Pittsburgh, Pa. – The No. 7 Duquesne University acrobatics and tumbling team travels to Erie on Friday for a top-10 matchup against No. 9 Gannon.
MEET INFO
No. 7 Duquesne Dukes (1-0) at No. 9 Gannon (0-1)
Friday, Feb. 20 • 7:00 PM
Highmark Events Center • Erie, Pa.
THE DUKES
Roster • Schedule • Team Scores • Individual Scores
- Duquesne, ranked No. 7 in the NCATA, is the youngest program in the national top 10, competing in just its second season.
- The Dukes return 30 student-athletes from last year's inaugural squad, including graduate student Abby McDermott and junior Alia Ellis, while welcoming back a 28-member sophomore class. Seven freshmen joined the program this season.
- Last Time Out: Duquesne opened season two with a dominant 255.130–217.645 victory over West Liberty last Thursday at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Dukes won 18 of 19 heats and swept all six events. Nine program-high heats were surpassed, highlighted by a program-best toss event total and a tied program high in compulsory. New program records were set in compulsory acro (9.20), compulsory toss (9.75), five-element acro (9.90), seven-element acro (9.75), inversion pyramid (9.75), 450 salto toss (8.85), synchronized toss (8.80), quad pass (7.750) and open pass (9.400).
- Near Perfect: Duquesne's 9.90 in five-element acro marked the highest heat score in program history.
- Weekly Honors: Carly Longenecker, Caileigh Kertis and Alia Ellis each earned NCATA honorable mention recognition following the season-opening win.
- Longenecker was named Honorable Mention Athlete of the Week after topping the program-record 9.90 in five-element acro and competing in six heats overall. She also contributed to a synchronized pyramid that opened with a 10.0 start value for the first time in program history and scored a 9.70, and stepped into tumbling portions of the team event due to injury.
- Kertis earned Honorable Mention Freshman of the Week honors in her collegiate debut, competing in eight heats and helping set four program highs. She was a base in five-element acro (9.90) and helped power a program-record 26.75 toss total. Kertis also helped set program highs in inversion pyramid (9.75) and compulsory toss (9.75).
- Ellis garnered Honorable Mention Specialist of the Week recognition after competing in nine heats. She led all three pyramid events, contributing to a 28.70 total and scoring a program-record 9.75 in inversion pyramid. Ellis was part of four program highs (five-element acro, compulsory toss, synchronized toss, and inversion pyramid).
- We Meet Again: Friday marks a rematch of Duquesne's first meet in program history. The Dukes opened their inaugural season with a thrilling 253.060–251.320 victory over then-No. 3 Gannon. Duquesne won four of six events and rallied from a narrow halftime deficit. The Dukes took their first lead following the tumbling event and sealed the win in the team event, outscoring Gannon 87.41–86.87.
- Alumni On Campus: Duquesne coaches Michaela Soper and Nikki Pizzi both competed at Gannon. Soper was a two-time ECAC All-Academic Team selection and graduated in 2018. Pizzi was an All-American and the 2018 inversion pyramid national champion during her five-year career with the Golden Knights.
SCOUTING GANNON
Roster • Schedule/Results
- First-year head coach Addy Womeldorph leads Gannon into its 13th season. The Golden Knights, an NCAA Division II member, have finished national runner-up twice (2022, 2024) and have won multiple individual event national titles.
- Gannon opened the 2026 season on Feb. 9 with a 266.710–247.995 loss at No. 3 Quinnipiac. The Golden Knights posted a 286.47 start value with 38.48 in deductions.
UP NEXT
- Duquesne returns home to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on March 4 for Kids Day, hosting Azusa Pacific, the preseason No. 10 team in the NCATA Coaches Poll. Admission to all home meets is free.
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
Created in 2009, Acrobatics & Tumbling is the evolution of multiple gymnastics disciplines, incorporating the athletic elements of competitive cheerleading. The sport is sponsored by 52 NCAA varsity programs, with 47 teams competing this spring and more than 1,300 student-athletes nationwide. In January, Acrobatics & Tumbling was officially elevated from an NCAA Emerging Sport to an NCAA Championship Sport and will debut its first National Collegiate Championship in spring 2027. For more information, visit
TheNCATA.org.
