Glenville, W. Va. - As they continue through their inaugural season, the Wheeling University Acrobatics & Tumbling team checked another first off their list on Wednesday night. They made the trip to Glenville State University, to compete in their first ever tri-meet against Frostburg State and the host Pioneers. The Cardinals would end up falling in the meat, scoring 121.325 points, but we're once again led by a strong performance from their individual tumbling passes.
After becoming the first Cardinal would win an individual heat last time out, graduate student Keala McCurry continued her roll on Wednesday night. She would once again take on the aerial pass heat, scoring 8.40 in the event. It was the highest single heat score for the Cardinals on the night, and enough to earn her the victory over Frostburg State by . 01. Has the individual passes continued, freshman Gianna Bjorn what's up next in the six element and had a bounce back performance. She would score a 7.925, raising her score by 0.675 from Sunday's meet. The individual passes would round out with Gabriella Jantz In the open pass, and she kept the success of her teammates going scoring a 7.650. Jantz would beat out Glenville State in the heat, earning her her first individual heat win of the season.
The night would begin with the Compulsory event and, after a Rocky start in the Compulsory Acro, The Cardinals bounce back nicely the rest of the way. Their best score came in the Toss Heat, where they put up an 8.00, and they finished the first event with 21.95 points. As they moved on to the Acro event The Cardinals continue to get better in each of three heats. After scoring a combined 7.95 between the first two heats of the event, Wheeling ended things strong in the 7-Element Acro, putting up a 7.70, to bring their event score to 15.65 and their total score to 37.60. The first half rounded out with the Pyramid event, which would end up being the Cardinals strongest team event of the night.
It began with the Inversion Pyramid, where the Cardinals put up their highest score of the event at 8.50. each of the three Cardinals scores in the event would be above the 7.00 mark As they totaled 22.50 points for the event. That would score 7.15 in the Synchronized Pyramid and 7.35 in the Open Pyramid to send the event into halftime. Wheeling would score 60.15 first half points and we're just getting started as they headed into the second half. The Toss Event would bring the teams out of halftime and once again the Cardinals would score 7.0 or higher in each of the three events. They're strongest of the three scores came in the 450 Salto Heat, where they put up 7.70 points to start the new half.
They would add 7.45 points in the Synchronized Toss and 7.55 in the Open Toss, finishing the event with 22.70 total points. Before the individual passes of the Tumbling Event, The Cardinal's Duo, trio, and quad passes would kick things off. The highest scoring of the three was the trio pass, with McCurry, Bjorn, and Jantz competing, As they scored a 6.50. The Cardinals would end the Tumbling Heat with a score of 38.475, bringing their total score to 121.325. Due to injuries that have lowered their roster number, the Cardinals would not compete in the team event for the second straight meet, rounding them out with the final score of 121.325.
Wheeling University Acrobatics & Tumbling team returns to action on Monday, March 10th, when they hit the road to face West Virginia State.
