The Birds and the Beavs meet Saturday night in a matchup that looks razor-thin on paper—just three-tenths separate their season averages, setting the stage for a fight to the finish.
Southern Utah has been the picture of consistency, living in the mid-195s before breaking through with its first 196 of the season last week. Senior Kayla Pardue punctuated that performance with a huge 9.925 on vault, her signature event. Niya Randolph and Mia Hampton continue to pace the Thunderbirds’ all-around efforts, and as the postseason approaches, finding a few more 9.900-plus scores will be key to elevating the team’s ceiling. Still, SUU’s week-to-week reliability leaves little doubt about its ability to put up four hit rotations.
Oregon State has shown a wider range—higher highs, but also more fluctuation. The Beavers have already reached 196.600 this season, with every 196-plus score coming at home, where they’ll compete again this weekend. Road inconsistencies have weighed down the average, but that shouldn’t factor in here. Junior Sophia Esposito has helped stabilize lineups following key departures, while senior Savannah Miller’s three-event strength continues to anchor the roster. Oregon State’s scoring potential versus Southern Utah’s steadiness makes this one a true toss-up from start to finish.
The meet will be streamed on YouTube, and scores can be found here.
Opening the stream with a Valentine’s Day poem <3
This meet will be commentated by Alisa Mowe and Rich Burk.
Rotation 1: Oregon State VT, Southern Utah UB
Crabb (OSU): Clean Yurchenko full, soft ish on the landing with a controlled step back. 9.725
Routsis (SUU): Maloney to bail handstand, archy on her toe on skills, double layout, chest slightly low and medium step forward. 9.775
Marchal (OSU): Yurchenko full, good block off the table, a little piked down and a medium step back. 9.725
Hampton (SUU): Pretty toe point, Jaeger, Pak with a bit of leg separation, switch kip, patient giants to a DLO, legs are glued but takes a steps back. 9.850
Miller (OSU): Unique Yurchenko half to tuck half, or full on tuck–hard to say. 9.725
Collum (SUU): Huge Ray, toe on to Pak, a little off on her pirouette, DLO dismount, pikes down and hops in place. 9.875
Buckner (OSU): Yurchenko 1.5, slight leg form and a tiny hop forward. 9.875
Ferguson (SUU): Good first HS, piked Jaeger, doesn’t quite get the grip and falls. Toe on to Pak, misses her hand and comes off again. Finishes with a nice DLO and a small hop. Unfortunate, her technique is there but this is her fourth fall of the season, according to the commentators. 8.250
Richardson (OSU): Yurchenko 1.5, quite sideways–stays on the mat but lands outside of the lines. 9.775
Randolph (SUU): Clear hip to true Shaposh, clear hip immediately to a full in double layout, straight body and a small hop back. Such a unique composition! 9.875
Esposito (OSU): Yurchenko full, great form in the air, but soft landing and takes a big hop back. 9.775 (lowered from a 9.825)
Miller (SUU): Toe on to Maloney, Pak, some general form, blind full to double tuck, hop to the side. 9.850
Exh- Fiorillo (OSU): Omelianchik, aggressive block but underrotates and falls back.
Exh- McGuire (SUU): Holdsss her handstand, Maloney to Pak, fighting through the pirouette, DLO dismount and steps forward.
Exh- Rude (OSU): FHS FHS pike, lands completely tucked but doesn’t sit it down.
AFTER ONE: Southern Utah 49.225, Oregon State 48.875
A bit of an underscoring rotation for Oregon State, counting just one score above a 9.800. Vault is not the Beaver’s best, so they should be able to move on and pick up momentum with no problem. Southern Utah had a good showing on bars, and continues to trend upwards on the event. They regrouped quickly after a missed routine from Maria Ferguson, with an standout routine from Niya Randolph.
Rotation 2: Southern Utah VT, Oregon State UB
Kelly (SUU): Yurchenko full on, tuck off, toes are flexed, nails the stick. 9.850
Miller (OSU): Toe on, Maloney and has a low swing. Takes an extra swing into the Pak with good form, fights for the pirouette. Finishes with a floaty DLO. 9.025
Bringhurst (SUU): Yurchenko full, pops off the table, little small hop back. 9.825
Caso (OSU): Good HS, Maloney to Pak, Van Leeuwen, some form there, bling full–leg separation–straight to double tuck and doesn’t grab her legs! Sticks. 9.850
Pardue (SUU): Yurchenko 1.5, her block was really loud (?), kind of crunchy on the table, good distance and steps forward. 9.825
Cheek (OSU): Maloney to Pak, quick pirouette, toe hand to blind full, early and goes over on the handstand, falls. OSU will count a fall. Repeats the toe bling, nice double tuck to finish. 9.225
Randolph (SUU): Dynamic Yurchenko 1.5, small step forward. SUU is already in a better scoring position on this event than the Beavers, and that will be another great score for the Birds. 9.850
Esposito (OSU): Big big Ray immeditately to bail, blind full, possibly short on that handstand out of it, double tuck dismount and sticks! She flips with her arms crossed in front of her. 9.900
Hall (SUU): Punchy FHS front pike, medium step forward. That’s a 9.9 SV. 9.725
Richardson (OSU): Clean blind to piked Jaeger, Pak, good pirouette, calm giants to a high full twisting double back. Chest is up too much on the landing and steps back. 9.875
Paladino (SUU): Yurchenko full, nice distance but underrotates, big hop forward. 9.700
Weaver (OSU): Smooth blind full to Gienger, bail HS, niceee HS on high, blind full to double tuck. Sticks the landing but fights and her chest goes way down. 9.825
Exh- Le Pen (SUU): Yurchenko full. Bent arms on the table but she makes it work, clean twist and hops back.
Exh- Kaloudis (OSU): Toe on, Maloney a little pikey to Pak, good HS, DLO with a step forward.
AFTER TWO: Southern Utah 98.300 (49.075), Oregon State 97.550 (48.675)
This Thunderbirds put up a great showing on vault to widen their lead over the host. The Birds’ consistency made itself known, counting just one score below 9.800. Oregon State encountered trouble on bars and were forced to count a miss. Though the rest of their lineup was stellar, this sets the Beavers even further behind going into the third rotation. If they want the win tonight, the Beavs have seven and a half tenth of ground to make up.
Rotation 3: Oregon State BB, Southern Utah FX
Heather (OSU): Front toss to Korbut, super solid. Clean wolf full turn, switch half to beat jump looked good, dismounts with a gainer pike to a stick (and gets the chainsaw, of course). 9.825
Hampton (SUU): A clean FHS to front double full opening pass, switch leap switch half to pike full is precise. FHS to Rudi LOSO, great form there: she definitely excels at twisting. 9.900, matches her career high.
Buckner (OSU): BHS LOSO small check, split jump to split ring very solid, isolated side aerial is good. BHS 1.5 dismount, steps to the side. 9.825
Miller (SUU): Following a great score from Hampton in the leadoff. RO 2.5 to punch front, overrotated on the twist was a tad scary but she had the awareness to keep it on her feet. Switch full to 2x wolf jump into a Shushunova, some imprecision on the leap rotations. Punch into a Rudi, not especially high but well done. 9.825
Cheek (OSU): BHS LOSO, full turn lands on toe <3, front aerial to split jump, switch leap to split, BHS gainer full is stuck but lands feet far apart. That’ll be another chainsaw performance! (this is a good thing) 9.900, that’s a new career high.
Fernandez (SUU): In for Paladino. Sky-high double tuck, good chest position, split half to wolf 1.5, patient 1.5 to front lay, dances out of it. 3rd pass is a punch to Rudi, slides back in the lunge. 9.825
Weaver (OSU): BHS LOSO, covers a wobble. Front aerial rises, precise dance to the tips of her fingers. RO 1.5 with a little hop forward. 9.875
Martinez (SUU): Rudi LOSO, switch leap to tourjete ring, FHS full to front lay, has the landing and lunges out confidently. 9.900
Letzsch (OSU): Impressive straddle split mount, front aerial to back tuck series, arms move through but a slow connection. Split to split ring, great extension, small check on her turn, front gainer full STUCK. A great routine start to finish. 9.925
Hall (SUU): I missed the beginning of her routine. Front twisting pass lands well, tourjete full, lots of energy from the Thunderbirds tonight. Rudi LOSO to end, good height on the layout. 9.900
Esposito (OSU): Front aerial to BHS LOSO, great form and straight on. Fast turn and a small check. Foot is off on her switch leap, three jump connection to make up for it. High RO double twist stuck, with slightly crossed legs and chest dips. 9.825
Randolph (SUU): Massive DLO stuck, wow. Switch straddle, straddle half. Front through to RO double tuck, gets a lot of distance, lunges out well. Ends with the Mario Kart “go” sound I’m obsessed. 9.925
Exh- Vargas (OSU): Solid BHS LOSO, cat leap to front aerial, nicely done. Switch leap to switch ring. Check on the full turn–a pattern that OSU could stand to improve–gainer full with a hop back.
Exh- Paladino (SUU): Originally in the lineup, replaced with Fernandez. Front double full, twisting as she landed and an uncontrolled lunge out. Switch half to wolf full to stag. Rudi to standard layout and a straight jump out, lots of power!
AFTER THREE: Southern Utah 147.750 (49.450), Oregon State 146.900 (49.350)
The Thunderbirds absolutely shattered their previous season high on floor by three and a half tenths, posting four scores above 9.900 and capped off with Niya Randolph’s 9.925. The Birds lead by almost a point heading into the final rotation, not giving any berth to the Beavers. Oregon State, meanwhile, also had an excellent rotation on beam, highlighted by a 9.925 from beam specialist Lauren Letzsch. The Beavers are not on track to break their season-high, but with the home energy on their side, the Beavs have the opportunity to finish this meet well on floor.
Rotation 4: Southern Utah BB, Oregon State FX
Randolph (SUU): Wolf full, front toss to BHS BHS series, straddle jump to straddle side, leans forward. RO 1.5 sticks it no problem. 4/4 for Randolph, tonight. 9.850
Vargas (OSU): Double pike, steps forward out of it. FHS front full to front lay, a bit low but drills the landing. They had a split-screen up with Jade Carey during all of Vargas’ routine for really no reason… 9.800
Hampton (SUU): Floaty front aerial to BHS LOSO, good connection, leap to leap series, precise full turn, standing gainer full to a stick, not much rise. 9.900, new career high for her.
Kaloudis (OSU): Front punch through to double pike great form–I want to emphasize a pretty front tuck when I see one. Switch side half to straddle, front layout to front full to end. 9.825
Bringhurst (SUU): BHS LOSO, off to the side and falls, beat jump to split 3/4 is good. High front toss but misses whatever connection she was supposed to do. BHS gainer full dismount. 9.250
Buckner (OSU): Rudi LOSO, leg form. Switch full to stag jump, finishes with a front full to front full. 9.875
Miller (SUU): The pressure spot after a fall. BHS LOSO, a little wiggle but otherwise solid. Switch half, full turn and finishes on releve, RO double twist, lots of height and a small hop back. Miller with a great rebound, fighting back towards a hit meet for the Birds. 9.825
Marchal (OSU): High double tuck ,good lunge out. Great extension on her switch half to wolf, RO 1.5 to layout, well done with some forward momentum. 9.900
Nipper (SUU): Front aerial BHS, some side-to-side motion in the connection, we’ll see what the judges say. Split 3/4 is good. Front aerial to scale, slightly off and swings it out to the side a little. Hip break on her full turn. BHS gainer full, hop back. Not the best routine for the Birds but she stayed on the beam. 9.750
Miller (OSU): Front through to double tuck, I thought she was crunchy on the BHS but that doesn’t seem to be a problem. Great chest position on the landing. Switch full to Popa. RO 1.5 to front lay, bent knees and slightly underrotated, a step back. 9.850
Ferguson (SUU): Beautiful Korbut, stays low and does a wolf double, a little uneven. BHS swing through to side somi, lifts her chest but stops a bigger wobble backward. Hits her dismount and the Birds are in the clear! 9.750
Esposito (OSU): Front through to a huge double pike (with her toes pointed, yes!) Switch side to Popa, good positions, split full has great extension. Front lay to Rudi, small slide back in the lunge. 9.950
Exh- de Groot (SUU): BHS LOSO, leg up but looked straight on. Switch half to beat. Side somi with a tentative landing. RO 1.5 is stuck, crossed-legged.
Exh- Richardson (OSU): Front double full, forward momentum out.
Exh- Hall (SUU): Aggressive BHS LOSO, punch front to beat jump, missed connection in her leap series. Punch Rudi dismount.
Exh- Crabb (OSU): FHS double full, stutter-steps out, switch side to Popa, RO 1.5 to front layout, no issues there.
FINAL: Southern Utah 196.825 (49.075), Oregon State 196.300 (49.400)
Oregon State put up another 196 despite counting a miss on bars. The first two events started slower than they would want, but the Beavers pulled things together in the second half to post new season-highs on beam and floor. Beaver individuals swept each event apart from the all-around, which went to Southern Utah’s Niya Randolph with a 39.500. Southern Utah fought through the back half of its beam rotation but erased a fall to nab a new season high by eight tenths, on the road, no less. The steady eddy Thunderbirds have shown flashes of brilliance, hinting at their potential to peak at just the right time. Tonight, things fell into place and saw the Birds post 49’s across all four events. With a shaky end to beam, the Birds have a window to score even bigger. They will be a team to watch as the season progresses.
VT: Olivia Buckner (OSU) – 9.875
UB: Sophia Esposito (OSU) – 9.900
BB: Lauren Letzsch (OSU) – 9.925
FX: Sophia Esposito (OSU) – 9.950
AA: Niya Randolph (SUU) – 39.500
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Live blog by Frances Leadman
