Pittsburgh, Pa. – The No. 7 Duquesne University acrobatics and tumbling team opened its second season in program history Thursday night with a convincing 255.130–217.645 victory over West Liberty inside the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
The Dukes surpassed nine program-high heats from their historic inaugural campaign, highlighted by a program-best toss event while tying their top compulsory total. Duquesne won 18 of 19 heats and swept all six events in the decisive season-opening win.
Right out of the gate, Duquesne posted program bests in the compulsory acro and toss heats — two of the first three contested. The compulsory acro team of
Sienna Johnson,
Mia Dipner,
Mireya Maymi,
Claire Piper,
Michela Del Rosso,
Abby McDermott,
Alaina Baumgartner and
Morgan Shaffer scored a 9.20 in the opening heat.
In compulsory toss, Johnson,
Caileigh Kertis,
Briella Unger,
Taylor Wallace, McDermott,
Georgia Clancy, Dipner, Baumgartner, Maymi and
Alia Ellis combined for a program-best 9.75. Duquesne totaled 37.10 in compulsory, tying last season's finale for the program record, as the Dukes jumped ahead by nearly four points.
Program highs were scattered throughout the meet, with at least one heat best in every event. The Five-Element Acro heat —
Carly Longenecker, Ellis, Wallace and Kertis — delivered a near-perfect 9.90, while the Seven-Element Acro group of
Abby Eberle, Dipner,
Anna Trent and
Mia Kenney scored a 9.75 — both marks improving 0.25 from last season's bests.
The Inversion Pyramid —
Jamie Bray, Ellis, McDermott, Kertis, Dipner,
Genevieve Muise and
Clare Frantti — posted a program-best 9.75 to headline the pyramid event. Duquesne also scored a 9.70 in synchronized and 9.25 in open, with all three heats topping 9.0 as the Dukes built a 92.90–83.20 halftime lead.
Duquesne battled adversity during halftime warmups when an injury forced lineup and skill adjustments, causing a delay in the meet. The Dukes responded with back-to-back program bests in the first two toss heats out of the break.
The 450 Salto toss — Clancy, Dipner, Ellis, Baumgartner and Maymi — scored an 8.85 out of 9.0. The synchronized toss unit of Johnson, Kertis, Unger, Wallace, McDermott, Clancy, Dipner, Ellis, Baumgartner and Maymi posted an 8.80, a 0.30 improvement over last year's top mark, the largest increase among Duquesne's program-best heats on the night. A 9.10 in the open heat capped a program-record 26.75 toss event total.
In tumbling, Duquesne set a program best in the Quad Pass as Frantti, Johnson,
Sarah Golie and
Lindsay Kivlan scored a 7.750. The momentum carried into three straight 9-plus individual passes to close the event.
Pressed into action due to injury, Piper delivered a 9.225 out of 9.55 in the aerial pass. Unger followed with a 9.375 out of 9.75 in the 6-Element Pass, and freshman Kivlan posted the best Open Pass score in program history with a 9.40 out of 9.55.
The Dukes closed the meet with an 84.33 in the Team Event to secure the nearly 40-point victory over the visiting Hilltoppers.
UP NEXT
Duquesne travels to No. 9 Gannon next Friday (Feb. 20) in a rematch of last year's program-opening victory.
POST-MEET PRESS CONFERENCES
Head Coach
Michaela Soper
Claire Piper,
Mireya Maymi,
Anna Trent,
Carly Longenecker
FOLLOW THE DUKES
Follow the Duquesne Acrobatics and Tumbling team all season online at
GoDuquesne.com and on
Twitter (X) and
Instagram (@duqacrotumb).
ABOUT ACROBATICS & TUMBLING
For more information on the sport of Acrobatics & Tumbling, visit
TheNCATA.org.
