CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Flippin' Birds are heading back to Provo to take on the Cougars and conference foe UC Davis in a tri-meet on January 31. The meet will begin at 7:00 p.m. MT in the Marriott Center. The meet will be available to stream on ESPN+, and live stats can be found on virti.us. 

Southern Utah is coming off a battle for second place at the Best of Utah Meet. The Thunderbirds finished with a season-high 196.175 to beat the Cougars and Aggies but fell to the University of Utah, who took first with a 197.950. Sophomore Niya Randolph led Southern Utah in the all-around, recording a new season high with a 39.275, good enough to finish fourth. Sophomore Brinlee Christensen took sixth in the all-around with a 38.700. Mackenzie Kelly and Brinlee Christensen tied for one of the top individual finishes in the vault, scoring a 9.850 to take third, and Ellie Cacciola finished tied for first on the Floor with a 9.925.

Coach Scotty Bauman Said

"Each week the athletes are putting out more competitive routines and when we get it all put together this team is going to be unstoppable."

MPSF Weekly Awards

Sophomore Niya Randolph was named Gymnast of the Week, and senior Ellie Cacciola earned Specialist of the Week honors from the MPSF for week 4. Randolph showcased consistency across all four events, achieving an all-around score of 39.275 and helping the T-Birds secure a season-high 196.175 at the Best of Utah meet, where they finished second. Cacciola delivered exceptional performances on vault, beam, and floor, highlighted by a 9.925 floor routine that tied for the meet's top score against #5 Utah.

The Competition 

BYU

The BYU gymnastics team comes into the upcoming tri-meet against Southern Utah and UC Davis, riding the momentum of a season-best home meet score of 195.325. The Cougars showcased their depth and resilience, highlighted by a stellar beam performance from Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week Brynlee Andersen, who scored a 9.900 and a career-high 9.850 on vault from freshman standout Deb Silva. BYU also hit their stride on the floor, breaking into the 49-point threshold as a team for the first time this season with a 49.025, led by Andersen, Kylie Eaquinto, and Heidi Schooley-Meyers, each scoring 9.825. With a strong finish and key athletes beginning to peak, the Cougars are set to bring competitive energy to the matchup.

UC Davis

The Aggies are looking to bounce back from a fourth-place finish in a competitive quad meet at San Jose State last weekend. UC Davis was led by senior Keanna Abraham, who tied for first on both vault 9.875 and floor 9.825, and junior Amelia Moneymaker, who also tied for first on floor and placed second in the all-around with a 38.225. Senior Ava Scafani added a strong beam routine, scoring 9.775 to tie for fourth. While UC Davis faced challenges on beam and floor in their last outing, they have the potential to achieve some impressive scores with an experienced roster. 

Southern Utah Notes

• Southern Utah currently sits at #29 in the Road to Nationals standings following week 4.
• Southern Utah has six gymnasts ranked in the top 100 nationally, including three all-around competitors.
• Niya Randolph, Mia Hampton, and Brinlee Christensen are ranked 33, 62, and 74, respectively, in the all-around.
• Ellie Cacciola (Specialist of the Week) and Niya Randolph (Gymnast of the Week) earned MPSF Weekly awards following great performances at the Best of Utah.  
• The Thunderbirds have earned seven total Weekly Awards from the MPSF conference, including Hampton (2), Randolph (2), Bringhurst (1), Cacciola (1) and Neff (1). 
• 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 2024 season ranked #27 in the country.
• 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. 
• 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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