GANNON ACROBATICS AND TUMBLING PREVIEW
SEASON OPENER
Saturday, February 10: Tri-meet vs. Kutztown and East Stroudsburg
When: 2 p.m.
Where: At Kutztown's Keystone Arena
LIVE VIDEO
HOME OPENER
March 5: vs. No. 5 Azusa Pacific, 6 p.m. at Hagerty Family Events Center
HOME FINALE
March 11: vs. No. 7 Fairmont State, 6 p.m., at Hagerty Family Events Center
NATIONALS
April 25-28: NCATA National Championships, at Fairmont State, Fairmont, W.Va.
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon acrobatics and tumbling team had an outstanding 2023 season by the standards of most programs in the National College Acrobatics and Tumbling Association.
However, head coach
Brandy Duren's team is looking for more in 2024.
One year after reaching the 2022 NCATA National Championship finals, the 2023 Gannon team advanced to the NCATA quarterfinals where the No. 5-seeded Golden Knights absorbed a close loss to No. 4 Quinnipiac. The Knights bounced back to win event national championships in the
Synchronized Toss and Open Toss.
Despite that success, Duren wants her student-athletes to have higher expectations in 2024 as the team seeks a return to the National Championship finals.
A strong returning group of athletes and a promising group of newcomers give Duren hope that this year's team can reach new heights.
Gannon opens the season as the No. 4 team in the NCATA preseason poll, behind No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 Oregon, and No. 3 Quinnipiac.
Plenty of experience, talent is back
One big reason for optimism is the leadership provided by
two-time All-American Ali Price (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge) and others. Price, a senior, is outstanding in the top position and is a premier tumbler, and her example should be beneficial for the younger student-athletes on the roster.
Six student-athletes are back from the event national title squads, including two who were on both the Synchronized Toss and Open Toss – Price, and sophomore
Peyton Oliver (Vallejo, Calif./Jesse M. Bethel). Grad student Alexis Tosada, and senior
Courtney Solensky (Columbia, Conn./E.O. Smith), junior
Ty Upton (South Amboy, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas), and sophomore
Layna Bergeron (Johnston, R.I./La Salle Academy) also return after competing on the Synchronized Toss national title squad.
The NCATA named Upton the
Division II Specialist of the Year after she starred as a top during the toss events.
Bergeron, a back/base, was named NCATA Freshman of the Week on consecutive weeks last year.
Coach Brandy Duren poses with the athletes on the 2023 national champion Synchronized Toss team.
Duren also will rely on several other veterans, including senior base
Brianna Arre (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend), junior top
Nicole Pavia (Oxford, Conn./Oxford High), and super senior base
Ashley Fallgren (Beaverton, Ore./Hillsboro), who is returning to the lineup after missing 2023 with an injury.
In addition, three members of that Synchronized Toss squad –
Addy Womeldorph,
Sophie Binsol, and
Maria Ondrejko – have joined Duren's coaching staff as assistants. Womeldorph is a full-time assistant, Binsol is a volunteer assistant, and Ondrejko is a student assistant. Their experience should only help Duren and the Knights this season.
About the NCATA
Acrobatics and tumbling has been considered an NCAA "emerging sport" as of Aug. 1, 2020. The NCATA serves as the college sport's governing body.
The NCATA conducted its first National Championship event in 2011 at the University of Oregon. Gannon, which began competing in 2014, hosted the NCATA National Championships in 2019.
This year's NCATA National Championships will be held at Fairmont State University, in Fairmont, W.Va., from April 25-28. Baylor is the eight-time defending national champion. Oregon is the only other school to win a title. The Ducks won the first four national titles from 2011-14.
The NCATA will feature 42 teams this season, including these 11 programs for the first time: Bluefield State University (DII), Buffalo State University (DIII), Francis Marion University (DII), Georgian Court University (DII), Iona University (DI), Long Island University (DI), Morgan State University (DI), Talladega College (NAIA), West Virginia State University (DII), and Wingate University (DII).
Iona is being coached by former Gannon head coach Jacquie Eshleman.
Coach Brandy Duren poses with the athletes on the 2023 national champion Open Toss team.
Challenging schedule
Gannon will face one of the most difficult schedules among acrobatics and tumbling teams in the entire NCATA in 2024.
Coach Duren's Golden Knights will face the No. 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 10 teams in the nation.
After opening the season with a tri-meet against Kutztown and East Stroudsburg in Kutztown on Saturday, Gannon will face six consecutive Top 10 teams. The Knights will visit No. 6 Frostburg State (Feb. 17) and No. 10 Belmont Abbey (Feb. 29) before hosting No. 5 Azusa Pacific (March 5) and No. 7 Fairmont State (March 11) in back-to-back home meets.
Gannon will then go on the road against No. 1 Baylor (March 16) and No. 3 Quinnipiac (April 6) to close the regular season.
Season opener
Gannon will start the season against Kutztown and East Stroudsburg on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Kutztown's Keystone Arena.
Kutztown, which is in its third season, went 5-3 in 2023. One of the Golden Bears' losses was a setback to Gannon in the second meet of the season by a score of 267.760-236.865 at the Highmark Events Center. The Golden Bears, coached by third-year coach Karah Paull, were 4-0 at home last season.
East Stroudsburg, which is coached by Kristina "Krikit" Gulics, is also in its third season as a program. The Warriors went 3-6 last year and hosted Gannon in their 2023 season finale. Gannon won that matchup by a score of 277.645-249.380.
The Gannon acrobatics and tumbling team shows its form during a recent practice. (Jeff Kirik photo)
