CEDAR CITY, Utah -- Following up on a 2020 season filled with the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows, the Flippin' Bird gymnastics program will embark on their 2021 campaign this weekend as they compete in the 'Best of Utah' meet at the Maverik Center in West Valley City.
2020 Recap
Even though the 2020 season was ultimately shut down due to COVID-19 concerns, the Thunderbirds had a lot of big scores and set a new standard for the program moving forward.
On February 7, 2020 against Central Michigan, the Flippin' Birds scored the highest score the program has ever seen, hitting a 197.225.
The 2020 edition of SUU also holds the top two scores in program history, as a few weeks later they scored a 197.075 against Pittsburgh. Both marks came inside the America First Event Center.
The previous high score was set by the 2017 team, who notched a 197.025 against NC State at home.
A few individual performances moved gymnasts to the top of the record book as well. Shylen Murakami matched the school record on bars twice during the season, hitting a 9.950 in both January and February. On floor, both Hannah Nipp and Karley McClain matched the school record with 9.950's.
McClain also matched the third-highest all-around score in program history with a 39.525. Elise Wheeler set the all-around school record in 2010 at 39.575.
In The Rankings
In the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association Preseason Poll, the Flippin' Birds were projected as the No. 23 team in the nation.
The Flippin' Birds were ranked ahead of two other Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference teams as Boise State was ranked No. 30 and Utah State was ranked No. 32. BYU was the highest ranked MRGC team coming in at No. 17.
The Florida Gators took the top spot in the poll followed by Oklahoma at No. 2, LSU at No. 3, and Utah at No. 4.
Roster Outlook
The 2021 Flippin' Bird roster is filled with a lot of experience returning, and a high amount of fresh faces.
The Thunderbirds have five seniors on this year's team, with Morgan Alfaro, Mikaela DeFilippo, Molly Jozwiakowski, Alyssa LaDieu and Hannah Nipp all entering their fourth seasons with the team.
Southern Utah's junior class is packed with experience and high scores, as they welcome back Mayson Bentley, Caitlin Kho, Karley McClain, Shylen Murakami, Rachel Smith and Stephanie Tervort back into the fold for their third seasons.
Entering their second season with the team, Celine Barney, Ruby Hernandez, Kayla Horton, Kaylee Kho, Tiffani Stufflebeam and Nikki Thomas are all sophomores of this season's roster.
Over the offseason the Flippin' Birds added six freshmen to the team, with Brianna Alcantar, Aly Coutu, Anna Hartley, Emma Ingrassia, Aubri Schwartze and Hailey Vultaggio all joining the team.
30 Years Strong
The beginning of the 2021 season will mark the 30th season for SUU head coach Scott Bauman. He is the longest tenured coach currently at Southern Utah University.
Bauman has turned the Flippin' Birds into a powerhouse in the world of NCAA Gymnastics during his tenure, as the team has found themselves ranked in the top-25 fairly consistently as of late.
Scott, and his wife Stephanie, have been major factors in growing the gymnastics brand in Cedar City over the years. They are the founders and administrators of the Southern Utah Gymnastics Academy, giving Cedar City youth an opportunity to learn and compete in the sports.
Bauman's presence will be felt at Southern Utah University long after his departure, but for the time being the program is excited to celebrate his 30th season at the helm.
Meet Preview: Best of Utah
For the second year in a row, the Best of Utah meet will be competed at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, pitting Southern Utah University against the University of Utah, Brigham Young University and Utah State University.
Southern Utah finished third in the meet last season, scoring a 194.650. Ultimately, low team scores on floor and beam kept the Flippin' Birds from competing with BYU for the second place slot, as the Cougars scored a 195.575.
The University of Utah won the meet, scoring a 197.000.
The meet will be aired on BYUTV.
Words From Scotty
On how he feels about the team…
"I feel really good, I feel comfortable," he said. "They're prepared, and I think we've prepared some contingency plans for certain situations as certain complications continue to creep up on us as we get closer to the season. So I think we've done a good job of preparing the girls for anything that might come up. We're going to start the first meet with quite a few new placements, and then we'll be able to reinsert the upperclassmen as the year goes on. I feel really good about where we're at, and I think we're going to open up strong."
On the Best of Utah meet…
"We're always excited to compete against our fellow Utah teams," he said. "This meet will become one of the biggest gymnastics events in the country over the next couple years. It's going to be a good meet. All four teams are very strong, and would have all gone to regionals last year."
How To Follow Along
This year's edition of the Best of Utah meet will be aired on BYUTV and streamed online at www.BYUTV.org.
A link to live results will be available on www.suutbirds.com and www.utahutes.com prior to the start of competition.
Stay up to date during the 2021 Southern Utah Gymnastics season by following @SUUGym on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah Gymnastics page on Facebook.
