CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Flippin' Birds are set to compete once more at the America First Event Center on Monday, March 2, at 6:30 p.m. Southern Utah will welcome in future PAC-12 foe Utah State for a duel meet. The meet will be available for streaming on overnght.com, and live stats can be found on virti.us. 

Southern Utah opened a stretch of three home meets with a win last Friday night, taking down UC Davis 196.925-193.525 and scoring a new season-high. Junior Niya Randolph put together a complete meet to earn first place in the all-around with a 39.450. Randolph tied for second on the vault, first on the bars, and first on the floor. Senior Kayla Pardue took the top score on vault. Junior Elliot Bringhurst tied for second on the vault and took second on the beam. Sophomore Mia Hampton tied for first on the bars with a 9.875 while placing first on the beam with a 9.925. Junior Maria Ferguson placed third on the beam with a 9.875. The Flippin' Birds matched the program record on the vault with a 49.325. Southern Utah outpaced the Aggies from the beginning, extending its lead each rotation. 

Coach Scotty Bauman Said

"Monday's dual against Utah State is a big one for us. The Aggies are a talented team riding a lot of momentum, but our team has shown all season that it can rise to the occasion. We're focused on hitting our routines clean, staying consistent across every event, and keeping the energy high for our fans in the AFEC. It's going to be an exciting matchup, and we're ready to compete."

The Competition 

Utah State

The No. 30 Utah State Aggies gymnastics team enters Monday's in-state dual at the America First Event Center riding plenty of momentum, bringing a 13-4 overall record and 4-2 Mountain West mark into the matchup. The Aggies clinched at least a share of the Mountain West Regular Season Championship last weekend and own their best start since 1999, ranking first in the conference and 30th nationally with a 195.700 NQS. Utah State leads the MW on bars (48.986) and floor (49.089) and has been fueled by junior Nyla Morabito, who ranks first in the league on vault (9.835 NQS) and recently captured her first floor title of the season, giving her eight event wins in 2026. The Aggies have topped the Thunderbirds three times already this year and hold a narrow 60-63 edge in the all-time series, adding another layer of intensity as USU opens on bars Monday night looking to extend its strong late-season push.

Southern Utah Notes

Week 7 National, Regional, and Conference Rankings:

• No. 28 National Ranking 
• Vault: Ranked 32nd nationally (48.879 Ave).
• Floor: Ranked 25th nationally (49.125 Ave).
• Bars: Ranked 27th nationally (48.938 Ave).
• Beam: Ranked 27th nationally (48.921 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 four out of five weeks so far. 
• The Flippin' Birds have tallied 15 Conference Weekly awards so far: Randolph (4), Hall (4), Pardue (2), Hampton (2), Bringhurst (1), Collum (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:

• The team's high score this season is 196.925.

• Niya Randolph: Scored a 2026 season-high 39.500 in the all-around and a season-best 9.925 on floor in the road meet against Oregon State.
• Kayla Pardue holds the team's top vault score with a 9.925.
• Mia Hampton, Ariel Collum, and Niya Randolph are tied with the team's top mark on the bars with a 9.900.
• Freshman Berlin Hall and Randolph are tied for the top score on floor with a 9.925.
• Hampton also holds the team's top beam mark this season with 9.925.
• The Flippin' Birds recorded a season-high and top-five program score of 49.450 on the floor at Oregon State, and four gymnasts scored over a 9.900 at the meet.

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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