ACROBATICS AND TUMBLING
NCATA QUARTERFINALS
NO. 3 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (6-2) VS. NO. 6 AZUSA PACIFIC COUGARS (3-3)
WHEN: Thursday, April 25, 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Feaster Center (Joe Retton Arena, Dan Cava Court) | Fairmont State University | Fairmont, W.Va.
LIVE VIDEO($)
LIVE STATS
SCHEDULE
NCATA Championships
At Fairmont State University
Quarterfinals
Quarterfinals (Thursday, April 25)
Meet #1: #2 Quinnipiac vs. #7 Frostburg State – 10:30 a.m.
Meet #2: #3 Gannon vs. #6 Azusa Pacific – 1:30 p.m.
Meet #3: #4 Oregon vs. #5 Mary Hardin-Baylor – 4:30 p.m.
Meet #4: #1 Baylor vs. #8 Fairmont State – 7:00 p.m.
Semifinals (Friday, April 26)
Meet #5: Quinnipiac/Frostburg State vs. Gannon/Azusa Pacific – 4:30 p.m.
Meet #6: Oregon/Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. Baylor/Fairmont State – 7:00 p.m.
Finals (Saturday, April 27)
Meet #7: Semifinal winners – 5:00 p.m.
National Event Finals (Saturday, April 28)
11 a.m.
(National awards to be announced after event finals)
FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The Gannon University acrobatics and tumbling team has reached almost every level on the National Acrobatics and Tumbling Association in 10 years of competition.
The Golden Knights have advanced to the quarterfinals in seven consecutive NCATA Championships. In 2022, Gannon advanced to the semifinals and then the national championship meet. The Knights have also piled up a series of national event titles, including two in 2023.
The ultimate goal remains for the Gannon program – a team national title.
Coach
Brandy Duren's team opens the 2024 NCATA Championships with the No. 3 seed, as the Knights prepare to meet No. 6-seeded Azusa Pacific on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at Fairmont State's Feaster Center.
Duren has high hopes and expectations for this team.
"We are looking forward to facing off against Azusa for the second time this season," she said. "They are strong competition, but we hope to pull off another win and advance to the semifinals for only the second time in our program history."
The last time Gannon faced Azusa Pacific in the NCATA Championship, the Golden Knights defeated the Cougars in the 2022 semifinals to advance to the national championship match against powerhouse Baylor. The Bears won their seventh title that year during their current run of eight consecutive national championships.
"This season I have had a staff behind me, which has better prepared our team to reach our goals while at the National Championship," Duren said. "In the 2021-22 season, as the Golden Knights assistant coach, we made it to the semifinals, as well as the finals for the first time in program history. I hope to continue building confidence in my players this season at Nationals and in the seasons to come. I am grateful to coach these ladies and can't wait to see what they do this week."
Gannon has faced one of the most challenging schedules in the nation during the regular season. The Knights have met five of the other seven national quarterfinalists. They beat No. 8 Fairmont State, No. 7 Frostburg State, and No. 6 Azusa Pacific, and they lost to No. 1 Baylor and No. 2 Quinnipiac.
Azusa (3-3) also has competed against a tough schedule. The Cougars' losses have come to No. 2 Quinnipiac, No. 3 Gannon, and No. 4 Oregon.
Gannon defeated Azusa 270.905-258.625 in a March 5 meet at Penn State Behrend's Junker Center. The Knights played their two home meets at Behrend and Mercyhurst University this year after the Highmark Events Center closed for renovations.
The winner of the Gannon-Azusa quarterfinal will advance to the semifinals against the winner of the No. 2 Quinnipiac-No. 7 Frostburg State matchup, which will take place on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
The semifinals will be held Friday, and the championship meet will take place Saturday.
The National Event Finals will be held on Sunday. Gannon won a pair of national event titles in 2023 – in the Open Toss and Synchronized Toss.
Gannon's lineup for Thursday:
1
Kylie Brown (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem), sophomore
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
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
