CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah is coming off a short break from competition and is headed to San Jose, California, for a tri-duel against Texas Woman's University and San Jose State. The Flippin' Birds are sitting just outside the top 25 in this week's Road To Nationals rankings at No. 27. San Jose State is currently No. 33, and Texas Woman's University is the No.39 team in the country. 

The Flippin' Birds last competed on January 17 at Utah State in Logan, coming up just short of the road victory but scoring a respectable 195.550. Southern Utah has so far claimed six of the nine total conference weekly awards from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, including sweeps in the first two weeks. 

Coach Scotty Bauman Said

"This is a great opportunity for us, coming out of a short break, to get back on the floor and test ourselves against two quality programs. San Jose State and Texas Woman's both bring different strengths, and that kind of environment forces you to be sharp on every event. We've been proud of how our team has competed so far, but our focus is on continuing to clean things up, staying aggressive, and putting together a complete meet as we push toward the next phase of the season."

The Competition 

San Jose State

San José State comes in riding momentum after a strong start to the season, including its last meet at Utah State, where the Spartans posted a 194.675 and claimed three individual titles. Kaviana Jurries continues to anchor one of the nation's top vault units, winning her second straight vault title with a career-best 9.875, while Mikaela Pitts owns the team's top score of the season with a 9.925 as the Spartans rank an impressive 18th nationally on vault. Samantha Macasu has emerged as a force on bars, earning her second title in three meets with a career-high 9.850, and Sophie Patterson captured her first collegiate title by winning the all-around (38.875), also sharing all-around duties with Devyn Valuch, who owns a season high of 38.850 and leads the beam group. Ranked 33rd overall, San José State pairs a high-powered vault lineup with growing consistency across bars, beam, and floor, making the Spartans a balanced and dangerous squad.

Texas Woman's

Texas Woman's heads into its next meet looking to build off a solid road performance at a quad meet in Temple, where the Pioneers posted a 193.300 in their first away competition of the season. TWU showed its strength on floor and beam, opening the night with a team-high 48.575 on floor behind Sophia Isbell's career-matching 9.850, and closing with a 48.450 on beam highlighted by 9.775s from Isbell and Ruby Goad. The Pioneers also added a 48.500 on vault, led by Isbell's event-winning 9.825, while bars finished at 47.775. Ranked 39th nationally, TWU has proven depth on floor (29th) and bars (42nd), with Brooke Ferrari and Kyleigh Ghanbari each owning team-high 9.900s this season on bars and floor, respectively. While vault remains an area of growth at 50th nationally and the Pioneers have yet to field an all-around competitor, TWU continues to trend upward as it looks to put together a more complete meet in the weeks ahead.

Southern Utah Notes

Week 1 National, Regional, and Conference Rankings:

• No. 23 National Ranking 
• Vault: Ranked 35th nationally (48.775 Ave).
• Floor: Ranked 13th nationally (49.225 Ave).
• Bars: Ranked 36th nationally (48.750 Ave).
• Beam: Ranked 20th nationally (48.925 Ave).
• SUU led the MPSF on vault, bars, beam, and floor in week one.

MPSF Awards:

• Southern Utah swept the MPSF Weekly awards in the first two weeks of the 2026 season. 
• The Flippin' Birds have tallied six Conference Weekly awards so far: Randolph (2), Hall (2), Pardue (1), and Routsis (1). 
• In 2025, Southern Utah became the first program in MPSF history to sweep all five major end-of-year awards.
• 2025 MPSF Gymnast of the Year: Niya Randolph (Sophomore) — Second consecutive year receiving the award.
• 2025 MPSF Freshman of the Year: Mia Hampton (Freshman) — Earned eight Freshman of the Week awards.
• 2025 MPSF Head Coach of the Year: Scotty Bauman — Guided SUU to a No. 21 national ranking and conference-best NQS of 196.315.
• 2025 MPSF Assistant Coaches of the Year: Jamie Wysong and Jeff Richards — Recognized for leading top-ranked vault, floor, and bars squads.

• 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.

Top Performances of 2026 so far:

• Team's high score this season is 195.675

• Niya Randolph: Scored a 2026 season-high 39.400 in the all-around and a season-best 9.900 on bars in the opening meet against Boise State
• Kayla Pardue holds the team's top vault score with a 9.850
• Mia Hampton and Niya Randolph are tied to the team's top mark on the beam with a 9.875
• Berlin Hall is the floor leader so far this season with a 9.875, which she has scored twice 

Season Tickets On Sale Now

Don't miss a moment as the Flippin' Birds pursue greatness and soar to new heights in 2026! Help us pack the America First Event Center by buying your season tickets today! Visit tbirdtickets.com to reserve your seats! 

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