Southern Utah Thunderbirds
University	Southern Utah University
Head coach	Scott Bauman (34th season)
Conference	MPSF (Pac-12 in 2026-27)
Location	Cedar City, Utah
Nickname	Thunderbirds
Colors	scarlet & white
Conference championships
MPSF: 2025, 2024 Mountain Rim: 2023 WAC: 2010

TheSouthern Utah Thunderbirds women's gymnastics team^[1] is the women's gymnastics team that representsSouthern Utah University (SUU) inCedar City,Utah. Home meets are held in theAmerica First Events Center. The school's team, alternately nicknamedFlippin' Birds, currently competes in theMountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) from 2024^[2][3] forward. SUU previously competed in theMountain 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] In July 2026, the Flippin' Birds will become single-sport members of thePac-12 Conference.^[5]

The Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA)^[6] represents the nation's intercollegiate gymnastics coaches within the NCAA. SUU is one of 83NCAA 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.

The women's gymnastics team is also known as the Flippin' Birds.^[7][8] The nickname "Flippin Birds"^[9] 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.

Scott Bauman:^[10] Head Women's Gymnastics Coach from 1992–present (2025) (34 years).Led theThunderbirds 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, 2025 MPSF Coach of the Year, 2010 WAC Coach of the Year, and the North Central Region Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2010.

Over the past 40 years, as 2024 was 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.^[11] Southern Utah has qualified for NCAA Regionals on 19 different occasions. SUU competed in theNAIA 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.^[12] 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.^[13] Elise Wheeler^[14] 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)^[15] at the2009 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championship. She is on theList 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,^[16] 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^[17]

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

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

Each year, Southern Utah University hosts an annual women's gymnastics camp.^[33] The camp started in 2010. The summer of 2025 will be the 16th year of the camp.

SUU has placed in the Top 25 in the nation in 2025, 2023, 2021, 2020, 2017, 2015, and 2010.

SUU has won 4 Women's Conference Championships – MPSF (2) in 2025 and 2024, Mountain Rim (1)^[34] in 2023, and WAC (1),^[35] in 2010.

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

The Road to Nationals^[36] is the official statistical site of NCAA Gymnastics (women's gymnastics) in the United States. Below are the final yearly results:^[37]

• Official website

• Southern Utah Thunderbirds women's gymnastics
• College women's gymnastics teams in the United States
• Women's sports in Utah

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Official website not in Wikidata