BEARS DEFEAT DUCKS IN WACO

Sunday, February 25

Waco, Texas

3PM

Baylor

278.935

271.835

Oregon

BEARS BEAT OREGON IN WACO

BEARS DEFEAT DUCKS IN WACO

2/25/2024 5:59:00 PM | Acrobatics & Tumbling

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

WACO, Texas – Going into top-ranked Baylor's acrobatics & tumbling meet against No. 2 Oregon on Sunday, senior All-American Riley Chimwala said the team's "focus isn't really on the scores, it's more about how we feel about our performance that day."

Coach Felecia Mulkey and the Bears (3-0) had to feel good about a performance that saw them rally from a rare halftime deficit to beat the Ducks, 278.935-271.835, in the "Go Gold" meet at the Ferrell Center.

Because of an uncharacteristic fall in the inverse pyramid and a deduction that produced a score of 8.05, Baylor trailed by 0.4 points after the first three events and still trailed going into tumbling. But the Bears won all six tumbling heats and then dominated the team event, 96.660-90.160, to clinch their 30^th-consecutive victory with a 7.1-point margin over the Ducks (1-1).

"I think everything worked out like it's supposed to," said Mulkey, whose team hasn't lost since March 6, 2021, when Oregon won by less than a point on its home floor in Eugene. "That pyramid is hard. But we hit it nine times out of 10. And you know what, we're going to put it out at the next meet, too. Somebody's got to push the envelope."

That move looked risky when Oregon outscored the Bears by almost two full points with a 9.90 score in the inverse pyramid. After losing six of the first seven heats, the Ducks won two of the three heats and had a decisive edge in pyramid, 29.45-27.75, going into the half with a 0.4-point edge on the eight-time defending NCATA national champions.

With a strong showing in toss, Baylor closed the gap and trailed by just 0.10 points going into the tumbling event.

That's where there was a huge shift in the momentum of the meet as the Bears scored 9.0 or higher in all six passes, highlighted by freshman Payton Washington's personal-best 9.95 in the 6 Element pass. Freshman Emily Bott and senior Kristen McCain scored 9.825 and 9.90 in the aerial and open passes, respectively.

"My goal is just to do better every meet," Washington said. "And so far, I'm doing that. Next meet, I'm going to go for a 10."

Washington said the energy from the crowd was "honestly, amazing."

"That wasn't even her best pass," Mulkey said. "I'm not surprised that scored that high, but she can be . . . she's going to be amazing over these four years. That kid, she hasn't even hit her stride yet."

With only one home meet remaining – March 16 against fourth-ranked Gannon – Baylor will be on the road for four of its next five meets. Over spring break, the Bears will have a two-fer in New York, facing 15^th-ranked Iona on March 3 in New Rochelle, N.Y., and a first-year LIU program on March 5 in Brooklyn.