Jan. 14, 2009

LOGAN, Utah -

Complete Central Michigan at Utah State Gymnastics Notes in PDF Format

#29 Central Michigan at #44 Utah State
Logan, Utah
Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270)
Friday, Jan. 16, 2009 7 p.m. (MT)
Aggies All Access

HOME-OPENER - ­Utah State (0-1, 0-0 WAC) gymnastics will host Central Michigan (1-0, 0-0 MAC) in the Aggies' home-opener on Friday, Jan. 16... The 7 p.m. (MT), meet start will be at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270).

LIVE RESULTS - Live results for Friday's meet are available by clicking on the "Live Results" link at www.UtahStateAggies.com, the official web site of USU athletics. * Note the link will only work after the start of the meet.

TICKET INFO - Tickets are available through the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, online at www.UtahStateAggies.com and clicking on "tickets" in left column, or by calling or (435) 797-0305 or 1-888-U-STATE-1 (1-888-878-2831).

AGGIES ALL ACCESS - Fans can watch all USU gymnastics home meets live via the internet through Aggies All Access, available through www.UtahStateAggies.com, the official web site of USU athletics... Single events cost $9.95 with a gymnastics season pass available for $29.95 and an All-Access Pass for all USU athletics events is $129.95.

UP NEXT - Utah State faces Southern Utah on Monday, Jan. 26 at Cedar City, Utah with a 7 p.m. (MT) start time.

IN THE RANKINGS - Central Michigan is at No. 29 in the Troester/GymInfo Women's Gymnastics Coaches Poll, while USU is at No. 44.

ABOUT UTAH STATE - The Aggies are coming off a 191.100-187.150 loss at No. 25 Kentucky in the season-opener last Friday... Sophomore Nicole Simoneau and freshman Rebecca Holliday were the only USU gymnasts to finish in the top three in the events, as Simoneau was second on bars with a 9.800 while Holliday was third on beam with a 9.625 in her Aggie debut... Junior Heather Heinrich was third in the all-around with a 37.575 while senior Nicki Felley was fourth, posting a 36.750 and Holliday was fifth posting a 36.400.

Utah State was tabbed tied for fourth in the preseason Western Athletic Conference poll and the Aggies return six letterwinners from last season's squad that posted a 6-18 overall record and a 2-6 WAC ledger. Among the six returners are three all-WAC honorees, including senior Nicki Felley, junior Heather Heinrich and sophomore Nicole Simoneau. While USU did not qualify as a team to the NCAA North Central Regional Gymnastics meet, the Aggies sent six individuals, and four of those six return in Felley, Heinrich, Simoneau along with sophomore Lyndsie Boone.

Felley led USU in the all-around last season, with a season-average of 38.246, good for ninth in the WAC and 17th in the region, while Heinrich added a 37.868 average, which was 11th in the conference and 20th in the region. Felley also has the top returning average on floor with a 9.611. Heinrich was the Aggies' top vaulter last year with a 9.728 average, while Dillon had a 9.732 average, but didn't compete enough to qualify for rankings. Heinrich also had Utah State's top beam average with a 9.505, while Simoneau totes USU's highest average on bars with a 9.823. ABOUT CENTRAL MICHIGAN - The Chippewas opened the season with a 192.225-191.825 win over Illinois State at home on Friday night... Leading the Chippewas was junior Katie Simon with event victories on vault (9.875), bars (9.850) and in the all-around (38.925)... Simon's score on bars was a career-high. She also had CMU's second-best score on beam (9.600).

The Chippewas return nine letterwinners including four All-MAC selections this season: Andrea de la Garza, Jessica Neel, Laura Rogers and Katie Simon. De la Garza was named the conference Freshman of the Year last year and also won a MAC championship in the all-around. CMU finished fifth in the regular season and third in the conference championships last season.

Central Michigan is coached by Jerry Reighard, who is in his 25th season at his alma mater... Reighard has a 348-186-3 overall record, leading CMU to 10 Mid-American Conference championships while earning six MAC Coach of the Year honors along the way.

SERIES HISTORY VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN - Friday marks the first meeting between the Aggies and the Chippewas since 2005, when they met in a dual meet at CMU's home of Mount Pleasant, Mich., won by the 24th-ranked Chippewas, 194.050-191.850.. USU is 1-2 all-time vs. CMU, including 1-0 at Logan, 0-1 at Mount Pleasant, and 0-1 at a neutral site.

LAST TIME OUT - In its first-ever trip to Kentucky, Utah State gymnastics came up on the short end of a 191.100-187.150 score at No. 25 Kentucky Saturday night at Lexington, Kent., in the first meet of the Jeff Richards era as Aggie head coach.

Richards is in his first season guiding the USU program, replacing legendary head coach Ray Corn, who retired after 31 seasons guiding the Aggie program.

Sophomore Nicole Simoneau and freshman Rebecca Holliday were the only USU gymnasts to finish in the top three in the events, as Simoneau was second on bars with a 9.800 while Holliday was third on beam with a 9.625 in her Aggie debut.

Junior Heather Heinrich was third in the all-around with a 37.575 while senior Nicki Felley was fourth, posting a 36.750 and Holliday was fifth posting a 36.400. Kentucky's Hilary Ferguson and Andrea Mitchell were first and second, respectively, with 39.275 and 38.575 scores.

Utah State opened the night on bars with a pair of freshmen making their Aggie debuts, as Brandie Dickson started things off with a 9.475, followed by a 9.150 from Rebecca Holliday. Next, sophomore Jackie Dillon logged a 9.600, a new career-best. Junior Heather Heinrich and senior Nicki Felley followed with a 9.325 and 9.350 respectively, before sophomore Nicole Simoneau concluded the rotation with a 9.750, to give the Aggies a 47.500 for bars.

Meanwhile, Kentucky was on vault, posting a 49.100.

Switching events, USU moved to vault, where Holliday opened with an 8.825, preceding Simoneau's 9.425. Felley followed with a 9.475 with Dillon then posting a 9.625, matched by Heinrich, notching a team-score of 46.975.

Kentucky had three falls on bars and ended the rotation with a 47.125, leaving Utah State trailing, 96.275-94.525, at the midway-point of the meet.

The Aggies were on floor for the third rotation, with Dillon leading off with an 8.825. In her USU debut, redshirt-freshman Erica Huelsman posted a 9.550. Next, Holliday scored an 8.800 before Heinrich and Felley notched a 9.650 and 9.550, respectively. Utah State posted a team-score of 46.325 while Kentucky logged a 46.775 on beam, and the Aggies trailed, 143.050-140.850, entering the fourth and final rotation.

On beam, Huelsmann started with 9.400, followed by freshman Haley Hogan's USU debut with a 9.050, then Felley's 8.325. Holliday then notched a 9.625, then Simoneau scored a 9.100 and Heinrich concluded the rotation with an 8.975, leaving USU with a 46.150. Kentucky scored a 48.050 to secure the win.

UTAH STATE RECORD BOOK WATCH - Utah State gymnasts had six individual event marks and five season average marks in the USU record book.

Last season, sophomore Nicole Simoneau posted a 9.900 on bars, which is the fourth-highest score in school history, becoming the 11th Aggie gymnast with that posting.

On the season average list, Simoneau's 9.822 average on bars is No. 2 on USU's top 20 season average bars list, trailing Christy Denson's 9.856 from 1999.

Sophomore Jackie Dillon's 9.732 average on vault last season is No. 15... Junior Heather Heinrich's 9.725 on vault average is tied for No. 17... Heinrich also holds the No. 20 spot with a 9.723 average in 2007.

REGIONAL HISTORY - In the 31-year history of the USU gymnastics program, the Aggies have qualified for regionals 26 times, with the highest finish coming in 1982 when the Aggies placed second and went on to the National Championships, where they placed ninth... USU's most recent appearance as a team at the regional championships was in 2007 when the Aggies placed sixth at the North Central Regional meet.

IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS - Utah State gymnastics began the 2008 season ranked 33rd in the country according to the Troester Women's Preseason Coaches Poll, before falling as low as No. 46 in the Jan. 21 rankings. USU finished the season at No. 38 in the final rankings.

2009 UTAH STATE SCHEDULE - USU's 2009 schedule consists of three road matches in the first four meets and concludes with just the opposite with three home meets among the final four.

The schedule includes three opponents ranked in the Top 25 of the 2009 preseason poll, including No. 2 Utah, No. 19 Boise State and No. 25 Kentucky, who all qualified for the NCAA Regionals. Four other 2009 opponents were among others receiving votes in the preseason poll and competed at NCAA Regionals in BYU, who was ranked 24th in last year's final poll, Southern Utah (No. 29 in final poll), San Jose State (30th) and Sacramento State (34th).

ALL-WAC RETURNERS - USU returns three gymnasts who earned all-WAC accolades last year, including lone senior Nicki Felley, as well as junior Heather Heinrich and sophomore Nicole Simoneau.

Heinrich garnered first-team all-WAC accolades after finishing tied for third on beam with a 9.825... Felley was a second-team all-WAC honoree after finishing fifth in the all-around with a 38.925 and tied for sixth on beam with a 9.800... Simoneau also collected second-team recognition after placing tied for fourth on bars with a 9.775.

NCAA REGIONAL RETURNERS - Four of USU's six individuals who qualified for last season's NCAA North Central Regional Championships return in 2009... Of the four, two were all-arounders and two were individual specialists... Senior Nicki Felley and junior Heather Heinrich were in the all-around while sophomore Lyndsie Boone was on beam and Nicole Simoneau qualified on bars.

Simoneau finished in a three-way tie for eighth with a 9.800... It was Simoneau's 13th posting of 9.800 or better last season.

Boone was 42nd on beam with an 8.275... In the all-around, Heinrich was 19th with a 37.650 while Felley finished 21st with a 36.975... Heinrich was tied for 29th on beam with a 9.575, tied for 28th on vault with a 9.675, tied for 37th on floor with a 9.650 and 41st on bars with an 8.750... Felley finished tied for 33rd on vault with a 9.625, 35th on bars with a 9.500, 41st on beam with an 8.975 and 42nd on floor, notching an 8.975.

ACADEMIC ALL-WAC - Utah State had six gymnasts earn academic all-Western Athletic Conference accolades... Of the 13 Utah State student-athletes to be recognized by the WAC, six were gymnasts, including one who received academic all-conference honors for the fourth straight year, one honored for the third time, while two more are being honored for the second time in a row... Of the six, two return in senior Nicki Felley and junior Heather Heinrich... Felley and Heinrich are both two-time academic all-WAC honorees.

2009 TEAM CAPTAIN - Senior Nicki Felley is the Aggies' team captain, marking the second season in a row that she has served as team captain.

USU TABBED TIED FOR FOURTH IN WAC PRESEASON GYMNASTICS POLL - Utah State gymnastics was picked tied for fourth in the 2009 Western Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll, as voted on by the league's six head coaches.

Utah State collected 10 points to tie with Cal State Fullerton for fourth-place.

Boise State, the defending WAC champion, was picked first with 23 points, receiving three first-place votes. Southern Utah, who also received three votes for first, was second with 22 points. San Jose State was third with 16 points, followed by Utah State and Cal State Fullerton with Sacramento State tabbed sixth with nine points.

The 2009 WAC Gymnastics Championships are on Saturday, March 21, at Sacramento, Calif., hosted by Sacramento State at The Hornets Nest.

2008 UTAH STATE RECAP - The Aggies ended the season with a 6-18 (.250) overall and 2-6 Western Athletic Conference ledger... Utah State had its five best scores of the season in the final five meets of the year... USU posted its season-best 194.450 in a home dual with San Jose State (March 7), topping the Spartans' 194.125... The Aggies' second-best mark was a 194.250 in a dual loss at BYU (196.300) on March 10... At the WAC Championships, USU logged its third-best mark of the season with a 194.150 in finishing fifth... Host Boise State won the team title with a 194.925, while San Jose State was second at 194.725. Southern Utah tallied a 194.575 for third, while Sacramento State was fourth at 194.275, followed by Utah State's 194.150 and Cal State Fullerton's sixth-place finish at 192.650... A 193.900 in the quad meet at Texas Woman's on March 14 was good for USU's fourth-highest score of the season, finishing third behind Kentucky's 195.200 and Texas Woman's with 194.200, but ahead of Centenary's 192.025... The Aggies' No. 5 best mark of the season was a 193.150 in a home dual loss to Southern Utah on March 21, after the Thunderbirds notched a 195.075.

HEAD COACH Jeff Richards - Jeff Richards took over the reigns of the Utah State gymnastics program in July, 2008, becoming only the second head coach in the Aggies' history after legendary coach Ray Corn retired after 31 seasons.

Richards, who was born and raised in Logan and is a 1988 graduate of Logan High School, was an assistant coach at Utah State from 1988-90. He has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa, where he recently was named the 2008 North Central Region Assistant Co-Coach of the Year with fellow Iowa assistant, Talya Vexler. The award comes after Richards helped the Hawkeyes to a 10-4-1 record, a ranking as high as No. 19 in the national polls and finishing third in the Big Ten.

Richards, who has over 20 years of collegiate gymnastics experience, served as Iowa's main bars coach and spotter for all four events. He was also in charge of travel, equipment and scheduling for the Hawkeyes. Last season Richards coached the Hawkeyes to a season-high 49.0 on bars in a dual meet against Iowa State. He also coached senior Katie Burke to a first-place performance on bars against Illinois and Michigan State. Richards also coached freshman Rebecca Simbhudas to first-place performances on bars twice.

Richards began his coaching career as a student-assistant at Utah State from 1988-1990, before transferring to Southern Utah, where he finished his student-assistant coaching duties and earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from SUU in 1995. While at Southern Utah, Richards was an assistant coach for the Thunderbirds under SUU head coach Scott Bauman, also a former USU assistant coach, until 1998. From 1998-2004 Richards was head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and was head coach at Winona State University from 2004-05 before joining Iowa in 2005.

While at Wisconsin-Stout, Richards earned the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Award for both the 2000 and 2001 seasons, and the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Coach of the Year honors for the 2000 season. He coached seven NCGA All-Americans and eight all-conference award winners at Wisconsin-Stout, leading the Blue Devils to the 2001 NCGA National Championships. UW-Stout broke its team-best score each of Richards' six seasons at the helm.

At Winona State, Richards mentored two gymnasts who qualified for the NCGA National Championships.

During his stint at Southern Utah, Richards helped increase the team score from 170 to 188 in his first year, as well as coaching individual regional qualifiers each year and one national qualifier, and highly increased the Thunderbirds' recruiting caliber.

While at Utah State, Richards helped the Aggies to two appearances in the NCAA Regional Championships in both 1989 and 1990, and coached Tana Davis in the all-around to the NCAA National Championships both seasons. Richards also helped coached all-High Country Athletic Conference honoree Stephanie Green in 1990.

A GLANCE AT THE AGGIES ­

Lyndsie Boone - Did not compete in the season-opener.

LAST SEASON: An NCAA North Central Regional qualifier on beam... Competed in the vault and floor in every meet, as well as the beam in all but one... Competed in the all-around and bars in four meets... At the WAC Championships, she notched a 9.725 (T-13th) on beam, a 9.800 on floor (T-13th) and a 9.675 (T-27th) on vault... Selected to the NCAA North Central Regional meet on beam, where she was 42nd with an 8.275... Posted season-highs of 9.750 on vault (at BYU 3/10) , 9.675 on bars (vs. SJSU 3/7), 9.750 on beam (at BYU 3/10), 9.800 on floor (vs. Denver 2/29, vs. SJSU 3/7) and 38.625 in the all-around (vs. SJSU 3/7).

Brandie Dickson - Made her USU debut in the Kentucky debut, placing sixth on bars (9.475), finishing third for USU.

HIGH SCHOOL: Competed for the Apollo Gymnastics team under coach Ken Anderson... Competed in vault, bars, beam and floor... Was a two-time Level 9 regional qualifier and a 2003 Level 9 Eastern National Qualifier... A three-time Level 10 regional qualifier.

Jackie Dillon - Posted a career-best 9.600 on bars (5th) at Kentucky in the season-opener, as well as 9.625 on vault (T-7th) and 8.875 on floor (10th).

LAST SEASON: At the WAC Championships, she posted a 9.675 on vault (T-27th)... Notched season-bests of 9.825 on vault (3/10 at BYU), 9.800 on floor (2/29 vs. Denver) and 9.450 on bars (1/27 at Cal State Fullerton).

Nicki Felley - Was fourth in the all-around at the Kentucky dual in the season-opener with a 36.750, scoring a 9.600 on floor (5th), 9.475 on vault (9th), 9.350 on bars (7th) and an 8.325 on beam (12th).

LAST SEASON: A second-team all-WAC honoree on both beam and in the all-around... An NCAA North Central Regional qualifier in the all-around... Had season averages of 9.580 on vault, 9.617 on bars, 9.400 on beam, 9.565 on floor and 38.246 in the all-around... Led USU in the all-around and ranked ninth in the WAC and 17th in the region... Competed in the all-around in every meet of the season... Posted season-bests of 9.825 on vault (2/4 at Southern Utah), 9.825 on bars (2/4 at Southern Utah), 9.800 on beam (3/29 at WAC Champs.), 9.825 on floor (2/15 vs. BYU/NH, 2/29 vs. Denver) and 38.925 in all-around (3/29 at WAC Champs.)... At the WAC Championships, she earned second-team all-WAC accolades on both beam and in the all-around after placing tied for sixth on beam (9.800) and fifth in the all-around (38.925)... Selected to the NCAA North Central Regional meet in the all-around, where she finished 21st with a 36.975... Placed tied for 33rd on vault with a 9.625, 35th on bars with a 9.500, 41st on beam with an 8.975, and 42nd on floor, notching an 8.975... Earned academic all-WAC accolades in addition to the USU Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Award.

Rachel Flessner - Did not compete in the season-opener at Kentucky.

HIGH SCHOOL: Was a seven-year Level 10 gymnast for Champion's Gymnastics Team for Kellie Mizoguchi... Qualified for the United States Challenge as a pre-elite junior... Won the Gymnastics Association of Texas National Honor Award... Placed 14th in all-around and tied for fifth on vault at the 2007 Region III Level 10 Regionals... Was a 2005 Region III bar champion.

Heather Heinrich - Was third in the all-around in the season-opening meet at Kentucky with a 37.575... Tallied a 9.650 on floor (4th), 9.625 on vault (T-7th), 9.325 on bars (8th), and an 8.975 on beam (9th).

LAST SEASON: Earned first-team all-WAC honors on beam... An NCAA North Central Regional Qualifier in the all-around... Was the Aggies' top vaulter with a 9.728 average and also had USU's top beam average with a 9.505... Competed in the vault, bars and beam in every event of the season... Also competed in the floor and all-around in every event except three... Had season averages of 9.725 on vault, 9.292 on bars, 9.510 on beam, 9.481 on floor and 37.850 in the all-around... Notched season-bests of 9.825 on vault (2/4 at Southern Utah, 3/10 at BYU), 9.750 on bars (3/7 vs. SJSU), 9.825 on beam (3/29 at WAC Champs.), 9.850 on floor (3/7 vs. SJSU), which was also a career-high, and 39.000 in the all-around (3/7 vs. SJSU), also her career-high... Earned a spot to the NCAA North Central Regional meet in the all-around where she was 19th with a 37.650... Finished tied for 29th on beam with a 9.575, tied for 28th on vault with a 9.675, tied for 37th on floor with a 9.650 and 41st on bars with an 8.750... Received academic all-WAC honors as well as the USU Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Award.

Haley Hogan - Posted a 9.050 on beam (8th) in the season-opener at Kentucky.

HIGH SCHOOL: Competed for North Davis Gymnastics Team for coach Ken Wright... Competed in regionals in 2003 through 2006 and 2008... State champion on floor in 2008... Third on bars in 2008.

Rebecca Holliday - Was fifth in the all-around with a 36.400 at Kentucky in the season-opener, logging a 9.625 on beam (3rd), 9.150 on bars (9th), 8.825 on vault (11th) and an 8.800 on floor (11th).

HIGH SCHOOL: Competed for the South Coast Gymnastics Club and earned the South Coast Gymnast of the Year honor in 2005... Coached by former Chinese Olympians Xiaoping Li and Jia Wen... Placed 11th in all-around at the 2007 Level 10 Southern California state meet... Also competed in track and field in high school.

Erica Huelsmann - In here Aggie debut, posted 9.550 on floor (6th) and 9.400 on beam (5th).

LAST SEASON: Redshirted the season after shoulder surgery.

Chelsea Marquardt - Will miss the first portion of the season with an injury.

LAST SEASON: Saw limited action after suffering knee injury in third meet of season, missed four meets, before returning to bars-only action the rest of the year... Had season averages of 9.750 on vault, 9.660 on bars and 9.588 on beam... Tallied season-best scores of 9.800 on vault (1/18 vs. Sac State), 9.800 on bars (2/29 vs. Denver, 3/21 vs. Southern Utah) and 9.625 on beam (1/18 vs. Sac State)... At the WAC Championships, she tied for 21st on bars (9.675).

Kileigh Peterson - Redshirting this season.

HIGH SCHOOL: Competed for the All American Gymnastics team under coaches Dawn Johnson, Jodi Merrel and Lena Johnson... Won the regional meet at Western Nationals in 2007.

Nicole Simoneau - Notched a 9.800 on bars (2nd) in the season-opener at Kentucky, as well as a 9.425 on vault (10th) and 9.100 on beam (T-6th)... It was her 14th scoring of 9.800 or better in 15 career meets.

LAST SEASON: Earned second-team all-WAC recognition on bars after finishing tied for fourth (9.775) at the WAC Championships... Selected to the NCAA North Central Regional meet, where she placed in a three-way tie for eighth with a 9.800... Had season-averages of 9.822 on bars, 9.606 on vault and 9.039 on beam... Tallied season-bests of 9.900 on bars (3/21 vs. Southern Utah), 9.750 on beam (2/15 vs. BYU/NH) and 9.650 on vault (1/22 vs. Boise State), as well as scoring 9.175 on floor and 37.650 in all-around, competing in each one time (1/18 vs. Sac. State).

-USU-