Washington and Arthur keep their dominance alive with another round of NCATA weekly award wins.
3/18/2026 2:30:00 PM | Acrobatics & Tumbling
Arthur makes history with “The Mo” while Washington powers Baylor with perfect 10 in continued NCATA dominance
WACO, Texas – Mo Arthur earned her sixth consecutive weekly honor from the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA), being named Freshman of the Week on Wednesday. She was joined by Payton Washington, who collected her third straight Athlete of the Week honor this season.
Arthur, a base from Owensville, Mo., competed in eight heats and the team event for Baylor last week.
She opened the meet in Compulsory Acro, scoring a 9.70/10 as a base. In Compulsory Pyramid, she earned a 9.80/10 competing as a mid-level. Arthur also based in Compulsory Toss, helping secure a 9.85/10.
Arthur competed as a base in the 5-Element Acro heat, earning a 9.95/10. Mo competed "The Mo" for the 4th time this season, scoring the highest it has scored since the new skill was introduced. "The Mo" is where the base is in a 2-hand handstand, and the top is in a straddle on the foot. Mo is the only female in the world to compete in this skill, including internationally competitive acrobatic gymnastics.
In Heat 1 Pyramid and Heat 2 Pyramid, she served as the sole mid-level, scoring a 9.95/10 and 9.90/10, respectively.
She continued her strong showing in Toss, serving as a base in Heat 2 Toss (9.40 out of 10) before earning a 9.90/10 in Heat 3 Toss.
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, completing the performance with precision and control.
Washington claimed her 11th all-time Athlete of the Week honor, competing in eight heats and the team event for the Bears last week. She led Baylor to six scores of 9.50 or higher, including a perfect 10 in Open Tumbling and a 9.90 in Heat 2 Pyramid, demonstrating exceptional difficulty and execution across all events.
She competed as the top in Compulsory Acro and Compulsory Toss, scoring 9.70/10 and a 9.85/10, respectively, showcasing elite body control, amplitude, and execution. Washington also competed as one of eight tumblers in Compulsory Tumbling, contributing to a 8.95/10 team score.
In Optional Acro, Washington served as the top in the 7-Element heat, scoring 9.80/10. She performed the hand-to-foot sequence within the routine, which carried a raw start value of 10.7 before being capped at 10, demonstrating both high difficulty and composure.
She also topped Heat 2 Pyramid, earning 9.90/10.
Washington competed in Heat 2 Toss (9.40 out of 10) and Heat 3 Toss (9.90/10), while adding strong tumbling performances with a 9.35/10 in Heat 3 Tumbling (Quad) and an impressive perfect 10 in Heat 6 Tumbling (Open).
In the team event, Payton competed in three standing tumbling passes, each with a start value of 10. She also executed two tosses (one with a start value of 10 and one with a start value of 9.9), performed three acro skills as a top within the acro sequence (all start values of 10), topped a pyramid (start value of 10), and completed a synchronized running tumbling pass.
NEXT UP
The Bears get a break before welcoming Duquesne to Waco on Saturday, Mar. 28 at 5 p.m., streaming on ESPN+.
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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