ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon acrobatics and tumbling team caps its inaugural season this weekend with an appearance at the 2014 National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) National Championships hosted by Azusa Pacific University at the Felix Event Center in Azusa, California.
Gannon qualified for the national championships as the seventh-ranked team in the country. The championship begin on Thursday, April 24, with a first-round meet between eighth-seeded Alderson Broaddus and ninth-seeded King (Tenn.) at 4 p.m. eastern time. The opening match-up will be followed by the 8 p.m. (EST) national individual event finals, featuring competitors from all championship participants.
The eight remaining teams will be in action during Friday's quarterfinal round, starting with a clash between fourth-seeded Baylor and fifth-seeded Fairmont State at 3:45 p.m. Top-seeded and three-time defending national champion Oregon begins its title defense with a 6 p.m. match-up against the Alderson Broaddus-King winner. The second half of the bracket kicks off with third-seeded Quinnipiac and sixth-seeded Hawai'i Pacific at 8:15 p.m. followed by Gannon and second-seeded Azusa Pacific in the nightcap at 10:30 p.m. All times are eastern standard time.
Semifinal meets are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, with semifinal winners returning to compete for the NCATA National Championship at 10:30 p.m. Saturday night.
Gannon wasted little time hitting the big time, immediately competing at the varsity level during its first year. The Lady Knights finished 5-4, clinching a winning campaign with a come-from-behind 270.175-269.58 victory against Alderson Broaddus on Senior Day. The squad overcame a late deficit with a victory during the final team event to jump the Battlers in the final point total.
Head coach
Chelsea Shaw's club swept home-and-home series against Alderson Broaddus and Adrian (Mich.) this season, as well as posting a win against King (Tenn.) at the Alderson Broaddus Tri-Meet.
All-session tickets for the NCATA national championships cost $30 for adults and $15 for students. Children under five-years-old will be admitted free of charge. Single-session admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students.
