LOGAN, Utah — The Flippin' Birds were once again on the road Saturday afternoon as they took on the Aggies of Utah State. Southern Utah battled back but eventually fell 195.700 to 195.550.
Junior Niya Randolph once again showed why she is one of the top all-around gymnasts in the country, scoring an impressive 39.275 to earn first place. Randolph placed second on vault and tied with teammate Alex Routsis for second on bars while taking home first on the beam. Sophomore Mia Hampton tied for second on the beam and floor in an impressive three-event effort.
Head Coach Scotty Bauman Said
"I was proud of the way our team fought all the way to the end on the road. Niya had an outstanding all-around performance, and we saw a lot of grit and growth across the lineup. We came up just short, but the effort and resilience we showed today will serve us well moving forward."
Meet Recap
Bars (48.875)
Southern Utah opened the meet on the uneven bars and immediately set a good pace with the opening rotation. Randolph got the lineup started with a clean set, scoring 9.825, before Hampton followed with a smooth 9.750. Freshman Ariel Collum made her competitive debut, adding a 9.700. Junior Alex Routsis brought the momentum back following a fall with a high-flying routine that earned a 9.825, and junior Kendall McGuire anchored with a consistent, controlled set for 9.775. The Thunderbirds posted a strong 48.875 to open the meet, just behind the Aggies, who started with a 48.950.
Vault (48.700)
The Flippin' Birds carried their energy to the vault runway, looking to close the gap. Elliot Bringhurst opened with a solid vault and a controlled landing for 9.750, followed by Randolph's powerful effort that scored 9.825. Pardue was next, earning 9.700, before freshman Berlin Hall delivered a vault that earned 9.600. Kelly contributed a solid 9.775, and Freshman Vinciane Le Pen wrapped up the rotation with a 9.650, helping Southern Utah to a 97.575 at the midpoint.
Floor (48.875)
Southern Utah transitioned to the floor exercise for the third rotation, continuing to showcase its depth. Hampton led off with a confident performance for a 9.800, while sophomore Sage Paladino followed with a fun routine to earn 9.775. Junior Carilia Martinez danced her way to a 9.725, and Hall kept the energy up with a 9.775. Randolph showed off some incredible tumbling, earning a 9.750, and Fernandez capped the rotation with a crucial 9.775, sending the Flippin' Birds into the final event with a total of 146.450.
Beam (49.100)
With the meet winding down, the Thunderbirds looked to close strong on the balance beam. Randolph opened the rotation with a calm, composed routine to score 9.875 to wrap up her all-around win. Hampton's steady effort for 9.850 followed, and Miller impressed with good execution, earning 9.775. Maria Ferguson added a reliable routine for 9.775, and Bringhurst battled through a fall for a 9.250. Junior Marissa de Groot anchored the lineup with a 9.825, setting a new personal best and pushing Southern Utah's running total to 195.550 finish the meet.
Next Up
The Flippin' Birds have a healthy break between competitions as they will next take the floor in San Jose, California, on Sunday, February 1. That quad meet will include San Jose State, Air Force, and Texas Woman's University. First touch will be at 3:00 p.m. MT, and you can watch it live on the Mountain West Network.
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