After a strong 2025 campaign that ended with a third consecutive division championship, the Southern Utah University women’s gymnastics team will open the season at home against Boise State University on Friday, Jan. 9 at 6:30 p.m.
This meet will be streamed on Overnght.
Southern Utah
The Flippin’ Birds ended last season with a 16-7 record and won all seven of their conference meets. They topped off the campaign with their second straight Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship and became the first team to sweep every MPSF award.
One of those awards, MPSF Gymnast of the Year, went to then-sophomore Niya Randolph for the second time. Randolph is poised to compete for the award again and ranked No. 36 nationally in the all-around last year.
This will be the team’s final stretch in the MPSF as they’re joining the Pac-12 as single-sport members in July 2026. Most other SUU programs will move to the Big Sky later this year.
SUU has a promising young core, with reigning MPSF Freshman of the Year Mia Hampton backed by four incoming freshmen and two sophomores who didn’t see the floor last season. They will fill a void left by one of SUU’s top gymnasts, Brinlee Christensen, as she sits out due to injury.
College Gym News ranks SUU No. 24 and the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association ranks them No. 29. MPSF Coach of the Year Scotty Bauman will lead his team against a familiar opponent as they look to kick off 2026 successfully.
Boise State
The Broncos had a strong previous year, finishing with a 15-9-1 record. They won the Mountain West regular-season title but lost the championship meet to Utah State, 196.100-195.950.
Boise State is full of award-winning talent as well. Two-time Mountain West Coach of the Year Tina Bird leads a roster rounded out by all-conference gymnasts Blake Pascal, Bridget Kemp and Mountain West co-Freshman of the Year Kristina Shchennikova.
Both SUU and Boise State are familiar faces in the NCAA Regional Championships. The Flippin’ Birds have appeared every year since 2008 and the Broncos have appeared every year in Bird’s 19-season tenure.
Southern Utah most recently faced Boise State in a victorious NCAA Regional Championships meet. The two will remain common opponents with the Broncos transferring to the Pac-12 later this year as well.
Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Briar Adams
