WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Southern Utah traveled North to the Maverik Center on Monday, January 12, to take on the rest of the state in the Best of Utah gymnastics meet. The Flippin' Birds started fast on the bars and finished well on the vault, earning a 195.675 en route to a fourth-place finish in the meet behind Utah 197.300, Utah State 195.825, and BYU 195.725.
Sophomore Mia Hampton gave an impressive performance in the all-around, securing a third-place finish with a score of 39.150. Junior Niya Randolph was just behind her, finishing at 39.125. Junior Rylee Miller stood out on the beam, earning a tie for third place with a 9.850. Freshman Berlin Hall also picked up a tie for third place on the floor with a 9.875.
Head Coach Scotty Bauman Said
"I was really pleased with how this group handled the flow of the meet. We had some moments we had to battle through, but the response was great. The vault team was strong to finish the meet, and we can grow from this competition. That kind of resilience is what we talk about all preseason in practice, and it's great to see the team respond."
Meet Recap
Bars (48.900)
Southern Utah opened the meet on bars with a steady rhythm and some impressive scores. Randolph led off with a routine that earned a 9.775, while Hampton followed with a fluid routine for 9.750. Trista Goodman posted a 9.225 before junior Maria Ferguson swung beautifully to earn 9.800. Junior Alex Routsis added an incredible 9.875, and junior Kendall McGuire closed the rotation with a steady 9.700, giving the Thunderbirds an opening total of 48.900 in rotation.
Beam (48.750)
Building on their start, the Thunderbirds carried their momentum to the beam. Randolph opened with a poised routine that earned 9.825, followed closely by Hampton's confident 9.750, keeping both all-arounders rolling early in the meet. Miller showed off incredible control to score 9.850, while Bringhurst battled a fall to a 9.100. Ferguson contributed a good routine for a 9.725, and junior Marisa de Groot anchored the lineup and secured a 9.600, pushing Southern Utah's running total to 97.650 at the halfway point.
Floor (48.975)
Southern Utah brought high energy to the floor in the third rotation, feeding off the crowd's excitement. Hampton set the tone with an expressive 9.825, followed by junior Alyssa Fernandez's confident 9.750. Sophomore Sage Paladino danced her way to a 9.675, while Hall matched her season best with a 9.875. Randolph battled to a 9.700, and junior Carilia Martinez closed the rotation with an impressive 9.825, sending the Flippin' Birds into the final event with a total of 146.625.
Vault (49.050)
The Flippin' Birds finished the night on vault with confidence and power. Hampton led off with a controlled stick that earned a 9.825, followed by Bringhurst's steady 9.800. Randolph elevated the rotation with a clean 9.825 before Kayla Pardue, who delivered a standout 9.850. Mackenzie Kelly added a solid 9.750, and Hall capped the meet with a new career best 9.725, sealing the night with a final team score of 195.675.
Next Up
The Flippin' Birds are back on the road this weekend as they head North to take on Utah State in Logan. The meet will take place on Saturday, January 17th, at 12:00 p.m. and can be streamed on Mountain West Network.
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