Tigers Rally to Top Falcons in Quarterfinals

BELTON, Texas – The Concordia Wisconsin acrobatics & tumbling team opened up competition at the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association NCATA Division III Tournament on Thursday morning. The Tigers of East Texas Baptist rallied to top the Falcons in the quarterfinal round with a 240-.205 to 237.740 victory.

The Falcons opened the day with 32.60 points in the compulsory event to take an early lead on Thursday. The birds scored 9.50 points in the pyramid heat and 9.30 in the toss heat. The acro heat scored a season-best 8.10 points in the acro heat.

East Texas Baptist took the lead after the acro event when CUW scored 20.95 points in the event.

The Falcons were able to take a slight bite out of the deficit with 28.50 points in the pyramid event. CUW scored nine or more points in all three pyramids, finishing at 9.70 in the synchronized pyramid and 9.75 in the open pyramid.

Concordia continued to chip away at the Tigers with 26.35 points in the toss event. The 450 salto squad scored 9.10 points.

The Blue and White regain the lead with 45.900 points in the tumbling event, tying the season-high score. The birds started with a season-high score of 7.250 points in the duo pass with junior Paityn Taormina (Geneva, Ill.) and sophomore Ellen Marie Sanders (Joppa, Md.). Senior Jessi Alexander (Plainfield, Ill.) scored a season-best score of 8.325 in the aerial pass.

Concordia scored 83.44 points in the team event, but the Tigers scored 86.28 to claim the victory.

The Falcons advance to the NCATA Division III Tournament Semifinals with their score and will face Mary Hardin-Baylor on Friday night.