The Flippin' Birds returned to Provo for a tri-meet Friday night against BYU and conference foe UC Davis. The Thunderbirds came away with a win, scoring 195.825. BYU placed second with 195.550, and UC Davis fell to third, scoring 194.100.

The Thunderbirds bars and floor teams remained strong, earning the top rotation scores in the meet. Sophomore Brinlee Christensen brought home her first all-around title of the season with an impressive 38.950. Sophomore Niya Randolph took third in the all-around with a score of 38.550.  Senior Ellie Cacciola grabbed the top spot on the day on the beam, scoring a 9.875. Freshman Mia Hampton and Senior Taylor Gull tied with a 9.900 on the floor to earn first place.


Head Coach Scotty Bauman Said

"We are super proud of how we went out and competed tonight. Our athletes stepped up in some big moments, and that is why we are heading home with another good road win. We are excited to get back to the AFEC for our first home meet!"


Meet Recap

Beam (48.700) 

The Thunderbirds got the meet started on the beam with a solid opening rotation. Sophomore Elliot Bringhurst led off, scoring a 9.050. Sophomore Brinlee Christensen was next, scoring a 9.625, and Randolph would follow that up with a 9.775. Cacciola once again posted the team high for the event with a 9.875. Sophomore Riley Miller added a strong routine, earning a 9.750 before Sophomore Maria Ferguson wrapped up the rotation with a 9.675.

Floor (49.250) 

The Flippin' Birds headed to the floor for the second rotation with a slight lead over the Aggies but trailing the hosts from BYU. Freshman Mia Hampton began the rotation by scoring a scorching 9.900 before Sophomore Alyssa Fernandez posted a well-earned 9.800. Christensen continued to bring energy with a 9.825 routine. Randolph followed that up by tallying a 9.800. The two seniors came next, with Cacciola earning a 9.825 and Taylor Gull grabbing a new season-high of 9.900. The T-Birds had narrowed the lead to just .075, heading to the back half of the meet.

Vault (48.825) 

Southern Utah moved to the vault in the Third rotation, and Senior Ellie Cacciola went first, earning a 9.725. Sophomore Mackenzie Kelly added a 9.750 before Hampton continued with her solid performance, earning a 9.775. Junior Trista Goodman vaulted next, posting a 9.775. Randolph followed that up, adding a 9.800 vault, and Christensen anchored the rotation with a 9.700. The T-Birds were in a great position heading into the final rotation with a .400 lead.

Bars (49.050) 

The Thunderbirds were on the bars for the final rotation. Christensen got things started, scoring a 9.800. Senior Isabella Neff followed that up with an impressive 9.850 before Hampton added a 9.825. Goodman continued with a solid routine that earned a 9.775 from the judges. Randolph took a rare fall, earning a 9.175. Ferguson brought the score back up and put the exclamation point on the T-Birds victory with a 9.800, bringing the team score to 195.825.


Next Up

The Thunderbirds will host three home meets in quick succession, beginning with conference opponent Sacramento State on Friday, February 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the America First Event Center. The Flippin' Birds will be right back in the AFEC on Monday, February 10, at 6:30 p.m. to take on Utah State University. Both meets will be available to stream on Overnght.com, and live stats can be found on virti.us.

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