CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Flippin' Birds return once again to the Maverik Center on Monday, January 12, for the Best of Utah gymnastics meet. The T-Birds will take on the other Division I programs from the state in a battle for bragging rights. The meet will begin at 7:00 p.m. MT and is available to stream on ESPN+.
Southern Utah entered the season ranked No. 24 in the College Gym News preseason rankings and No. 29 in the WCGA poll. The Red Rocks began the season ranked No. 5 by the WCGA, while the Cougars were tabbed at No. 30, and the Aggies came in at No. 33. The level of competition in the state is incredible, and one thing is for certain: all eyes will be on the Maverik Center on Monday night.
The Flippin' Birds opened the 2026 season with a 195.675–194.300 win over Boise State, taking control early and pulling away with strong beam and floor rotations. Junior Kayla Pardue highlighted the night with a first-place vault score of 9.850 in her return to the lineup, while Niya Randolph and Mia Hampton powered SUU throughout the meet, finishing one-two on bars and in the all-around, with Randolph claiming the title at 39.400 and Hampton setting a career high at 39.275. Hampton added a beam win with a 9.875, and freshman Berlin Hall closed the meet in style, earning top honors on floor with a 9.875 as Southern Utah opened the season with a confident home victory.
Coach Scotty Bauman Said
"You're going to see some of the best teams in the country on the floor Monday night. We have a lot of respect for every program in the building, but our focus is on competing our brand of gymnastics and continuing to build momentum early in the season."
The Competition
BYU
BYU opened the 2026 season with a statement win, defeating No. 7 Oregon State 195.675–194.525 in front of more than 4,000 fans at the Marriott Center on Jan. 9. Kylie Eaquinto paced the Cougars with podium finishes on vault (9.825) and floor (9.900), while Ava Jorgensen delivered a career-high 9.875 to lead a strong bars rotation that totaled a meet-best 49.150. BYU also outscored the Beavers on vault and showcased depth throughout the lineup, including a solid return from Daisy Stephenson on vault following an ACL injury and contributions from true freshman Scarlett Sonnenberg, who posted a 9.875 on floor, as the Cougars opened the season with an impressive top-10 victory.
Utah
No. 3 Utah showed flashes of its championship potential but ultimately placed fourth at the Sprouts Farmers Market Quad, posting a 195.900 against a loaded field that included Oklahoma, LSU and UCLA. The Red Rocks' night was highlighted by a dominant vault rotation, where sophomore Avery Neff delivered the first perfect 10 of the 2026 season and senior Ashley Glynn added a career-high 9.975 to power Utah to the highest event score of the meet (49.600). After a shaky start on beam, Utah settled in on floor and finished strong on bars with a 49.375, led by Ella Zirbes and freshman Bailey Stroud. Despite the late surge, the Red Rocks were unable to climb the standings
Utah State
Utah State will open the 2026 season Monday night at the Best of Utah meet, entering the year as one of the Mountain West's top contenders. The Aggies were picked second in the conference's preseason poll and No. 33 nationally in the WCGA preseason rankings. Led by fourth-year head coach Kristin White, Utah State returns nine significant contributors and 12 total gymnasts from last season's Mountain West Championship squad, which captured the program's seventh conference title and advanced to NCAA Regionals for the 28th time in program history.
Southern Utah Notes
Last Year's National and Conference Rankings:
- No. 21 National Ranking
- Vault: Ranked 21st nationally (49.135 NQS).
- Floor: Ranked 18th nationally (49.325 NQS).
- Bars: Ranked 29th nationally (49.165 NQS).
- SUU led the MPSF on vault, bars, beam, and floor.
Returning Major Award Winners:
- Southern Utah became the first program in MPSF history to sweep all five major end-of-year awards.
- MPSF Gymnast of the Year: Niya Randolph (Sophomore) — Second consecutive year receiving the award.
- MPSF Freshman of the Year: Mia Hampton (Freshman) — Earned eight Freshman of the Week awards.
- MPSF Head Coach of the Year: Scotty Bauman — Guided SUU to a No. 21 national ranking and conference-best NQS of 196.315.
- MPSF Assistant Coaches of the Year: Jamie Wysong and Jeff Richards — Recognized for leading top-ranked vault, floor, and bars squads.
- The Thunderbirds have earned 21 total Weekly Awards from the MPSF conference in 2025, including Hampton (8), Randolph (4), Bringhurst (1), Cacciola (2), Christensen (2), Gull (2), Miller (1), and Neff (1).
- The Flippin' Birds have won three consecutive Conference Championships in two separate conferences. Winning the Final MRGC Championship before transitioning to the MPSF and securing their first two titles in their new conference.
2025 All-Conference Honorees Returning:
- 18 of 37 total All-MPSF selections awarded to SUU gymnasts.
- 11 First-Team All-MPSF honors — Most in the conference.
- Notable First-Team Honorees:
Record-Breaking Performances to Beat in 2026:
- Achieved a 2025 season-best score of 196.900 against No. 29 Boise State, tied for the third-highest score in MPSF history.
- Broke the 196-point barrier in nine meets during the 2025 season.
- Niya Randolph: Scored a 2025 season-high 39.450 three times in the all-around and a conference-best 9.925 on bars.
- Mia Hampton: Posted a 9.900 on floor twice during the 2025 season and finished the season ranked third in the MPSF on floor.
Season Tickets On Sale Now
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