ACROBATICS AND TUMBLING
NO. 4 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (3-0) AT NO. 10 BELMONT ABBEY CRUSADERS (2-2)
WHEN: Thursday, 6 p.m.
WHERE:  Wheeler Center | Belmont, N.C.
 
The No. 4-ranked Gannon University acrobatics and tumbling team will take on another NCATA Top-10 team on Thursday when GU visits No. 10 Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C.
 
Gannon takes a 3-0 record into the meet after victories over Kutztown, East Stroudsburg, and No. 6 Frostburg State. This is the second of six consecutive meets that Gannon will have against teams that were ranked in the Top 10 in the NCATA's Preseason Poll.
 
Belmont Abbey enters Thursday's meet with a .500 record after beating unranked Mars Hill and Francis Marion and losing to No. 12 Coker and No. 7 Limestone.
 
 
Gannon's strong start:
 
Coach Brandy Duren's Golden Knights have posted strong scores in their first two appearances.
 
In a tri-meet against Kutztown and East Stroudsburg on Feb. 10, the Knights opened the season with an outstanding score of 276.235 while collecting victories against the Golden Bears and Warriors.
 
Gannon followed those wins with a victory at Frostburg State on Feb. 17 when the Knights won 267.635-260.590.
 
Gannon has had three student-athletes honored by the NCATA on the national level this season. Sophomore Ty Upton (South Amboy, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas) and senior Ali Price (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge) both have been named Honorable Mention for the NCATA Athlete of the Week award, while Alex DeAngelis has been named Honorable Mention twice for the NCATA Freshman of the Week award.
 
One change has been made to the lineup for Gannon.

"We are looking forward to competing with a new starting lineup for our meet vs. Belmont Abbey," Duren said. "Due to an injury, we will have a junior, Reagan McMahon (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic), stepping into a starting position. We hope to hit new highs with our scores and feel satisfied at the end of the meet."
 
 
Belmont Abbey stumbles:
 
The Crusaders entered the season ranked No. 10 nationally, but they have lost twice to other ranked teams. In the most recent meet, Belmont Abbey turned in a score of 261.535 while losing to No. 7 Limestone by 12 points.
 
Belmont Abbey's highest score of the season came in the opener against Mars Hill on Feb. 10, when it tallied 264.640.
 
The Crusaders went 8-3 in 2023 and lost in the Conference Carolinas Tournament semifinals.  Gannon advanced to the NCATA quarterfinals, where it lost to Quinnipiac.
 
 
What's ahead:
 
After Gannon competes on Thursday, the Golden Knights will turn their attention to their home opener on Tuesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. at Hagerty Family Events Center. The Knights will also celebrate Senior Day on that day.
 
 
Gannon's lineup
 
Here's Gannon's lineup for Thursday:
2 Ali Price (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge), junior
3 Charisma Felix (Las Vegas, Nev./College of So. Nevada High School West), junior
5 Ty Upton (South Amboy, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas), junior
6 Nicole Pavia (Oxford, Conn./Oxford High), junior
7 Kat Rodriguez (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall), senior
12 Peyton Oliver (Vallejo, Calif./Jesse M. Bethel), sophomore
13 Bethany Schirz (Reno, Nev./Edward C. Reed), graduate
14 Annie Colantonio (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin), senior
15 Michaelah Lanza (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North), graduate
16 Ashley Fallgren (Beaverton, Ore./Hillsboro), graduate
17 Layna Bergeron (Johnston, R.I./La Salle Academy), sophomore
18 Tori Soper (Sheffield Lake, Ohio/Ohio Connections Academy), sophomore
21 Courtney Solensky (Columbia, Conn./E.O. Smith), senior
22 Reagan McMahon (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic), junior
23 Alexandria DeAngelis (Audubon, N.J./Camden Catholic High School), freshman
24 Marissa Burge (Fairview, Pa./Fairview), sophomore
32 Lillie Fritz (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler), junior
34 Kathryn Rhine (Damascus, Ore./Clackamas), senior
35 Madison Rhine (Damascus, Ore./Clackamas), senior
36 Kamryn Kameg (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson), sophomore
37 Lauren Rupert (Central Square, N.Y./Paul V. Moore), junior
38 Montana Muller (Catasauqua, Pa./Catasauqua), senior
39 Megan Revell (Richland, Wash./Richland High), junior
42 Mikayla Kis (Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada/Silverthorn Collegiate Institute), sophomore
43 Ariana Fitzpatrick (Burlington, N.J./Northern Burlington County Regional H.S.), freshman
44 Alexis Tosado (Sparks, Nev./Edward C. Reed), graduate
45 Brianna Arre (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend), senior
47 Morgan Gilbert (Black River, N.Y./Immaculate Heart Central), graduate