CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Flippin' Birds are finally back home in the America First Event Center for the first time in nearly a month. Southern Utah will take on BYU this Friday, February 6, at 6:30 p.m. MT. The meet can be streamed on overnght.com, and live stats can be found at virti.us. 

The Flippin' Birds last competed on February 1 at San Jose State in California, coming up just short of the road victory but scoring a respectable 195.525. Southern Utah had several individual high performances in the meet, with Mia Hampton scoring a career high on Bars. Freshman Berlin Hall also grabbed a new career best on the vault. So far, the Flippin' Birds have claimed nine of the 12 total conference weekly awards from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, including sweeps in three out of the first four weeks. 

Coach Scotty Bauman Said

"It means a lot for this group to be back in the America First Event Center. Our athletes feed off the energy in that building, and our fans create an environment that's special for college gymnastics. We've grown a lot over the past few weeks on the road, and we're excited to bring that progress home against a really strong BYU team on Friday night."

The Competition 

No. 23 BYU

BYU enters Friday's matchup as a ranked and balanced squad, sitting 23rd nationally as a team and coming off a strong 196.300 performance in a win over Arizona. The Cougars are particularly dangerous on bars, where they rank 16th nationally, and on floor (23rd), after posting season-high team scores on both events in their last meet. Vault (26th) and beam (27th) round out a lineup that has shown steady improvement, with Mya Kirkham, Alilah Alvarado, and Rylie Eaquinto leading the way. BYU will look to carry that momentum on the road into Cedar City, setting up a competitive Friday night showdown with the Flippin' Birds.

Southern Utah Notes

Week 4 National, Regional, and Conference Rankings:

• No. 26 National Ranking 
• Vault: Ranked 29th nationally (48.869 Ave).
• Floor: Ranked 26th nationally (49.025 Ave).
• Bars: Ranked 32nd nationally (48.844 Ave).
• Beam: Ranked 24th nationally (48.869 Ave).
• SUU continues to lead the MPSF on vault, bars, beam, and floor so far this season.

MPSF Awards:

• Southern Utah swept the MPSF Weekly awards in three out of four weeks so far. 
• The Flippin' Birds have tallied nine Conference Weekly awards so far: Randolph (3), Hall (3), Pardue (1), Hampton (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 bars with a 9.900
• The beam team holds a three-way tie for the top score of 9.875 with Rylee Miller, Niya Randolph, and Mia Hampton
• 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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