CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Flippin' Birds are set to soar in the season opener. The Thunderbirds will take on three capable programs in the American Gold Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Classic in Oceanside, California, on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. MT. Coach Scotty Bauman and his squad will look to ring in the new year by competing against Rutgers, Wilberforce, and Arizona in the four-team session at Frontwave Arena. The back-to-back conference champion Flippin' Birds are prepped for an exciting season that will get underway this weekend.
Coach Scotty Bauman Said
"We are so excited to get this season started against some very well-coached programs. These early meets will give us a chance to build some experience and confidence in our lineup."
The Competition
Wilberforce
The Wilberforce University Bulldogs are a brand new team to the college gymnastics scene. The HBCU in Ohio announced the addition of a gymnastics team last spring and has been working hard to prepare the program for competition. This is the second time in three years that the Flippin' Birds have opened the season by welcoming a new HBCU gymnastics program to collegiate competition.
Rutgers
Rutgers made strides in the NCAA rankings for 2024, finishing the season at 39th on bars, 42nd on both floor and beam and 46th overall. Freshman Delaney Adrian and junior Gabrielle Dildy were named 2025 Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch. Adrian, a decorated Level 10 gymnast from Columbia, Missouri, brings impressive credentials, including five National Championship qualifications and a 2023 Regional beam title. Dildy voted the Scarlet Knights' Most Valuable Gymnast in 2024, showcased her prowess with consistent 9.9 scores on vault and floor, helping Rutgers achieve a season-high team score of 49.395 at Jersey Mike's Arena. Her strong performances at the Big Ten Championships further solidified her reputation, scoring a 9.9 on floor.
Arizona
Arizona is a team that battles to compete in the regional year after year. The GymCats finished the 2024 season as the #31 ranked team in the country and are looking to make a splash in their inaugural season as a member of the Big 12 Conference. Arizona is replacing a lot of talent from last year's team, which had eight seniors. Look for the GymCats to be led by returning fifth-year senior and impact gymnast Elena Deets. Deets has competed in three events throughout her career for Arizona and will look to continue to be a clutch performer this season.
Southern Utah Notes
- The Flippin' Birds have won consecutive Conference Championships in two separate conferences. Winning the Final MRGC Championship before transitioning to the MPSF and securing their first title in their new conference. The T-Birds finished the season ranked #27 in the country.
- The Thunderbirds had a historic performance at home vs BYU last season, scoring 197.125. (3rd best in program history and an MPSF conference record)
- Sophomore Niya Randolph was named the MPSF conference Gymnast of the Year for her outstanding consistency in the all-around in the 2024 season. Randolph set a new school and conference record for the all-around with a 39.600 in the home meet against BYU last season.
- Sophomore Brinlee Christensen was named the MPSF Freshman of the Year for her outstanding debut last year.
- The Flippin' Birds swept the first-team All-MPSF honors with the top four bar workers in the conference. Randolph and Junior Trista Goodman each scored a 9.950 on the bars last year, setting a high standard for the team. The Thunderbirds set a new School and Conference record on the bars against Penn State last season, scoring 49.475.
- Southern Utah has four returning gymnasts who finished the season ranked in the top 100 nationally, including Kayla Pardue (#91 Vault), Kennedi McClain (#91 Beam), Ellie Cacciola (#41 Beam), and Niya Randolph (#97 Floor, #47 Bars, #43 All-Around).
- 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 the 2024 MPSF conference Assistant Coaches of the Year.
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