
SUU Gymnastics Travels to BYU
CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Flippin' Birds continue a tough road stretch to start the season as they head to Provo for a matchup with the BYU Cougars on Friday, January 17, at 7:00 p.m. MT, in the Marriott Center. Friday's matchup will be available to stream on ESPN+. The live stats for the meet can be found at virti.us.
The Flippin' Birds are coming off a road win over Utah State 195.000-194.150. Sophomore Niya Randolph took home the top spot in the all-around with a score of 39.125, while Sophomore Brinlee Christensen finished second in the all-around with a 38.325. The T-Birds also grabbed the top spot on the beam when Sophomore Elliot Bringhurst scored a massive 9.925, and Senior Ellie Cacciola was not far behind her with a 9.900. Cacciola was also the first-place finisher on the vault with a 9.850.
Coach Scotty Bauman Said
"The team showed some resilience last week, coming from behind to win on the road. We are making some adjustments to try and solidify our lineups so that we can build the consistency we need, but the talent and gymnastics are there for us to compete with anyone."
MPSF Weekly Award Winners
Southern Utah grabbed two more weekly award winners this week, with Niya Randolph earning the Gymnast of the Week and Elliot Bringhurst being named the Specialist of the Week. Randolph put up incredible scores against Utah State last Friday, while Bringhurst posted the highest score of the meet on the beam with an amazing 9.925.
The Competition
BYU
The BYU gymnastics team opened its dual meet season with a score of 194.200, falling to Oregon State's 196.400 in Corvallis. Junior Kylie Eaquinto and sophomore Mya Kirkham made their all-around debuts, with Eaquinto leading the Cougars in three events and earning a 39.050 overall score. Despite some early struggles, BYU, currently ranked No. 40 nationally, showcased solid performances across all four events. The Cougars are ranked 36th on bars, 38th on floor, 45th on beam, and 50th on vault. Standout contributions came from Eaquinto, Kirkham, Alilah Alvarado, and Brynlee Andersen, who scored a team-high 9.825 on beam. The Cougars and Thunderbirds have a longstanding rivalry that will surely make for an exciting night full of powerful gymnastics.
Southern Utah Notes
- Southern Utah currently sits at #31 in the Road to Nationals standings following week 2.
- Southern Utah currently has six gymnasts ranked in the top 100 nationally, including a few who are ranked in multiple events.
- Niya Randolph and Brinlee Christensen are ranked 33 and 63, respectively, in the all-around.
- Four gymnasts for the Thunderbirds have already earned Weekly Awards from the MPSF conference, including Randolph, Bringhurst, Hampton, and Neff.
- The Flippin' Birds have won consecutive Conference Championships in two separate conferences. Winning the Final MRGC Championship before transitioning to the MPSF and securing their first title in their new conference.
- The T-Birds finished the 2024 season ranked #27 in the country.
- Sophomore Niya Randolph was named the MPSF conference Gymnast of the Year for her outstanding consistency in the all-around in the 2024 season. Randolph set a new school and conference record for the all-around with a 39.600 in the home meet against BYU last season.
- Sophomore Brinlee Christensen was named the MPSF Freshman of the Year for her outstanding debut last year.
- The Flippin' Birds swept the first-team All-MPSF honors with the top four bar workers in the conference. Randolph and Junior Trista Goodman each scored a 9.950 on the bars last year, setting a high standard for the team. The Thunderbirds set a new School and Conference record on the bars against Penn State last season, scoring 49.475.
- The Thunderbirds are coached by Scott Bauman, who was named the MRGC Coach of the Year in 2023.
- Associate Head Coach Jamie Wysong and Assistant Coach Jeff Richards were named the 2024 MPSF conference Assistant Coaches of the Year.
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