CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Thunderbird gymnastics program is gearing up for their season to get underway in January, with a schedule packed with big opponents and meets.

Fans will get their first opportunity to see the Thunderbirds in action at the annual Red/White Meet, which is scheduled for January 13 before diving into competition following weekend.

The Flippin' Birds will open their 2017 regular season slate on January 20, when they host Stanford. This will mark the first time the two programs have met in the regular season.

SUU head coach Scott Bauman said he is looking forward to the challenge the Cardinal will bring to the Centrum Arena for the first meet.

“It will really test our girls,” he said. “We've been preparing for that meet all year long and we'll have the girls ready for that meet.”

The Thunderbirds will also have an in-season home-and-home against North Carolina State, competing in Raleigh, North Carolina on January 27 and again in Cedar City on March 3.

Bauman said they have competed against NC State a couple times in the past, and he expects both matchups this year to be competitive.

SUU will also be hitting the road to take on Michigan in Ann Arbor on February 26, part of a two year home-and-home with the Wolverines.

The T-Birds were able to top Michigan last year in Cedar City.

The Thunderbirds will also take on a full Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference schedule, facing Utah State twice, BYU twice and Boise State leading up to the MRGC Championships in Logan on March 18.  

“I love the Mountain Rim Conference because it is extraordinarily competitive,” Bauman said. “Those teams push us to our limit all the time.”  

SUU will also take on Denver at home. The Pioneers were formerly members of the MRGC, but transitioned to the Big 12 Conference.

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2017 SUU Gymnastics Schedule

* Conference Meet