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

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 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]

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

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

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

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:

YearGymnastAll-Around PlaceVaultUneven BarsBalance BeamFloor
2016Danielle Ramirez26th[17][18]66th[19]71st66th58th
2010Elise Wheeler22nd[20][21]40th[22]15th21st21st
2009Elise Wheeler17th[23][24]13th[25]6th28th
2008Elise Wheeler
2005Leah Sakhitab[26]23rd[27]
1995Angie Gunnel

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

YearGymnastApparatus
2015Jamie ArmijoUneven Bars-14th[28][29]
2015Ana JawarskiBalance 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

Top 25 in the nation (6)

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

Conference Champions (2)

SUU has won 2 Women's Conference Championships – Mountain Rim (1)[33] in 2023, and WAC (1),[34] in 2010.

Second place finishes (6)

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

Year Coach NCAA Rankings Regionals Conference Championships
2023Scott Bauman22nd6th1st
2022Scott Bauman28th7th4th
2021Scott Bauman23rd7th3rd
2020Scott Bauman22ndCOVID-193rd
2019Scott Bauman26th7th3rd
2018Scott Bauman35th6th4th
2017Scott Bauman22nd4th2nd
2016Scott Bauman27th6th3rd
2015Scott Bauman16th3rd2nd
2014Scott Bauman26th5th3rd
2013Scott Bauman31st5th5th
2012Scott Bauman42nd10th3rd
2011Scott Bauman33rd6th2nd
2010Scott Bauman18th3rd1st
2009Scott Bauman35th6th3rd
2008Scott Bauman28th5th3rd
2007Scott Bauman38th
2006Scott Bauman37th3rd
2005Scott Bauman30th5th2nd
2004Scott Bauman30th4th2nd
2003Scott Bauman37th3rd
2002Scott Bauman28th6th2nd
2001Scott Bauman47th
2000Scott Bauman33rd6th
1999Scott Bauman43rd
1998Scott Bauman42nd
1997Scott Bauman
1996Scott Bauman
1995Scott Bauman
1994Scott Bauman
1993Scott Bauman4th
1992Scott Bauman
1991

Team records

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