ERIE, Pa. – The home opener was a memorable one for the Gannon University acrobatics & tumbling team on Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Knights conducted their Make-A-Wish Meet, raising money for a noble cause.

They recorded a perfect 10 in one heat.

They tallied a season-high point total for a dual meet.

Finally, they concluded the day with an impressive 267.760-236.865 victory over Kutztown in an NCATA meet at the Highmark Events Center.

Coach Brandy Duren's Golden Knights improved to 2-1 on the season with their second win in a row. Gannon has a seven-meet home winning streak and is now 18-4 at the Highmark Events Center since 2016.




 
PERFECT 10 IN OPENING EVENT
 
The afternoon began in spectacular fashion for the Golden Knights. During the Compulsory Event, Gannon turned in a rare 10.0 score during the Toss Heat.

That group of 11 athletes included Ali Price (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge), Peyton Oliver (Vallejo, Calif./Jesse M. Bethel), Sammy Gouge (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek), Sophie Binsol (Waldorf, Md./Westlake), Sydney Hess (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan), Addy Womeldorph (Parker, Texas/Allen), Alexis Tosado (Sparks, Nev./Edward C. Reed), Maria Ondrejko (Scenery Hill, Pa./Bishop Canevin), Jema Reasoner (Collierville, Tenn./Collierville), Maddie Olsen (Phoenix, Ariz./Chandler Prep), and Courtney Solensky (Columbia, Conn./E.O. Smith).

The Knights also registered a 9.85 in the Pyramid as they finished with a 38.20 total through the Compulsory Event compared to Kutztown's 35.90.
 
SWEEP OF EVENTS
 
For the second consecutive week, the Golden Knights won all six events.

The Gannon foursome of Reasoner, Montana Muller (Catasauqua, Pa./Catasauqua), Suzy Whiteman (Delmont, Pa./Franklin Regional), and Lauren Arroyo (West Covina, Calif./Mater Dei) registered a 9.90 in Heat 1 while leading the Knights to a 27.55 to 26.05 edge in the Acro Event.

The grouping of Price, Solensky, Googe, and Hess also recorded 9.80 in Heat 3.

In the Pyramid, Gannon had scores of 9.70, 9.70, and 9.95 on the way to a 29.35 total. Kutztown finished a distant second with 24.70.

Gannon held a 95.100-86.650 lead at halftime.
 
SECOND-HALF SURGE
 
Opening the second half, the Golden Knights collected a 29.20-24.30 win in the Toss Event. That total was punctuated by a Heat 3 score of 9.85 that was recorded by Price, Oliver, Googe, Hess, Binsol, and caller Solensky.

The trio of Price (9.775), Googe (9.675), and Kat Rodriguez (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) (9.100) then used three strong solo passes to cap a 53.900-48.175 win for Gannon in the Tumbling Event. Googe and Michaelah Lanza (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) also teamed up for a 9.35 as a duo in Tumbling Heat 1.

That set the stage for the Team Event, where Gannon emerged with 89.56 points to Kutztown's 77.74.

MAKE-A-WISH
 
The Gannon acrobatics & tumbling teamed conducted its annual Make-A-Wish meet, raising money through a raffle, and gift basket raffles.

A young person who is special to the program and involved with Make-A-Wish was on hand with his family.
 
WHAT'S AHEAD
 
They will visit Azusa Pacific on Feb. 27 before traveling to Eugene, Ore., to face Oregon on March 3.

Gannon was ranked No. 2 in the NCATA preseason poll. Azusa Pacific was No. 3, and Oregon was No. 5.

GU lost to Azusa Pacific in the 2022 regular season before avenging that loss in the National semifinals. Gannon beat Oregon during the 2022 regular season but did not face the Ducks during the postseason.

 
GANNON'S ROSTER SATURDAY
 
26 - Addy Womeldorph (Parker, Texas/Allen) - Sr.
44 - Alexis Tosado (Sparks, Nev./Edward C. Reed) - Sr.
2 - Ali Price (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge) - Jr.       
14 - Annie Colantonio (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) - Jr.
40 - Grace Harrick (Union City, Pa./Mercyhurst Prepatory School) - Jr.
1 - Kylie Brown (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) - Fr.
21 - Courtney Solensky (Columbia, Conn./E.O. Smith) - Jr.
27 - Jema Reasoner (Collierville, Tenn./Collierville) - Sr.              
7 - Kat Rodriguez (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) - Jr.        
51 - Lauren Arroyo (West Covina, Calif./Mater Dei) - Ssr.
19 - Maddie Olsen (Phoenix, Ariz./Chandler Prep) - Sr.                
43 - Maria Ondrejko (Scenery Hill, Pa./Bishop Canevin) - Sr.
25 - Emma Winters (Shelby Township, Mich./Eisenhower High) - So.
38 - Montana Muller (Catasauqua, Pa./Catasauqua) - Jr.            
47 - Morgan Gilbert (Black River, N.Y./Immaculate Heart Central) - Sr.
6 - Nicole Pavia (Oxford, Conn./Oxford High) - So.     
50 - Sammy Gouge (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek) - Ssr.        
20 - Sophie Binsol (Waldorf, Md./Westlake) - Sr.  
4 - Suzy Whiteman (Delmont, Pa./Franklin Regional) - Ssr.
23 - Sydney Hess (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) - Ssr.
3 - Charisma Felix (Las Vegas, Nev./College of So. Nevada High School West) - So. 
12 - Peyton Oliver (Vallejo, Calif./Jesse M. Bethel) - Fr.
17 - Layna Bergeron (Johnston, R.I./La Salle Academy) - Fr .      
11 - McKenna Wettstein (Moorhead, Minn./Moorhead) - Jr.                    
18 - Tori Soper (Sheffield Lake, Ohio/Ohio Connections Academy) - Fr.    
32 - Lillie Fritz (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler) - So.
5 - Ty Upton (South Amboy, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas) - So.    
15 - Michaelah Lanza (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) - Sr.