WEST VALLEY CITY – Maverik Center is set to host the fourth-annual Rio Tinto Best of Utah on Friday, Jan. 13, followed by the inaugural Wasatch Classic on Saturday, Jan. 14. The podium events first feature the four NCAA gymnastics programs in the state of Utah – Brigham Young University, Southern Utah, Utah State and the University of Utah – on Friday night. The Maverik Center will then host eight additional NCAA gymnastics programs for a pair of competitions Saturday afternoon into the evening. The Rio Tinto Best of Utah event will begin at 7 p.m. MT. The afternoon session of the Wasatch Classic will begin at 3 p.m. MT and will feature Washington, UCLA, Minnesota and Boise State. The packed weekend of gymnastics concludes with the evening session at 8 p.m. MT, which includes Oregon State, California, Iowa, and Pitt.
Tickets: University ticketholder's exclusive presale for Best of Utah will begin November 8 th @ 10am and run through November 14th @ 10pm
Southern Utah ticket link: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E005D63A15225A7?did=suu
General Public Links
Best of Utah: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E005D63A15225A7
Wasatch Classic: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E005D63A69427AC
RIO TINTO BEST OF UTAH
Utah has won the past three competitions at the Maverik Center against its in-state competition. The Red Rocks finished third at the NCAA Championships last season and return 21-of-24 routines to the 2023 squad. Jaedyn Rucker highlights the returners as the reigning NCAA vault champion, as well as 2020 Tokyo Olympians Grace McCallum, Amelie Morgan and Kara Eaker. Utah State finished the 2022 season ranked No. 23 and returns 12 gymnasts from last year's team. BYU finished as the No. 24 team in the nation last season, while Southern Utah was ranked No. 28 at the end of the season. Utah State, BYU and Southern Utah all advanced to the NCAA Regional rounds in 2022.
WASATCH CLASSIC
Afternoon Session:
Minnesota highlights the afternoon session after coming off a sixth place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2022. UCLA's team, highlighted by Tokyo Olympian Jordan Chiles, was ranked No. 12 in the nation at the end of the season, while Washington and Boise State ended the year ranked No. 21 and No. 27 in the nation after all three teams competed in the NCAA Regional rounds.
Evening Session:
California narrowly missed a berth to the NCAA Championships, finishing as the No. 11 team in the nation in 2022 to highlight the evening session of the Wasatch Classic. Also having tremendous seasons were Iowa and Oregon State, which both finished in the top-20 last year. Tokyo Olympian Jade Carey headlines the competitors in the evening session at the Wasatch Classic. Pitt rounds out the group of teams in the final competition of the weekend.
