CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Flippin' Birds are on the road again for back-to-back conference meets in California, beginning with a showdown at Sacramento State on Friday, 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 to watch on overnght.com, and live stat links will be available on the schedule page.  

Southern Utah put up a strong fight against #13 Stanford in its last meet, scoring 196.125 but falling just short of the Cardinal's 196.775. The Flippin' Birds outscored Stanford on vault (49.175) and floor (49.300), with standout performances from sophomore Niya Randolph, who placed second in the all-around (39.300) and tied for the team-high floor score (9.875) with Ellie Cacciola. Rylee Miller also impressed, tying for first on beam with a 9.875. Despite a solid overall showing, Stanford's impressive run on bars and beam secured them the win, dropping SUU's record to 9-4 on the season.

Coach Scotty Bauman Said

"We love competing on the road, and these athletes thrive under pressure. We're looking forward to showcasing our talent and continuing to build momentum against some good conference opponents."

The Competition 

Sacramento State

Sacramento State's gymnastics squad is making waves, currently ranked #46 in the Road to Nationals standings. Beam is their biggest strength, where they hold an impressive #25 ranking. The Hornets are riding high after securing a 194.575-193.300 victory over Alaska Anchorage, their second win in three days.

Despite a slow start on bars, where they were forced to count a low score, Sacramento State found their rhythm on vault behind a strong 9.800 from Sarah Lutrel. The Hornets hit their stride on the floor, delivering a season-high 49.100, highlighted by Athena Jones' stellar 9.900, which tied for first place. Emma Morgenthaler continued her dominance on beam, matching her season-best 9.800 to claim a share of the event title. She also shined in the all-around, surpassing the 39-point mark for the second time in Anchorage with a season-best 39.150.

UC Davis

UC Davis gymnastics is building momentum, sitting at #51 in the Road to Nationals rankings. The Aggies' strongest event is the vault (#47), while bars, beam, and floor rank at #51, #50, and #50, respectively.

The Aggies delivered a statement performance at a recent tri-meet in San Jose, taking first place with a season-high 195.925. Their success was fueled by a dominant beam rotation, where they posted a season-best 49.150. Amelia Moneymaker was electric in the all-around, winning with a 39.400 while notching 9.900s on bars, beam, and floor. The bars squad also stepped up in a big way, tallying a season-high 49.250, led by Moneymaker's 9.900 and Isabella Fitz-Gerald's 9.875.

On vault, Keanna Abraham soared to first place with a 9.825, while Megan Ray chipped in a third-place finish with a 9.750. Abraham also made her mark on floor, earning a third-place finish with a 9.800. With continued improvement and standout individual performances, the Aggies are proving they're a team to watch.

Southern Utah Notes

• Southern Utah currently sits at #26 in the Road to Nationals standings following week 6.
• The Flippin' Birds vault team is #24, and bars are #28 nationally, while the beam team is ranked #37. The top-ranked rotation for the T-Birds is the floor team, which is now ranked #22.
• Southern Utah is coming off a tough loss to #13 Stanford at home, scoring a 196.125. 
• The Thunderbirds have earned season sweeps over both BYU and Utah State. 
• Niya Randolph and Brinlee Christensen are nationally ranked 39th and 48th, respectively, in the all-around.
• The Thunderbirds have earned 15 total Weekly Awards from the MPSF conference, including Hampton (5), Randolph (2), Bringhurst (1), Cacciola (1), Christensen (2), Gull (2), Miller (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 and have made regional appearances for the last 11 straight years (Excluding COVID)
• 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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