Wheeling, W. Va. - After eight months of planning, recruiting, and practicing, the Wheeling University Acrobatics & Tumbling team is set to make history when they take the mat. They kick the season off with a bang as they compete in "The Battle for Wheeling" against MEC rival West Liberty with the event beginning at 6 PM. It will be the first time that fans get to see the high-flying team in action as they bring the exciting, emergng sport to Wheeling.
Acrobatics & Tumbling was announced as one of three new varsity sports for the department back in May and has gotten to work recruiting ever since. Alexis Kelly would be hired as the program's first-ever Head Coach shortly following the announcement, after she spent the 2024 season as an assistant coach for an emerging Emmanuel program. After competing at her Alma Mater, Kelly helped lead the Tigers to their best season in program history, going 5-5 and having several events make the Conference Carolinas Championships. She has gotten to work over the last eight months, recruiting a roster of 23 players, consisting of athletes who have previously competed in the sport, as well as girls from other sports who are looking to learn the emerging collegiate sport.
The Cardinals will be led by three veterans to the sport of Acrobatics & Tumbling, with Ashleigh Aston, Courtney Hurst and Jenna Smith all having competed before. The most veteran of the group is Aston, who transferred in from Emmanuel University, where she competed in Acro & Tumbling in each of the last two seasons. She was teammates with her current head coach and was part of a Lions team that put together their best record in program history at 5-5 last season. Aston serves as one of the primary bases for the Cardinals this season, being part of all three pyramid groups as well as several of the Cumpolsury and Acro teams. She looks to be a leader for the Cardinals throughout the season as they compete in the Mountain East Conference (MEC).
The other transfer from Emmanuel University is Courtney Hurst, who spent the 2024 season as a member of the Tiger's Acrobatics & Tumbling team. Like Aston, she was also part of Emmanuel's best team in program history a year ago and looks to help guide the Cardinals through their inaugural season. The lone veteran from the MEC is graduate student Jenna Smith, who last competed with Alderson Broaddus during the 2021-2022 season. Smith serves multiple roles for the Cardinals, including top, tumbler, and base, and uses her versatility to add to the Cardinal's routines. All three of these veterans will be looking to make their mark as they go through the 2023-2024 season.
The Cardinals will be getting a heavy does of MEC play all season long, with all but one of their events during the season coming in MEC play. They also have the benefit of being on their home mat for each of the first two contests, taking on West Liberty on Sunday, followed by Fairmont State two weeks later. Their first road match will be at Frostburg State in a tri-meet on February 23rd, and they will look to get their routine sharp before hitting the road. Wheeling was picked as the #7 seed in the annual MEC Acrobatics & Tumbling Preseason Poll and look to show that they can compete against some of the most established programs in the conference.
The Opponent
Wheeling's first opponent in their inaugural season is a big on as they take part in their first-ever "The Battle for Wheeling" event against West Liberty. During the 2024 season, the Hilltoppers would finish 4-6 overall, and qualified as the #4 seed in the MEC Acrobatics & Tumbling Championships. They fell to Fairmont state in the team portion 272.290-256.800, but Kayla Gandy would earn the MEC Aerial Tumbling Championship title. The Cardinals are looking to start off strong as they embark on their inaugural season.
The Details
The first heats for Sunday's event is scheduled for 6 PM inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. You can watch the event live by clicking HERE.
