By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            A Baylor acrobatics & tumbling senior class that is 39-1 will have a chance to win its fourth consecutive NCATA national championship and bookend titles at home when the NCATA National Championships begin Thursday at the Ferrell Center. 
            "Three years ago when we were here, it was so special for them," said Baylor coach Felecia Mulkey, who has won four in a row at Baylor after winning the first four NCATA national titles at Oregon. "Baylor did an amazing job putting it on. For that to be their inauguration to the sport, and for this to send them out the right way, I've got my fingers crossed for them."
            Other than a road loss to Oregon two years ago when they were sophomores, all this class has known is winning. Baylor has won 27 straight meets since that Feb. 25, 2017 loss in Eugene, including beating Quinnipiac in last year's NCATA final. 
            "We don't really think about the trophy," said senior Ashley Echelberger. "We just do anything we can to get that great feeling at the end of the championship. It's cool, because this group of seniors, we got to have the championship here our freshman year. And having it again here our senior year, it's just an amazing feeling. It's amazing to perform in front of this home crowd."
            The top-seeded Bears (9-0) face eighth-seeded Gannon (4-1) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals. Third-seeded Azusa Pacific (4-2) faces sixth-seeded Converse (5-1) in the opening meet at 12 p.m., followed by No. 2 Oregon (5-2) versus seventh-seeded Hawaii Pacific (1-5) at 2 p.m. and fourth-seeded Quinnipiac (4-2) going against No. 5 Fairmont State (8-1) at 5:30. 
            "We had some really great meets this year, but there has always been something where I just felt like we could do better," Mulkey said. "I just feel like we've set ourselves up for a magical tournament, because we're going to have the opportunity to peak at the right time and just really wow the crowd."
            It's also a chance for the seniors to perform one last time in front of their home crowd. 
            "I cannot wait to take on the mat one last time with my family," senior All-American Kaylee Adams said. "The fact that we get to do it in front of our home crowd is just such a blessing. I'm a little biased, because I'm a Baylor Bear, but I would definitely say we run it the best."
            One of the themes for this year's Baylor team was "don't let your guard down." When you've lost exactly once as a collegiate athlete, you have to find different things that motivate or push you. 
            "Anytime you let your guard down, that's when you lose," said senior All-American Ceara Gray, who was last year's NCATA Most Outstanding Player. "We keep running it until our bodies hurt, just trying to be the best every single day."
            Baylor had its closest call of the year in a Senior Day victory over Oregon on April 7, beating the Ducks, 280.230 to 274.875, for Mulkey's 50^thcareer win at Baylor. The Bears led by just 1.20 points going into the final two events before creating separation with tumbling and the team event. 
            "We did not compete the way we wanted to at our last home meet against Oregon, and we took that as a loss," Mulkey said. "We got a 'W' in the win column, but we didn't do what we wanted to do. So, they're hungry to go out and show Baylor how we can really do it. 
            "They're more prepared than we've ever been, and I think more hungry for it, believe it or now. You would think not, because we've won a couple times before. But, they are hungry."
            Mulkey, a strong advocate for the sport itself, was excited when Division III Trine University in Angola, Ind., became the 31^stacrobatics & tumbling program in the country and 29^thNCAA school to add the sport. To become an NCAA championship sport, A&T needs to have 40 NCAA teams competing 
            "You will hear me say it from now until eternity," Mulkey said. "We're going to hit 40 and get to championship status, but we want to get to 100. Every school that adds the sport is 40 new opportunities for women to compete at the collegiate level that weren't there before. It's great to be an NCAA sport, but I just think it's going to propel our growth forward, and that will equal more opportunities for women to compete."
            The NCATA national tournament continues with semifinals at 5 and 7 p.m. Friday, the finals at 6 p.m. Saturday and individual event finals at 11 a.m. Saturday. Live streaming is available at https://baylorbears.com/watch/?Live=1233&type=Live.
            All-session tickets for the tournament are $30 for adults and $15 for youth and children, with single-session tickets also available at $10 and $5. You can also purchase them online at www.baylorbears.com/tickets.
 

WACO, Texas – The No. 1 ranked Baylor acrobatics and tumbling team will host No. 8 Gannon in the quarterfinals of the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association National Championship Tournament Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ferrell Center.
 
The meet will be streamed live at https://baylorbears.com/watch/?Live=1233&type=Live
 
Baylor (9-0) has won 27 consecutive meets and carries a 15-4 postseason record into Thursday's contest. The Bears and the Lady Knights will be meeting for the fourth time in program history. Baylor holds a 3-0 series lead historically over Gannon.
 
Gannon (4-1) comes to Waco for the third time in program history. The Lady Knights have previously matched up with the Bears twice in the NCATA Championships, with Baylor coming out on top both times.
 
Baylor head coach Felicia Mulkey holds a 50-1 entering Thursday's matchup. She has led the Bears to seven consecutive meet totals above 280.000 points, a score that only one other school has reached in the 2019 season.
 
With a meet win on Thursday, Baylor would advance to a semifinal meet on Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m. and await the winner between No. 4 Quinnipiac and No. 5 Fairmont State. 
 
The NCATA National Championship Tournament final will take place on Saturday, April 27 at 6 p.m. Additionally, individual event finals are scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. The Bears can qualify for the individual event finals with their scores from Thursday night's meet against Gannon.

For tickets, visit: http://www.baylorbears.com/tickets/. For updates on the program, follow @BaylorAcroTumb on Twitter and Instagram and @BaylorAcrobaticsandTumbling on Facebook.