LOGAN, Utah – Fresh off its first win over Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference-rival Boise State, Utah State's gymnastics team will look to keep its momentum going Friday night when the Aggies welcome No. 20 Southern Utah to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
"We had a great meet last weekend, but there is still so much more for us to give," said junior Leighton Varnadore, who won the all-around against the Broncos, and scored a 9.900 on floor to place second. "If we keep the energy going from last Friday and build on it, we are going to be really happy Friday night."
The MRGC dual meet featuring the Aggies (2-6, 1-4 MRGC) and Flippin' Birds (4-4, 2-2 MRGC) will begin at 7 p.m., and will be streamed live at www.utahstateaggies.com/watch. Additionally, live stats will be available online at utahstateaggies.com and fans can also follow the Utah State gymnastics social media outlets for meet updates.
"Coming off of our home opener in front of such a great crowd with such a big win last weekend has been awesome," said third-year USU head coach Amy Smith. "The team is fired up and ready to build off the momentum they continue to create on a weekly basis. They are continually improving, which is very exciting to see. We are looking forward to hosting Southern Utah on Friday for a great night of competition."
The Aggies are ranked No. 31 in the nation with an average score of 195.060. USU ranks second in the MRGC and 19th nationally with a beam average of 48.915. Junior Autumn DeHarde is first in the conference and tied for 16th nationally with a beam average of 9.880. Freshman Sofi Sullivan ranks second in the MRGC and is tied for 20th nationally with a beam average of 9.875. Sophomore Carley Bayles is tied for seventh in the league with a beam average of 9.758.
Southern Utah ranks 13th in the nation on vault with an average of 49.088. The Flippin' Birds are also 19th on bars (48.979), 28th on beam (48.788) and 24th on floor (48.983). SUU's Karley McClain (9.879) and Madison McBride (9.871) rank first and second, respectively, in the MRGC on floor.
Utah State is 49-51 all-time against SUU, including 26-14 at home, 17-20 on the road and 6-17 at a neutral site. The Flippin' Birds have won five straight in the series. USU's last victory over Southern Utah was on March 24, 2018, when the Aggies defeated the Thunderbirds at the MRGC Championships, 195.825-195.575, in Cedar City.
Fans who have not purchased tickets yet are encouraged to buy ahead of time to avoid lines. Tickets for Friday's meet are available by calling the USU ticket office at 1-888-USTATE-1 or 1-435-797-0305 during regular hours of operation. Utah State students are admitted free with a valid student ID.
Friday's dual meet is Utah State's annual Stick It To Cancer Pink Meet. The first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free pink USU Gymnastics T-Shirt, while the first 250 through the doors will receive a free box of conversation heart candy. The kids zone, which is located on the concourse of the Spectrum, will feature a face painter and Valentine's Day card-making station.
Fans can follow the Aggie gymnastics program at twitter.com/USUGymnastics, on Facebook at Utah State Gymnastics, and on Instagram at USUGymnastics. Fans can also follow the USU athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at UtahStateAthletics.
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