Sometimes, the seeming underdogs can usurp the highest thrones in the most unexpected ways. Ceda City, Utah stood witness to one such incident last Friday as the Southern Utah Flippin’ Birds subdued NCAA heavyweights Penn State with a thumping 196.850-196.525 win in women’s gymnastics. With an 8-9 overall record, the SUU gymnasts went into the match without much expectation, but the events were one for the history books by the end of the night.

The SUU squad maintained dominance in all the events, but it was the bars that stood out with its stunning high score. Now, moments after achieving a new program record, the NCAA gymnastics team had to take a moment to celebrate the monumental occasion.

Inception of another NCAA gymnastics record

The Flippin’ Birds headed to the second rotation (uneven bars) after a commendable display of prowess in the vault event, where the SUU team racked up a total of 49.075. However, not many were prepared to see the bars turning out to be as good as they did. Thanks to all six SUU gymnasts recording 9.825 higher in he event, the NCAA gymnastics team reached a total of 49.475 on the bars, setting a new SUU program record. “New record on Bars with 49.475“, reads the caption of the latest Twitter post by the official Southern Utah account, justifiably elated with the results.

Another social media post from @TalentStats also drew attention to the achievement with the triumphant caption that went: “49.475 on UB for @SUUGym is a new school record!!!“. Along with that, the post also mentioned that SUU’s feat has stormed into the Moutain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) charts by being the highest score on the bars. “It’s also the highest UB score in MPSF history!!!!“, elaborated the post. Let us now turn our attention to the stand-out gymnasts of the night.

SUU stars make their presence felt

Freshman Brinlee Christensen started off the bars in style with a resounding 9.850, which was followed up in a capable manner by another freshman Alex Routsis with a 9.825. Trista Goodman upped the ante with a crucial 9.950 which signifies a career-high score for the sophomore. Niya Randolph, Isabella Neff, and Aubri Schwartze scored 9.925, 9.875, and 9.875 respectively to wrap up the bars routine. While the Flippin’ Birds made the fans swoon in their own right, other NCAA gymnastics accolades were achieved in other parts of the country on the same day.

Read more: NCAA Gymnastics Update: UCLA Athlete Hits New Milestone Despite Losing War Against Utah

LSU Tigers’ iconic senior Haleigh Bryant blitzed into an elite club after her mindboggling performance at the Podium Challenge. Bagging two perfect 10 scores in the vault and the bars, Bryant has completed the coveted “gym slam” feat, and that too in a single season! Her teammate Olivia Dunne also made some waves on the bars with a 9.875, while a 9.900 highlighted why she’s considered one of the best in the country when it comes to artistic floor exercise. As the road to the 2024 NCAA gymnastics championship opens up, it waits to be seen what aces the country’s top programs hold in their sleeves.