Sacramento, California—The Flippin' Birds have done it again! Southern Utah has become back-to-back Conference Champions in two different conferences. Shooting for the stars, the Thunderbirds are bringing home the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title after scoring an outstanding 196.625. Second place went to UC Davis, which scored 196.525. Sacramento State followed that with a 196.125, and the final team, Alaska Anchorage, scored a 191.750.
Southern Utah Freshman Niya Randolph proved why she was named the MPSF Gymnast of the Year, winning the all-around with a score of 39.375. Randolph finished second on the bars and third on the floor. Sophomore Kennedi McClain, junior Ellie Cacciola, and senior Anna Hartley all tied for first place on the beam, scoring 9.900. Freshman Brinlee Christensen tied for the top spot on the vault with 9.900.
Head Coach Scotty Bauman Said
"It was a great meet. We had a few mistakes that we had to overcome early in the meet, but this team has a lot of grit! I was so proud in the second half of the meet that the girls rallied and came back and did absolutely amazing. I've seen it all year, every meet they are challenged, and they rise to that challenge."
Meet Recap
Vault (49.150)
The Flippin' Birds began the meet on the vault led by Junior Ellie Cacciola, who set the pace with an impressive 9.875. Randolph followed suit, notching a 9.775 of her own. Then came sophomore Trista Goodman, who put up a solid 9.825. Sophomore Kayla Pardue added to the team total with a vault, earning her a 9.775. Next up was Freshman Brinlee Christensen, who soared to a 9.900. Concluding the rotation for the Thunderbirds was junior Taylor Gull, who wrapped up the scoring with a 9.725, giving the Thunderbirds a 49.150 for the rotation.
Bars (49.100)
The Flippin' Birds kicked off the second rotation with an impressive display on the bars. Freshman Brinlee Christensen started strong with a score of 9.775. Freshman Alex Routsis came next, scoring 9.775. Sophomore Trista Goodman was next flying to a 9.775. Randolph contributed an incredible routine that led the team scoring 9.900. Junior Isabella Neff added an impressive 9.875, further bolstering the team's performance. Senior Aubri Schwartze concluded the meet for the Flippin' Birds with a routine that earned her a score of 9.025, bringing the team total to 49.100 for the event.
Beam (49.350)
Freshman Alyssa Fernandez set the tone for the third rotation with an exceptional score of 9.825. Sophomore Kennedi McClain then delivered an excellent performance, earning 9.900. Junior Ellie Cacciola was next up with a sensational routine that scored 9.900. Randolph increased the team's momentum with a strong performance, earning a 9.825. Freshman Elliot Bringhurst contributed to the team's score with a routine that was scored 9.750. Finally, Senior Anna Hartley concluded the rotation for the Flippin' Birds by scoring an outstanding 9.900.
Floor (49.025)
Transitioning to the floor for the final rotation, the Thunderbirds needed to bring the heat to accomplish the goal. Fernandez ignited the momentum with a routine, earning her a score of 9.800. Junior Taylor Gull added to the team score with a solid routine, securing a 9.750. Christensen contributed a great routine, earning a noteworthy 9.825. Pardue was next, scoring a 9.775. Cacciola followed that up to score 9.725 with her own incredible performance. The energy soared through the roof when Randolph delivered an exceptional routine, garnering an outstanding score of 9.875 and sealing the victory for the Flippin' Birds.
Next Up
The Flippin' Birds will await their seeding and placement in the NCAA regional. The teams competing in each of the regionals will be announced on Monday, March 25, at 10:00 a.m. MT. The Flippin' Birds will host a bracket reveal watch event at the SUU Student Center Living room and invite all fans to come and join us in seeing where we compete next!
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