CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah Gymnastics team is heading North for the Rio Tinto Kennecott Best of Utah Gymnastics Meet on Monday, January 15, at 4:00 p.m. MT. The event has become a staple for the state's gymnastics programs and is always very competitive. 

The Flippin' Birds will enter the meet ranked #17 based on the team's score at last weekend's Mean Girls Super 16. The T-Birds will square off with BYU, Utah State University, and the University of Utah at the Maverik Center in West Valley City.

Meet Information

Rio Tinto Kennecott Best of Utah Gymnastics Meet

Date: Monday, January 15, 2024

March In: 4:00 PM MT

Venue: The Maverik Center

Tickets: Best of Utah Tickets

Live Stats: stat broadcast

Coach Scotty Bauman Said

"The Best of Utah is a great opportunity for all of the Utah teams to showcase how strong gymnastics is in our state.  These athletes have worked hard and are ready to shine against some of the best competition in the country. This is always one of the best meets of the year."

The Competition

The annual event is one of the top gymnastics meets in the country, as it brings together some of the toughest competitors in the West. Three of the four teams competing in the event will be ranked in the top 20 nationally, including #19 BYU, #17 Southern Utah, and #2 Utah. 

Utah State began their season at a quad meet hosted by North Carolina, securing a fourth-place finish with a score of 193.175. Senior Lexi Aragon's exceptional beam routine, earning a career-high 9.850 and tying for first in the event, showcased the team's potential. The Aggies exhibited their strongest performance on the beam, tallying a score of 48.650 in that rotation.

BYU, coming off the Super 16 season-opener event, claimed fourth place with a total score of 195.900. The Cougars faced tough competition, finishing behind Southern Utah, Oregon State, and winner Minnesota. 

Meanwhile, Utah enters the quad meet as one of the top teams in the country and will be coming off a quad meet against #1 Oklahoma, #5 LSU, and #12 UCLA. The Red Rocks were picked to win the Pac-12 title in the Preseason Coaches Poll. Having secured individual wins in each event to start the 2024 season, the Red Rocks bring a wealth of experience, returning 16 routines from last year's third-place team, including five All-American honorees. The meet promises to showcase the high level of talent and skill in collegiate gymnastics, with each team vying for supremacy in this Best of Utah Gymnastics showdown.

Southern Utah Notes

• The Thunderbirds finished third at the Mean Girls Super 16 to open the season, scoring the highest road opening score in program history at 196.025.

• Southern Utah is ranked #16 on the vault, #13 on bars, #12 on beam, and #28 on Floor. 

• The Flippin' Birds had 13 athletes from last year's team move on but have recruited a stellar freshman class.

• Freshman Niya Randolph secured 2nd place in the All-Around last week with a 39.300, which ranks her #23 in the country. 

• The Flippin' Birds swept week one of the MPSF awards, with Niya Randolph being named Gymnast of the Week, Aubri Schwartze Specialist of the Week, and Alex Routsis Freshman of the Week. 

• Southern Utah has three returning gymnasts who finished the season ranked in the top 100 nationally, including Kayla Pardue (#83 Vault), Aubri Schwartze (#96 Floor), and Ellie Cacciola (#51 Beam).

• Currently, the Thunderbirds have nine gymnasts ranked in the top 100 nationally across various events. Randolph is ranked in every event.

• The Thunderbirds are coached by Scott Bauman, who was named the MRGC Coach of the Year in 2023, Associate Head Coach Jamie Wysong was named the Assistant Coach of the Year for the conference as well.  

Season Tickets On Sale Now

Help us pack the America First Event Center by buying your season tickets today! Visit tbirdtickets.com to reserve your seats! 

Follow Us

For all the latest on Southern Utah gymnastics, follow @SUUGym on Twitter, @SUUGymastics on Instagram, and like the Southern Utah Gymnastics Facebook page.

Donate

To help support Thunderbird athletics, consider making a donation today! To learn more about how you can support, click here.