CEDAR CITY, Utah—The Flippin' Birds are headed to the NCAA Regional Championship in Berkeley, California. The Thunderbirds are scheduled for the first-round play against San José State on Thursday, April 4, at the University of California. Southern Utah enters the meet as the #33 team in the country, just ahead of the Spartans, who are ranked #35.

The Flippin' Birds are fresh from winning the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference Championship, where they scored an impressive 196.625. San José recently placed third in the Mountain West Championships held at Utah State, scoring 196.400. The winner will advance to the second round and compete in the second session on Friday, April 5, at 7 p.m.

The national championships will automatically qualify the top two teams from every regional competition. Furthermore, in each regional round two, the top all-around competitor and the top event specialist, not part of advancing teams, will also secure a place in the national championships. Notably, event specialist qualifiers will exclusively participate in the events for which they qualify.

Meet Information

Southern Utah at NCAA Regionals

Date: Thursday, April 4, 2024 

March In: 3:00 PM MT

Venue: Haas Pavilion

Live Stats: Live Stats

Broadcast: Watch Live

Coach Scotty Bauman Said

"We are so excited to compete once again at the NCAA Championships. This team has proved all year that, regardless of experience, the Flippin' Birds are a force to be reckoned with. I am so proud of this team and all that they can accomplish."

The Competition 

San José State 

The Spartans have qualified for the NCAA Regional for the ninth time in program history. San José has three competitors who will compete as individuals in events on Friday regardless of the team advancing. Lauren Macpherson qualified as an all-around regional competitor for the third consecutive season. Jada Mazury will compete on the bars and floor. Katherine Weyhmiller earned her first regional berth on the beam.

According to Road To Nationals, the Spartans currently rank #35 in the country. Their journey to Regionals has been marked by their success on various apparatuses. Dominating the vault with flair, they command the 41st spot, while their performances on the bars exhibit sheer precision, securing them the 40th position. On the balance beam, they navigate with grace, earning them a respectable 40th rank. However, it's on the floor where they truly shine, captivating audiences with their electrifying routines and claiming the 29th spot in the nation. San José State will be ready to compete on Thursday when they take on the Flippin' Birds in the opening round. 

Southern Utah Notes

• The Flippin' Birds have won consecutive Conference Championships in two separate conferences. Southern Utah won the Final MRGC Championship before transitioning to the MPSF and securing the first title in their new conference.
• The Thunderbirds had a historic performance at home vs BYU, scoring 197.125. (3rd best in program history and an MPSF conference record) 
• Southern Utah is ranked #35 on the vault, #23 on bars, #26 on beam, and #46 on Floor. 
• Sophomore Trista Goodman scored a 9.950 on the bars earlier this season, setting a new career high as well as matching the team high for the season.
• Randolph set a new school and conference record for the all-around with a 39.600 against BYU earlier this season. 
• The Thunderbirds set a new School and Conference record on the bars against Penn State, scoring 49.475. 
• Freshman Niya Randolph has been named the MPSF conference Gymnast of the Year for her outstanding consistency in the all-around.
• Freshman Brinlee Christensen was named the MPSF Freshman of the Year for her outstanding debut season. 
• The Flippin' Birds have swept the first-team All-MPSF, with the top four bars workers in the conference coming from Southern Utah.
• 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).
• The Thunderbirds have six gymnasts ranked in the top 100 nationally across various events. 
• The Thunderbirds are coached by Scott Bauman, who was named the MRGC Coach of the Year in 2023. 
• Associate Head Coach Jamie Wysong and Assistant Coach Jeff Richards were named Assistant Coaches of the Year for the MPSF conference.   

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InsideThe Nest

Overnght is debuting the new docu-series "Inside The Nest: Southern Utah Gymnastics" The series will follow the journey of the Flippin' Birds throughout their first season in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Go to overnight.com to watch the first episodes now!

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