Feb. 9, 2006

LOGAN, Utah - No. 28 Utah State (2-8, 0-3) will host 29th-ranked Washington and 36th-ranked Texas Woman's in its second home gymnastics meet of the season this Friday at 7:35 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

The Aggies enter the week ranked 28th in the GymInfo poll, falling two spots after losing to Brigham Young last week 193.525-192.550. Against the Cougars, junior Meagan Lewis won the all-around for the first time this year with a 38.775 after finishing in a tie for third on vault (9.750), fifth on bars (9.650), eighth on the beam (9.675), and seventh on the floor (9.700). Lewis was the only Aggie to walk away with a first-place finish against BYU.

In individual rankings, sophomore Katie Omann is currently ranked 33rd in the nation in the all-around with an average of 38.912, although she hasn't competed in two weeks due to an injury. Omann also has the third-highest all-around score in the WAC with the 38.975 she scored against BYU on Jan. 20. Senior Jessica Parenti currently holds the high-score in the WAC on floor with a 9.875. She also leads the all-around with a 39.250. Nationally, Parenti ranks 44th on the floor with a season average of 9.775.

For Washington, freshmen Ashley Houghting and Kristen Omori have made quite an impact in their first month of competition for the Huskies. Houghting is currently ranked fifth in the nation on vault with a 9.885 average. She has scored 9.9 in three-consecutive meets and has yet to score below a 9.85. Omori is 36th nationally on vault with a 9.815 average and her only score below a 9.8 was a 9.775 last week in Arizona.

Former Aggie Courtney Arno will be coming back to Logan with TWU as the 18th ranked gymnast in the nation on bars with a 9.837 average. Last week she led the Pioneers on bars with a 9.875.

The Aggies are 9-8 all-time against Washington which includes a 4-1 home record. The teams last met in Boise, Idaho on Feb. 6, 1999 where Utah State beat Washington 193.125-192.550. The Huskies last defeated the Aggies on March 6, 1998 in Logan, 194.775-191.724. Against TWU, Utah State is 6-1 overall and 2-0 at home with the Pioneers only win coming last year at TWU. The Aggies scored a season high 195.900, but it wasn't enough as the Pioneers edged the Aggies with a 195.950.

The meet on Friday will begin one hour later than normal at 7:35 p.m. because of a banquet honoring five former Aggie Athletes, all of whom will be inducted into the Utah State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Among the honorees is Kris Stano Lilly, a former Aggie gymnast.

Stano was a gymnastics All-American during her two-year career at USU in 1982 and 1983. She finished fourth in the floor exercise at the 1982 AIAW national championships for the best finish by an Aggie gymnast at a national meet. In addition to placing fourth in the floor exercise, she was 11th in the all-around at that 1982 AIAW Championships. Her efforts helped USU to a ninth place team finish.

Others being inducted into the hall of fame include Marvin Roberts, Al Smith, John Clyde Worley and Dr. John Worley.