PROVO, Utah — The BYU women’s gymnastics team heads to Las Vegas to compete in the second annual Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships to kick off the 2024 season on Saturday, January 6.
This year's event is a strategic partnership with Paramount Pictures and their upcoming release of the iconic Mean Girls franchise. The athletes will be treated to a special advance screening of Mean Girls before the competitions begin, preceding the film’s opening nationwide on January 12. The entire Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships will be imbued with the film's spirited essence, ensuring that every aspect of the competition echoes its iconic vibe.
The two-day competition has four sessions with team, all-around and event champions for each session. BYU will compete in the Saturday, January 6 afternoon session against Minnesota, Oregon State and Southern Utah. The Saturday afternoon session is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. PT.
Meet Information
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When: Saturday, January 6
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Time: 12 p.m. PDT
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Location: Orleans Arena
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Live Stream:
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Live Stats:
THE COUGARS. Ranked No. 31 nationally as voted on by the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association, the Cougars begin their inaugural season as members of the Big 12 Conference on Saturday. BYU finished the 2023 season ranked No. 33 in the nation and earned two Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference awards in its final season with the conference. Senior beam queen Elease Rollins earned MRGC Beam Specialist of the Year and freshman powerhouse Kylie Eaquinto earned MRGC Freshman of the Year honors. With four seniors taking advantage of their Covid year and returning for the 2024 season, the Cougars will have a mix of veteran talent and seven new freshmen taking on new roles and challenges on the four competing events.
THE GOLDEN GOPHERS. Ranked No. 18 in the WCGA poll, the Gophers are coming off a 2023 season that saw them finish with a 10-6-1 meet record and a third place result at the Big Ten Championships. Senior Mya Hooten leads the team after being named a WCGA All-American in both floor (first team) and vault (second team). She won Big Ten individual titles in both events as well. Fellow senior Gianna Gerdes returns as well after earning First Team All-Big Ten honors last season.
THE BEAVERS. The Oregon State women’s gymnastics team enters the 2024 season ranked No. 13 in the WCGA poll. The Beavers are coming off a 2023 season that saw them finish with a 17-10-3 record and a fourth place result at the Pac-12 Championships. Sophomore Jade Carey earned her second-straight all-around title in 2023, while senior Madi Dagen earned the Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year award.
THE THUNDERBIRDS. Former Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference foe SUU enters the 2024 season ranked No. 24 in the WCGA poll. The T-Birds finished the 2023 season ranked No. 22 in the country, with 13 seniors graduating. The Thunderbirds are coached by Scott Bauman, who was named the MRGC Coach of the Year in 2023. Associate Head Coach Jamie Wysong was also named the Assistant Coach of the Year for the conference. 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).