CEDAR CITY, Utah — The Flippin' Birds wrapped up a busy week with a tough meet against #13 Stanford on Friday night. The Thunderbirds came away with another solid score of 196.125 and finished just behind the Cardinal, who posted a 196.775. The loss brings the Flippin' Birds' overall record to 9-4 on the year and sends the team into a short break before they hit the road again at the end of the month.
Southern Utah topped Stanford on both the vault and floor, but it wasn't enough to overcome the strong beam and bar rotations by the Cardinal. Sophomore Niya Randolph continued to wow in the all-around, finishing second overall with a 39.300. Randolph also tied with fellow T-Bird Ellie Cacciola for the top score on the floor with a 9.875. Sophomore Rylee Miller scored an impressive 9.875 on the beam to tie for first.
Head Coach Scotty Bauman Said
Meet Recap
Vault (49.175)
Southern Utah began the meet on vault, with senior Ellie Cacciola setting the pace by matching her season-high 9.875. Sophomore Mackenzie Kelly followed with a sharp 9.825, while freshman Mia Hampton added a solid 9.825. Junior Trista Goodman matched that effort with a consistent 9.775. Sophomore Niya Randolph contributed a strong 9.825, and sophomore Brinlee Christensen anchored the lineup with a powerful 9.825. The team total of 49.175 marks the second straight meet that the T-Birds have improved the season-high score on the apparatus.
Bars (48.900)
Moving to bars for their second rotation, the Thunderbirds trailed the Cardinal by a slim Margin of .050. Christensen led off, but a slip on the release landed her with a 9.050, setting a steady rhythm. Senior Isabella Neff followed with a clean 9.825, while Hampton executed a poised routine for 9.800. Goodman delivered a controlled set, earning 9.800. Randolph followed with an excellent routine, also scoring 9.825. Sophomore Maria Ferguson wrapped up the event with a 9.650. The team's impressive efforts brought their cumulative score to 98.075 after two rotations.
Beam (48.750)
The Thunderbirds continued on beam for their third event. Randolph opened with a composed 9.775, setting a steady foundation. Sophomore Alyssa Fernandez got the late add to the beam lineup and, due to a fall, scored 9.100, while sophomore Elliot Bringhurst secured a precise 9.800. Cacciola gave a gritty performance, scoring 9.450. Sophomore Rylee Miller took the team's highest mark of the rotation with a poised 9.875 before sophomore Maria Ferguson closed out the event with a 9.850, her season-high.
Floor (49.300)
The Flippin' Birds took to the floor for their final rotation, holding a narrow lead over the Aggies. Hampton ignited the momentum with an electrifying 9.850. Sophomore Alyssa Fernandez followed with a polished 9.850 to match her season-high, while Randolph brought the energy with a dazzling team high of 9.875. Cacciola continued the strong showing for the floor team with a dynamic 9.875. Senior Taylor Gull delivered a brilliant 9.850, and Miller finished with an outstanding 9.850 in her first floor performance of the season. The T-Birds wrapped up the meet with a final team score of 196.125.
Next Up
The Flippin' Birds will be on the road again for back-to-back conference meets in California, beginning with a showdown at Sacramento State on February 28 at 8:00 p.m. MT. The Thunderbirds will then make the short trip to Davis, California, to take on the Aggies on Sunday, March 2, at 3:00 p.m. MT. Both events will be available on overnght.com, and live stat links will be available on the schedule page.
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