Who’s down for a good old under-the-radar matchup? Frankly, I’m not even sure which way this is going to go myself.
Southern Utah, in its first season in the MPSF, has been relatively consistent most of the season. Freshman Niya Randolph has come in and helped mitigate the sting of losing several seniors last year, competing all-around in every meet and scoring as high as 39.325. Several returners have stepped up to fill lineup spots (Kennedi McClain is in the land of the living!) so this is a team that could make a run at a team spot in the postseason. The Thunderbirds need to drop a 195.075 for improvement in NQS rankings, and they’ve scored 196 plus the last three weeks. Another 196 would be key right now.
As for the Cyclones, just when it seemed they had turned a corner, some inconsistencies on the balance beam kept them in the 195’s for the last three meets. They’re also coming off of a Friday night quad meet, so rest and recovery are going to play a role in this one. Noelle Adams has continued to be the Cyclones’ freshman phenom, but returners like Kaia Parker and Lauren Thomas have stepped up to become very consistent for Iowa State. It needs another 196 to keep them in the hunt for postseason.
