SAN JOSE, California — The Flippin' Birds were back in action on Sunday in San Jose, California. Southern Utah took on Texas Woman's University and San Jose State in a very competitive tri-duel. The T-Birds grabbed an early lead, but it slipped away in the final rotation, leading to a second-place finish at 195.525.
Junior Niya Randolph took home the all-around crown with a 38.925. Randolph also tied with freshman Ariel Collum for third on bars with a 9.800. Sophomore Mia Hampton grabbed the top spot in the bars with an incredible 9.900. Junior Rylee Miller earned a second-place finish on the beam with a 9.875.
Head Coach Scotty Bauman Said
"I really liked the way we came out and set the tone early, and this meet showed us exactly where we can keep getting better. We had some outstanding performances, led by Niya, Mia, and Rylee, and I'm proud of how our lineup competed in a tight environment. This group continues to grow each week, and we'll use this experience to keep building as we head into the rest of the season."
Meet Recap
Floor (49.025)
Southern Utah opened the meet on floor exercise and immediately brought the energy. Sophomore Mia Hampton led off with a confident performance, scoring 9.850, followed by freshman Sage Paladino's lively routine that scored a 9.700. Junior Carilia Martinez showcased a very strong dance presentation with some fantastic tumbling and earned 9.850 before freshman Berlin Hall continued to build momentum by matching Hampton and Martinez with a score of 9.850. Junior Niya Randolph was next and scored a 9.575, and junior Rylee Miller made her floor debut this season and closed the rotation with a steady set for 9.775, giving the Flippin' Birds a strong start.
Vault (48.950)
The Thunderbirds carried that momentum and a narrow lead to the vault runway in the second rotation. Junior Elliot Bringhurst opened with a solid vault for a 9.725 to open the rotation, followed by Randolph's powerful vault that earned 9.800. Senior Kayla Pardue followed with a beautiful vault, scoring 9.750. Junior Mackenzie Kelly added another strong showing for 9.800, while freshman Vinciane Le Pen contributed a solid 9.800 to net a new career-high. Hall wrapped up the rotation with a unique vault, scoring 9.800, keeping Southern Utah on pace at the midpoint of the meet with a 97.975.
Bars (48.850)
Southern Utah transitioned to the uneven bars for the third rotation and continued to show depth across the lineup. Randolph started things off with a clean routine, earning 9.800. Hampton followed with a smooth set for a new season-high 9.900. Freshman Ariel Collum made a splash and delivered a poised performance, scoring 9.800to set her new season-high. Junior Maria Ferguson was next and added a solid 9.625. Alex Routsis continued the rotation, helping with a score of 9.725, and Kendall McGuire anchored the rotation with a 9.600 to close the event. Following the third rotation, the Flippin' Birds held a slim lead with a 146.825.
Beam (48.700)
With the meet coming down to the final rotation, the Thunderbirds looked to finish strong on the balance beam. Randolph opened with a calm and composed routine, scoring 9.750. Hampton followed with another steady performance for 9.775. Miller showed beautiful execution and earned 9.875, while Ferguson added reliability with a score of 9.675. Sophomore Emma Nipper competed for the first time confidently, posting a 9.625, before junior Marisa de Groot wrapped up the rotation with a 9.200 to close out the meet for Southern Utah.
Next Up
The Flippin' Birds are back in action in the America First Event Center on Friday, February 6, against BYU. The meet will begin at 6:30 p.m. MT and can be streamed on overnght.com.
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