‘So happy’: Boise State gymnast becomes program’s only three-time First Team All-American
Only a handful of gymnasts in the country have a better score on the uneven bars this season than Boise State’s Emily Muhlenhaupt. And she’s already the best in program history.
For the third year in a row, Muhlenhaupt was named a First Team Regular Season All-American on bars, the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association announced Thursday.
“Emily has been an amazing asset to our program and is the most beautiful bar worker,” Boise State coach Tina Bird said in a news release. “We are so happy that she is being recognized for the third year in a row and are so very proud of her.”
Muhlenhaupt is the only Bronco in program history to earn first-team honors three times in her career. Boise State alums Julie Wagner, Ciera Perkins and Shani Remme each received first-team recognition once.
Muhlenhaupt earned this year’s honor after posting a national qualifying score of 9.945, just shy of matching her career high of 9.950, set during the 2021 season. Her NQS is tied for the sixth-highest in the nation and leads a Boise State bars rotation that ranks in the top 10 in the country.
An NQS is determined by taking an individual’s top six scores, three of which must be away, dropping the highest and averaging the remaining five.
Last week, the Colorado native was named the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Bars Specialist of the Year for the third straight season, and she won her second straight MRGC bars championship with a 9.950. Earlier this season, Muhlenhaupt broke the Boise State record for bars wins in a career, passing Lindsay Ward’s mark of 20 that stood for more than a decade.
The Broncos, who finished as MRGC runners-up, next compete in the NCAA Regional Championships beginning Thursday in Norman, Oklahoma. Boise State, the 24th-ranked team in the country, is among nine teams at the regional site, including No. 8 Minnesota, No. 9 California and No. 25 Utah State. Competition will air on ESPN+.
The top two teams from each of the four regional sites will receive an automatic berth to the national championships. In addition, the top all-around competitor and top event specialist from round two at each regional (not on a team already advancing to nationals) will advance to the national championships.
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 3:19 PM.
