State looks to win the Mountain Rim title. Floor exercise, on the other hand, has been an event on which the Broncos have struggled most. While Boise State is ranked in the top 12 on the other three events, it is ranked just 19th on floor this season. The past two meets, BSU did not count a score lower than 9.800 on floor, though, and brought in totals of 49.300 and 49.500, respectively.

Gymnast to Watch: Shani Remme
Remme has been a huge contributor for the Broncos in the all-around. She has five scores of 9.900 or better on balance beam and has scored a 9.800 or better in all nine meets on bars. Her performance will be a major factor for the Broncos, especially on floor and vault where she typically puts up scores in the 9.8 range.

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Southern Utah

RANKING: 19th
The Thunderbirds enter the conference championships after a breakout regular season with the opportunity to go into regionals as a seeded team. Southern Utah is just outside of the top 18 right now but with a great meet could inch past George Washington for the final seeded spot.

One of the highlights this season came against North Carolina State on March 3 when Southern Utah put up a 197.025. It marked the first time all season that the Thunderbirds eclipsed the 197 mark. They did lose all-arounder Danielle Ramirez to injury last month but have plenty of depth across the board. That depth could propel the squad as it looks to regionals and possibly the NCAA nationals.

Best Event: Floor exercise (ranked ninth)

Key to the Meet: Hitting balance beam
Beam is a crucial event in any meet, but the Thunderbirds have had an up-and-down season on the apparatus. They have had some great performances on balance beam but have been forced to count a low score in five meets this season. In the final meet of the season against BYU, it was a mixed bag on balance beam--two falls and three scores of 9.900 or better, including the first 10.0 in school history from Stacie Webb.

Gymnast to Watch: Autumn Jorgensen
Jorgensen is just a freshman but has found herself solidly in the balance beam and floor exercise lineups in all 10 meets this season. She has competed six times on vault and once on the uneven bars. She has scored at least a 9.700 eight times this season and is coming off a season-best 9.900 in Monday's season finale against BYU. She's scored a 9.800 or better on floor exercise in all 10 meets this season. Look for Jorgensen to continue to be solid for the Thunderbirds as postseason approaches.

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Utah State

RANKING: 23rd
Utah State got off to a rough start but quickly rebounded in week two. The Aggies have scored in the 195 range for much of the season but stumbled a little bit in their final two meets of the season with some trouble on balance beam. They also bring a young team into the MRGC Championships--seven of the squad's 15 gymnasts are freshmen. How those freshmen manage their nerves will be crucial for the Aggies' success.

Best Event: Uneven bars (ranked 24th)

Key to the Meet: Hitting balance beam
After the past two meets, Utah State will be looking for a hit rotation on balance beam during the conference championships. The Aggies have shown consistency in the past and put up a season-best 49.150 against Boise State on Feb. 17. Utah State is capable of bringing in a high 48.0 or low 49.0 mark on beam if it gets five solid routines.

Gymnast to Watch: Bailey McIntire
McIntire is one of four seniors on a young Utah State squad and made her return to the all-around midway through the season. The Aggies will be relying on her leadership with a such a young team in the postseason. McIntire has had some consistency issues though this season, and she'll be looking to solidify her beam routine this weekend. She's capable of bringing in a solid score on all four events if she hits.

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BYU

RANKING: T-35th
BYU is one of seven teams fighting for the final five spots at this year's regionals. The second half of the season has been great for the Cougars--they have scored a 195 or better in five of their last six meets. Those scores included two meets that hit the 196 mark. In each of those meets, BYU did not count a score below 9.700.

Uneven bars is where the Cougars can really shine--they have counted a fall on bars just once this season. BYU will need another strong bars rotation to help propel its score. Look for Brittni Hawes to lead the Cougars. The junior set a new career high with a 9.950 on Feb. 11 against Texas Woman's University and Centenary College. She has seven scores of 9.800 or better this season.

Best Event: Uneven bars (tied for 21st)

Key to the Meet: Clean routines on all four events
With the competition for the final five spots being fierce, the Cougars need another solid meet to solidify their place in the remainder of the postseason. Hitting clean routines on all four events is going to be a must for BYU. When the Cougars have been at their best this season, it has shown in their scores.

Gymnast to Watch: Shannon Hortman
The freshman has been a stalwart in the lineup this season for BYU and has competed in the all-around in 10 out of 11 meets. Her best performance of the season came against Denver and Utah State on Feb. 3 when she scored a 39.275. She brings in solid scores and great consistency. Her strongest performances have come on floor exercise and vault, where she has nine scores of 9.700 or better on each event.

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Related:
How To Follow The Action: NCAA Gymnastics Conference Championships
Boise State Shines In Record-Breaking Season

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