Azusa, Calif. – Duquesne's Alia Ellis (first team) and Abby McDermott (second team) earned National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) All-America honors, while Carly Longenecker garnered All-Academic recognition for the 2026 season, the NCATA announced Sunday.

The trio helped lead the Dukes to their first NCATA National Championship appearance, finishing the season as the No. 8 national seed, and became the first student-athletes in program history to earn postseason honors.

Alia Ellis (Jr. • Roseville, Calif.)
First Team NCATA All-American

• Competed in eight heats plus the team event in every meet for the No. 8 Dukes … Became the first NCATA Specialist of the Week in program history and added one honorable mention selection … Served as the mid-level base in all three pyramid heats, helping a unit that recorded less than one point in total deductions across the final five meets … Member of four heats ranked in the top 10 nationally in adjusted average … Contributed to nine program-high scores, including the team event … Recorded four scores of 9.90 or better, including two in five-element acro and one in inversion pyramid … Part of Duquesne's highest-scoring heat in program history (9.95 compulsory toss vs. Azusa Pacific) … Base on the NCATA Individual Event Finals qualifying five-element acro, which scored a program-record 9.90 twice … Inversion pyramid, synchronized pyramid and synchronized toss each ranked in the top 10 nationally in season average.

Abby McDermott (Gr. • Leechburg, Pa.)
Second Team NCATA All-American

• Two-time NCATA weekly honorable mention selection (one Athlete of the Week, one Specialist of the Week) … Competed in at least eight heats plus the team event in all seven meets, including a team-high nine heats five times … Member of nine program-record performances this season (eight heats plus team event) … Also part of Duquesne's highest-scoring heat in program history (9.95 compulsory toss vs. No. 10 Azusa Pacific) … Base in all three pyramid heats on a unit that recorded less than one point in total deductions in five meets … Primary base in a backbend/table inversion pyramid that ranked in the top three during the regular season, scoring 9.75 or higher in every meet, including a 9.90 vs. No. 10 Azusa Pacific … Contributed to synchronized pyramid and synchronized toss heats that ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Carly Longenecker (So. • State College, Pa.)
NCATA All-Academic

• 4.0 GPA biology major … Earned NCATA Honorable Mention Athlete of the Week recognition … Competed in five heats (compulsory pyramid, compulsory tumbling, five-element acro, synchronized pyramid and open pyramid) plus the team event in every meet for the No. 8 Dukes … All five heats set new program highs during the season … Top on the NCATA Individual Event Finals qualifying five-element acro, which scored a program-record 9.90 twice … Synchronized pyramid ranked in the top 10 nationally in season average.

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.