Friday, April 28
West Liberty, W.Va.
7PM
Baylor
281.055
vs
272.420
Quinnipiac
A&T Defeats Quinnipiac in Semifinals by 8.635pts
4/28/2023 8:52:00 PM | Acrobatics & Tumbling
Top-seeded Bears advance to NCATA Championship against Oregon
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – There's only been a handful of times in the last three years that top-ranked Baylor acrobatics & tumbling has even been pushed in winning 26-consecutive meets.
In Friday's semifinal against fourth-seeded Quinnipiac (9-3), the Bears (10-0) were leading the Bobcats by less than two points at the halfway mark and up by a little over 3 ½ points going into the closing team event.
But challenge accepted. Buoyed by a near-flawless routine in the team event, Baylor defeated Quinnipiac, 281.05 to 272.420, in advancing to Saturday's NCATA National Championship final at West Liberty's ASRC.
"I'll try not to get emotional, but I kind of saw this coming all day," Baylor coach Felecia Mulkey said. "If you do your job correctly as a coach, when you get to this point, they don't need you anymore. And we got there today. So, I guided them through and made sure they were focused at certain areas because honestly, they had too much sauce today.
"What we call this on our team is turning the corner, and we turned the corner. The win was great, but that feeling was better."
Baylor will face No. 2 Oregon (6-2) in Saturday's 4 p.m. CT final, which will be streamed by ESPN+. The seven-time defending champion Bears handed Oregon its two losses this season and are meeting the Ducks for the fifth time in the final.
"We love competing against Oregon, and we love being pushed like that," said Mulkey, who is going for her 12th overall NCATA national championship after winning the first four at Oregon. "We have a lot of respect for their athleticism and what they bring to the table. And it's fun to compete when you have mutual respect like that. So, we're ready."
In stark contrast to Baylor's 20 ½-point win over Fairmont State in the quarterfinals, when the Bears won every heat, this one was tight all the way.
"We try not to think about what they do and just focus on us," said junior All-American Riley Chimwala. "I think doing us is what we do best. So, we'll watch them. But after we watch them, it's out of our brains. We can't do anything about it but control what we do."
Baylor did win nine of the 10 heats in the first half, but wasn't able to shake Quinnipiac, leading by just 1.775 points at the break, 97.625 to 95.850. Picking up "a tenth of a point here and there" compared to what they did against Fairmont, the Bears scored 38.450 in compulsory, 29.575 in acro and 29.600 in the pyramid, with first-half highs of 9.925 in the compulsory toss and open pyramid.
The lead grew to nearly three full points with a 28.425-27.300 edge in the toss event. And while the Bobcats actually won three of the heats in tumbling, Baylor made a dramatic jump from its quarterfinal meet and extended the lead to 3.825 points going into the team event.
Highlights included a 9.700 score by Kristen McCain and freshman Aliyah "Chibi" Thomas in the duo pass and the three solo passes – Thomas in the aerial (9.800), McCain in the 6 element (9.675) and Kamryn Kitchens in the open pass (9.925).
"They really showed up in tumbling today," Mulkey said. "Our first half was fantastic, didn't score as high. I think we lost a couple tenths here and there on pyramids and on a toss. But tumbling just really showed up and showed out today. I think that helped us get to the 281. And then, they were undeniable in the team event. Really proud of how they showed up."
Coming off the quarterfinal meet against Fairmont, sophomore top Jordan Gruendler said the Bears "really wanted to up our game."
"And I knew we were all locked-in," she said, "but I didn't know that it was going to be this amazing, that we were all going to click and become one really big team. I'm excited to see what we're going to do (Saturday)."
The Bears put any doubts to rest in the team event, outscoring the Bobcats by nearly five full points with a phenomenal 97.430 score.
"Because of the way the team was responding today and how they were competing, I was very comfortable going into the team event," Mulkey said. "There were absolutely no doubts on our sideline and no doubts from the mom over here, either. I was ready to go."
Oregon, back in the final for the first time since 2019, beat sixth-seeded Limestone decisively, 268.705-262.625, despite some struggles in the team event. Baylor's two closest meets this season have come against the Ducks, winning by 4 ½ points in Eugene and a 3 ½-point victory on Senior Night in Waco.
"I am so excited about the atmosphere (for Saturday's final), because today was awesome, and I know it'll be that times a thousand tomorrow," Mulkey said. "Our team responds to that really well, so that should be a great meet. Oregon had a great showing today, the tumbling was so much better."
Oregon also handed Baylor its last loss, edging the Bears, 281.635-280.660, on March 6, 2021 in Eugene. Mulkey has a career record of 116-4, with her only two losses at Baylor (83-2) coming in meets on the road at Oregon in 2017 and 2021.
"Just in general, being a part of this team is such a beautiful experience," Chimwala said. "Going into (Friday), we had a lot of team meetings without the coaches. I felt like that really helped us get that team feel and make sure we were on the same page. That was something that was really important to us going into today. And after that, we definitely carried that into the whole meet."
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – No. 1 seed Baylor acrobatics & tumbling defeated fourth-seeded Quinnipiac on Friday night in the Semifinals of the NCATA Championships, 281.055 to 272.420, inside the ASRC.
The Bears (10-0) beat the Bobcats (6-3) for the second time this season with a point differential of 8.635. BU is on their way to earning their eighth-straight NCATA Championship when they take on Oregon on Saturday.
THE RUNDOWN
Starting off the meet, Baylor had a Compulsory score of 38.450. A score of 9.70 was garnered in Acro for the second day in a row, 9.85 in Pyramid, 9.925 in Toss and an 8.975 in Tumbling. Going into the second event, BU was up 38.450 to Quinnipiac's 37.750 score.
Moving into the optional portion of the meet, Baylor had a score of 9.900 in Heat 1, 9.800 in Heat 2 and 9.875 in Heat 3 of Acro to total 29.575 for the event. The Bobcats had scores of 9.725, 9.400 and 9.675, respectively, for a total of 28.80. Going into the Pyramid event, BU was up 68.025 to QU's 66.550.
In the Pyramid event, the Bears earned a 9.85 in Heat 1, the inversion heat. In heat two, BU earned a 9.825, the synchronized heat. In heat three, the open heat, the Bears scored a 9.925. With the event scoring a 29.600, the running total was updated to 97.625 for Baylor. Quinnipiac totaled 29.300 for the event and had a score of 95.850 going into halftime, the Bears up 1.775-points on the Bobcats.
In the Toss Event, Baylor had scores of 9.275, 8.625 and 9.475, respectively, to total 28.425 for the event. The Bobcats scored a 9.650, 9.300 and 9.475, respectively, to total 28.425. Going into the fifth event, Tumbling, the Bears were up 126.050 to QU's 123.150.
In the Tumbling Event, Heat 1 (Duo) with junior Kristen McCain and freshman Aliyah "Chibi" Thomas scored a 9.700. In the Trio Heat (Heat 2), Kamryn Kitchens, Aliyah Kaloostian and Ally Joswick scored a 9.400. The Quad Pass (Heat 3) had Katie Shiffer, Gianna Cameron, Emily Tobin and Alayja Reynolds score an 9.075. The Aerial pass from Thomas earned a 9.800, McCain in the 6 Element pass (Heat 5) had a 9.675, and Kitchens in the Open pass (Heat 6) earned a 9.925. The Bears' total came to 57.575 for the event, while the Bobcats scored a 56.650. Going into the nights final event, BU was up 183.625 to 179.800 from QU.
In the Team event, Baylor earned a score of 97.430 while Quinnipiac earned a 92.620, bringing the meet score to a total of 281.055 to 272.420, BU taking the win.
HIGHLIGHTS
NEXT UP
The Bears face No. 2 seed Oregon on Saturday at 4 p.m. CT for the NCATA title. The meet will be streamed on ESPN+ and live scores will be available at the championship central page here.
A full recap and final scores will be made available at BaylorBears.com/Acro.
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor acrobatics & tumbling, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorAcroTumb.
Baylor Bear Insider
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – There's only been a handful of times in the last three years that top-ranked Baylor acrobatics & tumbling has even been pushed in winning 26-consecutive meets.
In Friday's semifinal against fourth-seeded Quinnipiac (9-3), the Bears (10-0) were leading the Bobcats by less than two points at the halfway mark and up by a little over 3 ½ points going into the closing team event.
But challenge accepted. Buoyed by a near-flawless routine in the team event, Baylor defeated Quinnipiac, 281.05 to 272.420, in advancing to Saturday's NCATA National Championship final at West Liberty's ASRC.
"I'll try not to get emotional, but I kind of saw this coming all day," Baylor coach Felecia Mulkey said. "If you do your job correctly as a coach, when you get to this point, they don't need you anymore. And we got there today. So, I guided them through and made sure they were focused at certain areas because honestly, they had too much sauce today.
"What we call this on our team is turning the corner, and we turned the corner. The win was great, but that feeling was better."
Baylor will face No. 2 Oregon (6-2) in Saturday's 4 p.m. CT final, which will be streamed by ESPN+. The seven-time defending champion Bears handed Oregon its two losses this season and are meeting the Ducks for the fifth time in the final.
"We love competing against Oregon, and we love being pushed like that," said Mulkey, who is going for her 12th overall NCATA national championship after winning the first four at Oregon. "We have a lot of respect for their athleticism and what they bring to the table. And it's fun to compete when you have mutual respect like that. So, we're ready."
In stark contrast to Baylor's 20 ½-point win over Fairmont State in the quarterfinals, when the Bears won every heat, this one was tight all the way.
"We try not to think about what they do and just focus on us," said junior All-American Riley Chimwala. "I think doing us is what we do best. So, we'll watch them. But after we watch them, it's out of our brains. We can't do anything about it but control what we do."
Baylor did win nine of the 10 heats in the first half, but wasn't able to shake Quinnipiac, leading by just 1.775 points at the break, 97.625 to 95.850. Picking up "a tenth of a point here and there" compared to what they did against Fairmont, the Bears scored 38.450 in compulsory, 29.575 in acro and 29.600 in the pyramid, with first-half highs of 9.925 in the compulsory toss and open pyramid.
The lead grew to nearly three full points with a 28.425-27.300 edge in the toss event. And while the Bobcats actually won three of the heats in tumbling, Baylor made a dramatic jump from its quarterfinal meet and extended the lead to 3.825 points going into the team event.
Highlights included a 9.700 score by Kristen McCain and freshman Aliyah "Chibi" Thomas in the duo pass and the three solo passes – Thomas in the aerial (9.800), McCain in the 6 element (9.675) and Kamryn Kitchens in the open pass (9.925).
"They really showed up in tumbling today," Mulkey said. "Our first half was fantastic, didn't score as high. I think we lost a couple tenths here and there on pyramids and on a toss. But tumbling just really showed up and showed out today. I think that helped us get to the 281. And then, they were undeniable in the team event. Really proud of how they showed up."
Coming off the quarterfinal meet against Fairmont, sophomore top Jordan Gruendler said the Bears "really wanted to up our game."
"And I knew we were all locked-in," she said, "but I didn't know that it was going to be this amazing, that we were all going to click and become one really big team. I'm excited to see what we're going to do (Saturday)."
The Bears put any doubts to rest in the team event, outscoring the Bobcats by nearly five full points with a phenomenal 97.430 score.
"Because of the way the team was responding today and how they were competing, I was very comfortable going into the team event," Mulkey said. "There were absolutely no doubts on our sideline and no doubts from the mom over here, either. I was ready to go."
Oregon, back in the final for the first time since 2019, beat sixth-seeded Limestone decisively, 268.705-262.625, despite some struggles in the team event. Baylor's two closest meets this season have come against the Ducks, winning by 4 ½ points in Eugene and a 3 ½-point victory on Senior Night in Waco.
"I am so excited about the atmosphere (for Saturday's final), because today was awesome, and I know it'll be that times a thousand tomorrow," Mulkey said. "Our team responds to that really well, so that should be a great meet. Oregon had a great showing today, the tumbling was so much better."
Oregon also handed Baylor its last loss, edging the Bears, 281.635-280.660, on March 6, 2021 in Eugene. Mulkey has a career record of 116-4, with her only two losses at Baylor (83-2) coming in meets on the road at Oregon in 2017 and 2021.
"Just in general, being a part of this team is such a beautiful experience," Chimwala said. "Going into (Friday), we had a lot of team meetings without the coaches. I felt like that really helped us get that team feel and make sure we were on the same page. That was something that was really important to us going into today. And after that, we definitely carried that into the whole meet."
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – No. 1 seed Baylor acrobatics & tumbling defeated fourth-seeded Quinnipiac on Friday night in the Semifinals of the NCATA Championships, 281.055 to 272.420, inside the ASRC.
The Bears (10-0) beat the Bobcats (6-3) for the second time this season with a point differential of 8.635. BU is on their way to earning their eighth-straight NCATA Championship when they take on Oregon on Saturday.
THE RUNDOWN
Starting off the meet, Baylor had a Compulsory score of 38.450. A score of 9.70 was garnered in Acro for the second day in a row, 9.85 in Pyramid, 9.925 in Toss and an 8.975 in Tumbling. Going into the second event, BU was up 38.450 to Quinnipiac's 37.750 score.
Moving into the optional portion of the meet, Baylor had a score of 9.900 in Heat 1, 9.800 in Heat 2 and 9.875 in Heat 3 of Acro to total 29.575 for the event. The Bobcats had scores of 9.725, 9.400 and 9.675, respectively, for a total of 28.80. Going into the Pyramid event, BU was up 68.025 to QU's 66.550.
In the Pyramid event, the Bears earned a 9.85 in Heat 1, the inversion heat. In heat two, BU earned a 9.825, the synchronized heat. In heat three, the open heat, the Bears scored a 9.925. With the event scoring a 29.600, the running total was updated to 97.625 for Baylor. Quinnipiac totaled 29.300 for the event and had a score of 95.850 going into halftime, the Bears up 1.775-points on the Bobcats.
In the Toss Event, Baylor had scores of 9.275, 8.625 and 9.475, respectively, to total 28.425 for the event. The Bobcats scored a 9.650, 9.300 and 9.475, respectively, to total 28.425. Going into the fifth event, Tumbling, the Bears were up 126.050 to QU's 123.150.
In the Tumbling Event, Heat 1 (Duo) with junior Kristen McCain and freshman Aliyah "Chibi" Thomas scored a 9.700. In the Trio Heat (Heat 2), Kamryn Kitchens, Aliyah Kaloostian and Ally Joswick scored a 9.400. The Quad Pass (Heat 3) had Katie Shiffer, Gianna Cameron, Emily Tobin and Alayja Reynolds score an 9.075. The Aerial pass from Thomas earned a 9.800, McCain in the 6 Element pass (Heat 5) had a 9.675, and Kitchens in the Open pass (Heat 6) earned a 9.925. The Bears' total came to 57.575 for the event, while the Bobcats scored a 56.650. Going into the nights final event, BU was up 183.625 to 179.800 from QU.
In the Team event, Baylor earned a score of 97.430 while Quinnipiac earned a 92.620, bringing the meet score to a total of 281.055 to 272.420, BU taking the win.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Baylor extends its win streak to 26 meets in a row, dating back to 2021
- BU outscored Quinnipiac by 8.635-points overall
- The Bears will compete for their 8th-straight NCATA Championship on Saturday
NEXT UP
The Bears face No. 2 seed Oregon on Saturday at 4 p.m. CT for the NCATA title. The meet will be streamed on ESPN+ and live scores will be available at the championship central page here.
A full recap and final scores will be made available at BaylorBears.com/Acro.
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor acrobatics & tumbling, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorAcroTumb.
- BaylorBears.com -
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