Trailing by nearly a point heading into the final rotation of a first-round regional matchup, Southern Utah had nothing to lose finishing on floor—its lowest-ranked event this season. The Thunderbirds were aiming to finish strong after what was otherwise an off day, with powerhouse freshman Niya Randolph in the anchor spot also hoping to rebound from a miss on bars herself after taking an extra swing between her Maloney and bail.
But pressure began to build as the rotation progressed. A few wobbles from foe San Jose State turned into a fall that was followed by another missed routine, and suddenly, an opening-round victory was in reach for the first time all evening, with rookie Randolph needing at least a 9.800 to send Southern Utah to the second round.
“The reason I came to SUU was because of the coaches. I knew they could help me through all these moments,” said Randolph after her meet-winning floor routine. “I knew I could trust them, and they prepared us well. I felt 100-percent prepared, and I know the team did, too.”
A former four-star recruit, Randolph has been a feature all season long for the Flippin’ Birds, as she made waves amongst the gymternet with her split-legged double layout opening pass on floor—the first since viral UCLA legend Katelyn Ohashi wowed with hers five years ago. While Randolph didn’t grace Haas Pavilion with the skill on Thursday, not wanting to “risk it” with the team’s fate in her hands, she didn’t rule out the possibility of performing it Friday and beyond.
“I do it when I feel powerful,” Randolph said. “It’s not too much different than a regular double lay, so I love playing with it. I love doing it on the meet floor.”
The all-arounder Randolph is the leader of many freshmen for the Thunderbirds. In the offseason, the program underwent massive turnover as a large newbie class replaced a large departing class to shape the 2024 roster. With so many new faces, maintaining their status as one of the most prominent mid-majors is no easy task, but with the faces a part of the 15th-ranked freshman class heading into the season, the likelihood increased drastically.
“This is a pretty young team, and you could see that today,” said head coach Scotty Bauman, referring to Southern Utah’s mistakes throughout the first three rotations. “And I’m so proud of the way this young team never quit. They never stop. They never give up. They never give in. One of the biggest things about this team is the character they have that way.”
By advancing to the second round of the Berkeley Regional, Southern Utah will have a chance to place in the top 30 of the rankings for the 10th time in the last 11 years. And with plenty of promise between Randolph and the rest of her fellow freshmen, don’t expect the Thunderbirds to go anywhere soon.
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Article by Brandis Heffner
