LOGAN, Utah – Utah State’s gymnastics team announced Wednesday that the Aggies’ Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference home meet scheduled for Friday, Jan. 21, has been canceled as a result of COVID-19 protocols within the Broncos’ program.
Instead, the 22nd-ranked Aggies will hit the road and join No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 13 Stanford and No. 20 Arizona on Saturday, Jan. 22, at the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. The quad meet, which will be streamed online at pac-12.com/live/university-arizona, is slated to begin at 4 p.m. (MT).
The Aggies opened the home portion of their schedule with a 194.950-191.975 victory over Air Force in front of 1,434 fans last Friday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. After just two meets, the Aggies (3-1) are off to their best start yet under fifth-year head coach Amy Smith. This is also Utah State’s best start to a season since opening the 2017 campaign at 4-1.
Utah State enjoyed a strong night against the Falcons with seven gymnasts setting career highs and tying one personal best. The Aggies won all four event titles in the non-conference dual meet.
Utah State currently ranks 18th nationally on bars (49.013) and 15th on floor (49.088). Individually, freshman Brie Clark is tied for fifth in the nation on floor (9.938).
Arizona leads the all-time series with Utah State 24-11-1. The two teams last met in the second semifinal of the 2021 Salt Lake City NCAA Regional Second Round, where they tied for third with matching scores of 196.025. The Aggies’ last victory in the series was on Jan. 1, 2001, 193.850-193.350, at a tri meet hosted by Cal.
The GymCats come into Saturday’s meet 0-1 following their 196.550-195.500 season-opening loss at Southern Utah last Friday night in Cedar City, Utah.
Arizona is ranked 22nd in the nation on vault (48.925) and tied for 16th on bars (49.050).
Oklahoma leads the all-time series with Utah State 16-8-0. The two teams last met at the 2017 NCAA Regional Championships in Seattle, Washington, where the No. 1 Sooners placed first with a 198.075, and the Aggies finished sixth with a 196.550.
USU’s last victory in the series was on April 8, 1995, at the NCAA Regional Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Aggies placed sixth with a 191.950, while the Sooners took seventh with a 191.050.
OU is 1-1 on the season, having opened with a 197.400-195.875 home win over Alabama before falling on the road at Utah, 197.775-196.650.
The Sooners are tied for fourth nationally on vault (49.313), ranked second on bars (49.463), tied for 15th on beam (48.925) and tied for fourth on floor (49.325). Individually, Katherine Levasseur is tied for first in the nation on vault (9.975), Audrey Davis ranks sixth on bars (9.938) and is tied for 16th in the all-around (39.350), Jenna Dunn is tied for ninth on beam (9.900) and Jordan Bowers is tied for 15th on floor (9.912).
Stanford leads the all-time series with Utah State 7-4-0. The two teams last met at the 2017 NCAA Regional Championships in Seattle, where the Cardinal placed fourth with a 195.575, and the Aggies finished sixth with a 196.550. USU’s last victory in the series was on Jan. 27, 1992, 189.300-187.050, at the Spectrum.
The Cardinal are 0-1 on the season following a 196.325-196.275 loss at Cal last Sunday.
Stanford is tied for 12th in the nation on bars (49.125), ranks fourth on beam (49.275) and is tied for 16th on floor (49.075). Individually, the Cardinal’s Kyla Bryant is tied for 20th on vault (9.875), tied for first on bars (9.950), tied for third on beam (9.925), tied for seventh on floor (9.925) and ranks first in the all-around (39.675).
For more information on the Utah State gymnastics program, follow the Aggies on Twitter at @USUGymnastics, on Facebook at UtahStateGymnastics and on Instagram at USUGymnastics.
