BOISE, Idaho — Southern Utah went on the road for its regular-season finale Friday night. The Flippin' Birds battled but fell to Boise State 196.275-195.850. Southern Utah will turn its attention to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference championship meet next week in Cedar City. The Flippin' Birds are undefeated against MPSF foes this season and will look to earn their fourth straight conference championship at home on March 21.
Junior Niya Randolph was once again electric, earning a first-place finish in the all-around as well as the floor. Sophomore Sage Paladino and Freshman Berlin Hall tied for second place on the floor each, earning a 9.900. Three Southern Utah gymnasts tied for third on the bars, scoring 9.875. Senior Kayla Pardue took home the top score on vault with a 9.900, while junior Elliot Bringhurst earned a third-place finish on the event with a 9.800.
Head Coach Scotty Bauman Said
"There were a lot of positives tonight, especially the way we attacked the floor and the consistency we showed early in the meet. Niya had another tremendous night, and it was great to see some big scores across the lineup. Beam is an event we know we're capable of hitting, and we'll get back in the gym and clean that up as we prepare for the conference championship next week."
Meet Recap
Bars (49.000)
Southern Utah opened the meet on bars, and Junior Alex Routsis got things started with a huge 9.875. Sophomore Mia Hampton followed with a 9.575, and Randolph kicked the intensity up a notch, matching Routsis with a 9.875. Junior Rylee Miller battled a fall to a 9.300. Junior Kendall McGuire was clean in her routine, earning a 9.800. Freshman Ariel Collum wrapped up the rotation with a clutch 9.875. The T-Birds grabbed a narrow lead with a 49.000 for the first rotation.
Vault (48.975)
The Thunderbirds headed to the second rotation looking to build momentum. Junior Mackenzie Kelly opened the rotation with a 9.750. Junior Elliot Bringhurst turned in a consistent 9.800, and Senior Kayla Pardue contributed a massive 9.900. Randolph added another powerful vault, scoring 9.750. Freshman Vincianne Le Pen put in a good effort, earning 9.775 to move the rotation along. Sophomore Sage Paladino was next with a 9.700, sending SUU into the third rotation with a total of 97.975.
Floor (49.425)
Southern Utah approached the floor with confidence and a slight lead, delivering a collection of very competitive routines. Hampton was first with a great 9.850 routine. Paladino followed that up with another huge score of 9.900, obliterating her former career high. Junior Alyssa Fernandez continued with a 9.650 after a small step out of bounds. Junior Carilia Martinez added an incredible routine, scoring 9.850. Freshman Berlin Hall upped the ante with her third straight 9.900 before Randolph scored a team-leading 9.925 with her powerful tumbling. The Thunderbirds headed to the final event, leading with a team total of 147.400.
Beam (48.450)
The Flippin' Birds closed out the meet on the beam, but some late struggles led the team to its second-lowest event score of the season. Randolph led off with a solid 9.825, and Hampton followed with another dependable routine, earning a 9.750. Sophomore Emma Nipper was next, adding a 9.800 before Rylee Miller grabbed a 9.825. Elliot Bringhurst and Maria Ferguson were the final two on the event for the Thunderbirds, battling falls and scoring 9.250 and 9.050, respectively. The final rotation brought Southern Utah's team score to 195.850 for the meet.
MPSF Championships
Don't miss a moment as the Flippin' Birds pursue a fourth straight conference title! Help us pack the America First Event Center by buying your tickets today! The meet will begin at 6:00 p.m. MT on Saturday, March 21, and will be broadcast on overnght.com. Live scores will be available through virti.us. Visit tbirdtickets.com to reserve your seats!
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