CEDAR CITY, Utah — The Flippin' Birds have done it again and are once again the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Champions. Southern Utah won the conference championship with a final score of 194.850. The Thunderbirds finish the season with a perfect 6-0 record against the MPSF conference and are headed to the NCAA Division I Regionals in a couple of weeks.
Junior Niya Randolph led out for the T-Birds, placing second in the all-around, first on vault, and bars. Senior Kayla Pardue placed second on the vault, and junior Mackenzie Kelly came in third on the event. Freshman Ariel Collum placed third on the bars with an impressive 9.825. The Flippin' Birds showed out on the floor with four gymnasts (Mia Hampton, Rylee Miller, Sage Paladino, and Berlin Hall) tying for first place, each earning a 9.875. The team placed first on vault, bars, and floor in the meet, achieving a 49 or higher on two events.
Here from our Coaches
Meet Recap
Vault (49.050)
The Thunderbirds opened the meet on the vault, looking to build momentum. Junior Mackenzie Kelly began the rotation with a powerful 9.800. Junior Elliot Bringhurst turned in a consistent 9.775, and Senior Kayla Pardue contributed a massive 9.825. Randolph added another powerful vault, scoring 9.875. Freshman Vinciane Le Pen put in some good amplitude to score a 9.775 and move the rotation along. Sophomore Sage Paladino was next, wrapping up the first event with a 9.775, sending SUU into the second rotation with a total of 49.050.
Bars (48.950)
Southern Utah moved to the Bars for the second rotation, and Junior Alex Routsis got things started with a competitive 9.775. Sophomore Mia Hampton followed with a 9.625, before freshman Ariel Collum added a beautiful 9.825. Randolph was next and kicked the intensity up a notch, with a 9.900. Junior Rylee Miller battled through a routine and stuck the landing to earn a 9.700. Junior Kendall McGuire was clean in her routine, earning a 9.750. The T-Birds grabbed nearly a full point lead at the halfway mark.
Beam (47.550)
The Flippin' Birds headed to the beam for the third rotation. Randolph led off with a solid 9.725, and Hampton was next, scoring a 9.500. Sophomore Emma Nipper battled through a fall, scoring 9.275 before Rylee Miller scored a 9.250. Elliot Bringhurst brought the energy back for the floor team, scoring a 9.800. The Flippin' birds headed to the final rotation with a one-tenth lead.
Floor (49.300)
Southern Utah approached the final rotation with confidence and a small lead, delivering a collection of very competitive routines. Hampton was first with a great 9.875 routine. Miller added a matching 9.875 before Paladino followed that up with another huge score of 9.875. Junior Carilia Martinez added a fun routine, scoring 9.475. Freshman Berlin Hall added on with another 9.875 for the team, before Randolph scored a 9.800. The Thunderbirds finished the event in first place with a team total of 194.850.
NCAA Gymnastics Championship Selection Special
Southern Utah is already locked into position to compete at the NCAA Division I Regional based on NQS rankings. The team will find out where and when they compete on Monday, March 23, during the NCAA Bracket Reveal hosted on ESPNU at 10:00 a.m. Tune in to see where the Flippin' Birds are placed in the bracket!
Follow Us
For all the latest on Southern Utah gymnastics, follow @SUUGym on Twitter, @SUUGymastics on Instagram, and like the Southern Utah Gymnastics Facebook page.
Donate
To help support Thunderbird athletics, consider making a donation today! To learn more about how you can support, click here.
