No. 1 A&T Control Freshman and Specialist of the Week Honors
2/25/2026 2:30:00 PM | Acrobatics & Tumbling
Arthur and McDonald win consecutive Freshman and Specialist of the Week Honors
WACO, Texas - Mo Arthur earned her third consecutive weekly honor from the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA), being named Freshman of the Week on Wednesday. She was joined by Leavy McDonald, who secured her second consecutive Specialist of the Week recognition of the year. Payton Washington earned an Honorable Mention for Athlete of the Week as well.
Mo Arthur, a freshman mid-level and base from Owensville, Missouri, earned Freshman of the Week honors after competing in eight individual heats in addition to the team event, posting scores of 9.40 or higher in every heat.
She opened the meet in Compulsory Acro, scoring a 9.40/10 as a base. In Compulsory Pyramid, she earned a 9.80/10, competing as a mid-level. Arthur also based in Compulsory Toss, helping post a 9.95/10.
Arthur competed as a base in the 7-Element Acro heat, earning a 9.40/10. In that heat, she introduced a groundbreaking skill to the sport. Mo served as a base beginning in a needle position, and the top is in a straddle. Then Mo moves from a needle position into a two-hand handstand, where her foot leaves the ground with the top's straddle still on the other foot. In the second portion of the heat, the crowd saw the two-hand stacked handstand, where Mo goes to one arm, which no one has ever competed in our sport, and no one's ever competed the needle. In the skill, Arthur demonstrates exceptional strength, control, and innovation.
Baylor needed to submit these skills to the scoring committee for addition to the system, and they received a high level of difficulty, with a raw score of 11.
In Heat 1 Pyramid, Arthur competed as the mid-level base and delivered a 9.90/10. In both Heat 2 and Heat 3 Pyramids, she competed as a main base and earned a 9.95/10 in both. In Heat 3, Mo served as the main base in the innovative slide to split 3-high pyramid, a newly introduced structure in the sport. In this pyramid, the two-man bases slide in synchronized splits while supporting two additional levels of structure above them. The sequence requires exceptional strength, balance, and coordination, and Mo executed it with control and confidence.
She continued her strong performance in Toss, serving as a base in Heat 2 Toss and scoring a 9.70 out of 9.90, before earning a perfect 10.00/10 in Heat 3 Toss as a base, contributing to a perfect 10.00 with strength, timing, and precise coordination.
In the Team Event, Arthur performed an elite acro sequence, successfully executing five of the 30 required acro skills — each with a start value of 10. Her performance throughout the event was marked by high-level execution and precision.
Earning her second consecutive weekly honor of the season, Leavy McDonald delivered a powerful and technically demanding performance, competing in six individual heats in addition to the team event.
She opened the meet with a 9.40/10 in Compulsory Acro as a base and followed with a 9.80/10 in Compulsory Pyramid. McDonald helped secure a 9.95/10 in the Compulsory Toss, anchoring the skill as a base with strength, timing, and precise coordination.
McDonald earned an 8.90/10 in the 6-Element Acro, serving as the sole base for all six elements.
In Heat 2 Pyramid, she competed as a mid-level base, scoring 9.95/10. She also served as the main base in the slide-to-split 3-high pyramid in Heat 3, earning 9.95/10. The structure requires synchronized splits by two-man bases while supporting two additional levels above, demanding elite strength, balance, and timing. McDonald executed the skill with control and consistency.
In the Team Event, McDonald performed five of the 30 required acro skills, each with a start value of 10, delivering the sequence with precision. She also based one toss, contributing to the overall difficulty and execution of the routine.
NEXT UP
The Bears host No. 2 Oregon at home on February 28th in Waco with a start time of 5 p.m. CT at the Ferrell Center. It will be our "Decade of Dominance" meet featuring post-meet autographs and a t-shirt giveaway.
To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor acrobatics & tumbling, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram: @BaylorAcroTumb.
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