Days after they extended head coach Scotty Bauman to a five-year contract extension, the Southern Utah University women’s gymnastics team will face No. 13 University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m.
The team is heading into one of the biggest one-on-one meets of the year and has locked down its head coach until 2031. This marks a continuation of the team’s identity as they prepare to join the Pac-12 conference next season.
The meet will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live stats will be on virti.us.
Southern Utah
After a 1-4 start to the year, SUU has bounced back to a 5-7 record. Their last two meets saw two victories over conference opponents and a season-high score in a win over nationally-ranked Oregon State University.
Amelia Moneymaker of the University of California, Davis recently won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week Award and broke SUU’s award sweep streak. However, the Flippin’ Birds have continued to rack up recognition. Ariel Collum won Freshman of the Week, while Mia Hampton won Specialist of the Week for their efforts in the last few meets.
SUU’s awards leaders are as follows:
Niya Randolph: Four, all for Gymnast of the Week
Berlin Hall: Four, all for Freshman of the Week
Kayla Pardue: Two, both for Specialist of the Week
Hampton: Two, both for Specialist of the Week
Collum: One for Freshman of the Week
Alex Routsis: One for Specialist of the Week
U of U
The Red Rocks are one of the best teams in the country. They hold a 9-3 record, with their only losses coming at the hands of programs ranked in the top five nationally.
The U of U is also one of the only gymnastics teams to record a score of 198.000 or better this year. They’ve surpassed a score of 196.000 on 10 different occasions this year, while SUU has only done so twice.
Utah is also an awards machine, with sophomore Avery Neff leading the charge. She’s won Big 12 Gymnast of the Week three times and recently recorded a perfect 10.000 on vault.
Freshman Abbi Ryssman has won Freshman of the Week twice, while Camie Winger recently won Specialist of the Week. SUU will have their work cut out for them as they face the highest-ranked program in the state.
Previous gymnastics article ——– Next gymnastics article
Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Fanny Felixine
