Southern Utah Thunderbirds women's gymnastics

The Southern Utah Thunderbirds women's gymnastics team[1] is the women's gymnastics team that represents Southern Utah University (SUU) in Cedar City, Utah. Home meets are held in the America First Events Center. The school's team, alternately nicknamed Flippin' Birds, currently competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) from 2024[2][3] forward. SUU previously competed in the Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference from 2014 to 2023, Western Athletic Conference (WAC) from 2006 to 2013 and from 1991 to 1993, the Western Gymnastics Conference from 2002 to 2005, and was Independent from 1994 to 2001. The Thunderbirds are currently coached by Scott Bauman.[4]

Southern Utah Thunderbirds
UniversitySouthern Utah University
Head coachScott Bauman (33rd season)
ConferenceMPSF
LocationCedar City, Utah
NicknameThunderbirds
Colors    scarlet & white
Conference championships
MPSF: 2024
Mountain Rim: 2023
WAC: 2010

The Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA)[5] represents the nation's intercollegiate gymnastics coaches within the NCAA. SUU is one of 83 NCAA women's gymnastics teams in the nation. In the NCAA Regional Championships, there are 4 Regions of 8 teams each, which totals 32 teams. You need to be one of the top two teams in your Region to advance to the Semi-finals, which has 8 teams. Top scoring individuals can go to the Semi-finals. The Final has 4 teams.

Nickname

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The women's gymnastics team is also known as the Flippin' Birds.[6][7] The nickname "Flippin Birds"[8] had its origins around the turn of the century in 2000. A young gymnast asked SUU coach Scott Bauman if they were the Flippin' Birds? He responded no, but that he liked it. They played around with the name a bit and made a shirt that year, and people loved it. Ever since then, the SUU women's gymnastics team has had the moniker of the Flippin' Birds.

Coaches

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Scott Bauman:[9] Head Women's Gymnastics Coach from 1992–present (2024) (33 years). Led the Thunderbirds to 2 Conference Championships. Bauman was named the Region II Coach of the Year in 2023, and he was the 1993 Midwest Region Coach of the Year, 2010 WAC Coach of the Year, and the North Central Region Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2010.

History

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Over the past 40 years, as 2024 will be the 40th anniversary of SUU's women's gymnastics program dating back to the 1985 season, the Southern Utah gymnastics program has risen from a relatively unknown program to a prominent powerhouse in collegiate gymnastics.[10] Southern Utah has qualified for NCAA Regionals on 19 different occasions. SUU competed in the NAIA Women's Gymnastics Championships (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) (NAIA) Nationals in 1985, 1986, and 1988, with their best finish of 7th place in 1988. Southern Utah University's women's gymnastics team has been referred to as "arguably one of the most successful 'small schools' in women's college gymnastics.[11] SUU has won 13 Academic National Championships and taken second 9 times. Stacie Webb scored the first perfect 10 in school history when she did it on balance beam in 2017.[12] Elise Wheeler[13] is the most decorated gymnast in SUU history. Elise was a 3-time All-American on bars (first team), balance beam (first team), and floor (second team)[14] at the 2009 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championship. She is on the List of former United States women's national gymnastics team rosters in 2000-01 as a Junior National Team member, she was inducted into Southern Utah University's Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2021-2022 class,[15] and she was part of the 2010 SUU gymnastics team that was also inducted into Southern Utah University's Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2023 class[16]

Four Southern Utah gymnasts have competed at the NCAA women's gymnastics tournament (Championships) in the all-around individual category:

Year Gymnast All-Around Place Vault Uneven Bars Balance Beam Floor
2016 Danielle Ramirez 26th[17][18] 66th[19] 71st 66th 58th
2010 Elise Wheeler 22nd[20][21] 40th[22] 15th 21st 21st
2009 Elise Wheeler 17th[23][24] 13th[25] 6th 28th
2008 Elise Wheeler
2005 Leah Sakhitab[26] 23rd[27]
1995 Angie Gunnel

Two Southern Utah gymnasts have competed at nationals on individual apparatuses:

Year Gymnast Apparatus
2015 Jamie Armijo Uneven Bars-14th[28][29]
2015 Ana Jawarski Balance Beam-30th[30][31]

Each year, Southern Utah University hosts an annual women's gymnastics camp.[32] The camp started in 2010. The summer of 2024 will be the 15th year of the camp.

Championship results

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Top 25 in the nation (6)

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SUU has placed in the Top 25 in the nation in 2023, 2021, 2020, 2017, 2015, and 2010.

Conference Champions (3)

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SUU has won 3 Women's Conference Championships – MPSF (1) in 2024, Mountain Rim (1)[33] in 2023, and WAC (1),[34] in 2010.

Second place finishes (6)

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Mountain Rim (2) in 2017 and 2015, Western (3) in 2005, 2004, and 2002, and WAC (1) in 2001.

The Road to Nationals[35] is the official statistical site of NCAA Gymnastics (women's gymnastics) in the United States. Below are the final yearly results:[36]

Yearly results

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Year Coach NCAA Rankings Regionals Conference Championships
2024 Scott Bauman 27th 8th 1st
2023 Scott Bauman 22nd 6th 1st
2022 Scott Bauman 28th 7th 4th
2021 Scott Bauman 23rd 7th 3rd
2020 Scott Bauman 22nd COVID-19 3rd
2019 Scott Bauman 26th 7th 3rd
2018 Scott Bauman 35th 6th 4th
2017 Scott Bauman 22nd 4th 2nd
2016 Scott Bauman 27th 6th 3rd
2015 Scott Bauman 16th 3rd 2nd
2014 Scott Bauman 26th 5th 3rd
2013 Scott Bauman 31st 5th 5th
2012 Scott Bauman 42nd 10th 3rd
2011 Scott Bauman 33rd 6th 2nd
2010 Scott Bauman 18th 3rd 1st
2009 Scott Bauman 35th 6th 3rd
2008 Scott Bauman 28th 5th 3rd
2007 Scott Bauman 38th
2006 Scott Bauman 37th 3rd
2005 Scott Bauman 30th 5th 2nd
2004 Scott Bauman 30th 4th 2nd
2003 Scott Bauman 37th 3rd
2002 Scott Bauman 28th 6th 2nd
2001 Scott Bauman 47th
2000 Scott Bauman 33rd 6th
1999 Scott Bauman 43rd
1998 Scott Bauman 42nd
1997 Scott Bauman
1996 Scott Bauman
1995 Scott Bauman
1994 Scott Bauman
1993 Scott Bauman 4th
1992 Scott Bauman
1991

Team records

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Top team total[37]

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Rank Score Meet Year
1 197.275 Utah State 2021
2 197.225[38] Central Michigan 2020
3 197.125[39] Brigham Young 2024
3 197.125[40] Utah State 2023
3 197.125[41] Brigham Young 2023
6 197.075[42] Pittsburgh 2020
6 197.075 NC State 2017
8 197.000[43] Brigham Young 2022
9 196.975[44] William & Mary 2022
9 196.975[45] Utah State 2022

Top individual all-around

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Rank Score Gymnast Year
1 39.600[46] Niya Randolph 2024

References

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  1. ^ "Women's Gymnastics". Southern Utah University Athletics.
  2. ^ "Southern Utah Joins MPSF Women's Gymnastics". mpsports.org.
  3. ^ "Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Members". Mountain Pacific Sports.
  4. ^ "Scotty Bauman – Head Coach – Staff Directory". Southern Utah University Athletics.
  5. ^ "Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association". Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association.
  6. ^ "After 30 years of coaching Southern Utah gymnastics, Scotty Bauman is still looking forward". The Spectrum.
  7. ^ "Scotty Bauman: Thirty Years at the Helm of the Flippin' Birds". T-Bird Nation Blog.
  8. ^ "SUU Gymnastics: Why the Birds Started to Flip". The Spectrum.
  9. ^ "Scott Bauman". NCAA Directory for Southern Utah University's Gymnastics Coach.
  10. ^ "Raising the Bar: The Legacy of SUU Gymnastics". Southern Utah News. 29 April 2023.
  11. ^ "2023 Gymnastics - Los Angeles Regional". Deseret News. 20 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Stacie Webb Scores First Perfect 10". SUU Gymnastics. 14 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Elise Wheeler 2010 Gymnast". SUU Gymnastics.
  14. ^ "2009 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships - All-Americans" (PDF). USA Gymnastics.
  15. ^ "Southern Utah University's Athletics Hall of Fame 2021-2022 class". The Spectrum.
  16. ^ "Southern Utah University's Athletics Hall of Fame 2023 class". St. George News.
  17. ^ "2016 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships - Women's Score Sheet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics.
  18. ^ "2016 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships". USA Gymnastics.
  19. ^ "2015 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships - Women's Score Sheet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics.
  20. ^ "2010 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships - Women's Score Sheet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics.
  21. ^ "2010 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships". USA Gymnastics.
  22. ^ "2010 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships - Women's Score Sheet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics.
  23. ^ "2009 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships - Women's Score Sheet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics.
  24. ^ "2009 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships". USA Gymnastics.
  25. ^ "2009 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships - Women's Score Sheet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics.
  26. ^ "Leah Sakhitab Competing in NCAA All-Around". Deseret News. 20 April 2005.
  27. ^ "Legacy of SUU Gymnastics". SUU News. 29 April 2023.
  28. ^ "2015 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships - Women's Score Sheet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics.
  29. ^ "2015 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships". USA Gymnastics.
  30. ^ "2015 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships - Women's Score Sheet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics.
  31. ^ "2015 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships". USA Gymnastics.
  32. ^ "SUU Gymnastics Camp". Scotty Bauman Gymnastics Camp.
  33. ^ "Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference Standings". Mountain Rim Gymnastics Conference.
  34. ^ "SUU Gymnastics Captures WAC Championship". suutbirds.com/sports/womens-gymnastics. 28 March 2010.
  35. ^ "Road to Nationals: NCAA Gymnastics". Road to Nationals.
  36. ^ "Road to Nationals Final Standings: NCAA Women's Gymnastics". Road to Nationals.
  37. ^ "Records and Awards". SUU Gymnastics. 19 February 2021.
  38. ^ "Second Highest Score". SUU Gymnastics. 7 February 2020.
  39. ^ "Third Highest Score". SUU Gymnastics. 4 March 2024.
  40. ^ "Tied for Third Highest Score". SUU Gymnastics. 17 February 2023.
  41. ^ "Tied for Third Highest Score". SUU Gymnastics. 10 February 2023.
  42. ^ "Sixth Highest Score". SUU Gymnastics. 24 February 2020.
  43. ^ "Eighth Highest Score". SUU Gymnastics. 18 February 2022.
  44. ^ "Ninth Highest Score". SUU Gymnastics. 11 March 2022.
  45. ^ "Tied for Ninth Highest Score". SUU Gymnastics. 11 February 2022.
  46. ^ "Record-Breaking All-Around Score". SUU Gymnastics. 4 March 2024.
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