Michaela Soper was named head coach of the Dukes’ inaugural acrobatics & tumbling program on May 11, 2023, and will enter her third season leading Duquesne in 2026-27.
One of the nation’s top young coaches, Soper guided Duquesne to rapid success in 2026, leading the Dukes to the program’s first berth in the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association National Championship Tournament as the No. 8 seed. Duquesne also qualified four events for the NCATA Individual Event Finals, where Lindsay Kivlan became the
first individual national champion in school history after capturing the Open Tumbling title. All four Duquesne finalists placed among the top four nationally in their respective events. The Dukes were the youngest program in the country (year two) to compete in both the team championship and individual event finals.
In addition to the program’s competitive success, Soper earned 2026 Duquesne Athletics Staff Member of the Year honors. Created by the Duquesne SAAC and voted on by student-athletes, the award recognizes athletic department staff members who go above and beyond to support the success and development of student-athletes.
Duquesne earned its first NCATA All-Americans in 2026 with Alia Ellis garnering first-team honors and Abby McDermott earning second-team recognition. Carly Longenecker became the program’s first NCATA All-Academic Team selection. Ellis also claimed the first NCATA Specialist of the Week award in program history, while the Dukes collected nine additional honorable mention weekly honors throughout the season.
The Dukes ranked as high as No. 7 in the 2026 preseason poll and remained in the NCATA top 10 throughout the season — the youngest program to stay nationally ranked all year.
Duquesne improved program high scores from its inaugural season in 16 of 19 heats and five of six events, highlighted by a program-record 263.400 team score in a regular-season finale victory over La Salle that vaulted the Dukes from No. 9 to No. 8 nationally and secured a bid to the NCATA National Championship Tournament.
The Dukes also defended their home mat with a perfect 3-0 record at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, winning all six events in each home meet (18-for-18), including an event sweep against No. 10 Azusa Pacific University.
Twenty-seven (27) Dukes earned recognition on the NCATA Academic Honor Roll for the second consecutive year in 2026, while Soper’s team participated in multiple community service and campus initiatives, including the South Side Cleanup.
Soper launched the Duquesne program in 2025 after assembling a 31-member freshman class from gymnastics, tumbling and competitive cheer backgrounds, along with two transfer bases. The foundation translated into immediate success as the Dukes delivered a historic debut season.
Duquesne earned a preseason No. 15 ranking in the NCATA Coaches Poll before ever competing and opened the program’s first season with a statement victory over No. 3 Gannon, the reigning national runner-up, in front of a packed UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Dukes started 3-0 and climbed to No. 12 nationally, remaining ranked through the end of the season — the only first-year program ranked nationally throughout the entire 2025 season.
The inaugural campaign finished 4–3 overall, securing a winning record with a season-high 260.760 score in the finale win over Buffalo State. All three losses came against nationally ranked opponents, including a program-best score against No. 1 Baylor that was surpassed in the season finale.
Soper’s leadership also drew national attention, as Duquesne was featured in an
Associated Press story on the growth of acrobatics & tumbling, along with multiple local media features. Mia Dipner earned NCATA National Rookie of the Week honors, while two additional Dukes received honorable mention rookie recognition. Academically, 27 student-athletes were named to the NCATA Academic Honor Roll.
A two-time Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year, Soper arrived on the Bluff after four seasons as head coach at Limestone University. The Gannon University graduate guided the Saints to a program-best semifinal appearance at the 2023 National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) National Championships. As the No. 6 seed, Limestone became the first Conference Carolinas program to advance in the championship tournament.
Soper led Limestone to a 23-2 record and back-to-back conference titles (15-0 in conference play) over her final two seasons. Limestone did not lose a regular season match over that two-year span.
Under Soper's leadership, Limestone produced three NCATA All-Americans (Jessica Rubbo in 2021, Brooke McAfee in 2022 and Cameron King in 2023) and a pair of NCATA All-Academic honorees (Rylee Rossman in 2022 and Janai Brown in 2023). She also brought home the first national title for a women's sport in Limestone athletics history with a 2022 Open Pyramid National Championship.
Soper joined the staff at Limestone as an assistant in August of 2018 - prior to that program's inaugural season. She was promoted to head coach in the summer of 2019. Her career record stands at 29-7, including a 19-2 mark in conference competition.
Limestone earned the highest NCATA rank in program history - No. 5 in 2021 - under Soper, and maintained the number six seed in each of the two following seasons. The Saints clinched their first-ever NCATA Championship appearance in 2022 and were the only Division II team to make it to the semifinals in 2023.
Soper, who is committed to growing the sport of acrobatics and tumbling, has served on the scoring committee for the NCATA and is active in the NCATA Mentor program, which focuses on teaching and guiding young coaches. While leading at Limestone, Soper served as the Conference Carolinas Committee Chair. She is also a graduate of the WeCOACH Women Coaches Academy Class #49 and participated in the WeCOACH NCAA Academy 2.0 in 2026.
As a student-athlete, Soper competed as a base, back, top and tumbler at Gannon. The two-time Eastern College Athletic Conference All-Academic Team member also spent her time coaching and organizing camps and clinics for young acrobatics and tumbling athletes.
Soper, a native of Fallston, Md., graduated from Gannon in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Exercise Science. She completed her Master's Degree in Business Administration (management and leadership) at Limestone.
While working toward her undergraduate degree, Soper gained valuable coaching experience by holding positions at Harford Gymnastics Training Center, Stars Cheerleading and Bas Melech Performance Arts Center in her home state of Maryland.
Season Results
Overall: 6 seasons (36-14)
| Season (2) |
Overall
(7-7) |
Final Rank |
Notes |
| 2026 |
3-4 |
No. 8 |
NCATA National Championship Qualifier (No. 8 Seed, Quarterfinals); Qualified Four NCATA Individual Event Finals; Open Tumbling National Champion (first individual national champion in any sport in Duquesne history); Top-10 national ranking every week |
| 2025 |
4-3 |
No. 12 |
First season in program history; first national ranking; win over No. 3 Gannon in debut meet |
AT LIMESTONE
| Season (4) |
Overall (29-7) |
Final Rank |
Notes |
| 2023 |
12-1 |
No. 6 |
No. 6 seed in NCATA National Championships (semifinals) ... Conference Carolinas regular season and tournament champions ... Six Conference Carolinas individual event titles ... Kacie Kier - NCATA Division II Freshman of the Year ... Conference Carolinas Athlete of the Year, Messick Sportsmanship Award, six named to All-Conference teams. |
| 2022 |
11-1 |
No. 6 |
Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year ... No. 6 seed in NCATA National Championships (quarterfinals) ... Conference Carolinas regular season (9-0) and tournament champions ... Eight Conference Carolinas individual event titles ... Conference Carolinas Specialist of the Year, 10 named to All-Conference teams. |
| 2021 |
3-3 |
-- |
Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year ... Ranked as high as No. 5 in NCATA Regular Season Polls ... No. 2 seed in Conference Carolinas inaugural conference championship ... Won three conference individual event finals ... Conference Carolinas Specialist of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Elite 23 Award, 10 named to All-Conference teams. |
| 2020 |
3-2 |
-- |
Last 3 meets canceled ... No postseason due to COVID |
NCATA National Rankings
AT DUQUESNE
| Season |
Preseason |
Highest |
Final |
| 2026 |
No. 7 |
No. 8 |
No. 8 |
| 2025 |
No. 15 |
No. 12 |
No. 12 |
AT LIMESTONE
| Season |
Preseason |
Highest |
Final |
| 2023 |
No. 6 |
No. 6 |
No. 6 |
| 2022 |
No. 9 |
No. 6 |
No. 6 |
| 2021 |
No. 10 |
No. 5 |
-- |
| 2020 |
No. 10 |
End of Season Canceled (COVID) |
NCATA National Championships
AT DUQUESNE
| Season |
Team |
Individual Event Qualifiers |
| 2026 |
No. 8 seed ... Quarterfinals |
Open Tumbling (1st, national champion), Quad Tumbling (3rd), Aerial Tumbling (tied 3rd), Five-Element Acro (4th) |
AT LIMESTONE
| Season |
Team |
Individual Event Qualifiers |
| 2023 |
No. 6 seed ... Semifinals |
Six Element Acro (tied 2nd), Open Pyramid Heat 3 (tied 2nd), Tumbling Trio (tied 2nd), Open Tumbling (3rd), Synchronized Pyramid (5th) |
| 2022 |
No. 6 seed ... Quarterfinals |
Open Pyramid (1st, national champions), Five Element Acro (4th), 450 Salto Toss (4th), Open Tumbling (4th), Inversion Pyramid (6th), Synchronized Pyramid (7th) |
NCATA Honors
AT DUQUESNE
End of Season Honors: All-America Team (2)
Weekly Honors: Freshman of the Week (1), Specialist of the Week (1)
| Season |
Student-Athlete |
Award |
| 2026 |
Alia Ellis |
NCATA First Team All-American |
| 2026 |
Abby McDermott |
NCATA Second Team All-American |
| 2026 |
Alia Ellis |
NCATA Specialist of the Week // Week 5 |
| 2025 |
Mia Dipner |
NCATA Freshman of the Week // Week 2 |
AT LIMESTONE
End of Season Honors: All-America Team (3) ... Division II Freshman of the Year (1)
Weekly Honors: Athlete of the Week (3) ... Specialist of the Week (2) ... Freshman of the Week (4)
| Season |
Student-Athlete |
Award |
| 2023 |
Kacie Kier |
NCATA Division II Freshman of the Year |
| 2023 |
Cameron King |
NCATA All-American |
| 2023 |
Savannah Venters |
NCATA Specialist of the Week // Week 4 |
| 2023 |
Cameron King |
NCATA Athlete of the Week // Week 4 |
| 2023 |
Janai Brown |
NCATA Freshman of the Week // Week 3 |
| 2023 |
Kacie Kier |
NCATA Freshman of the Week // Week 1 |
| 2023 |
Genesis Carson |
NCATA Athlete of the Week // Week 1 |
| 2022 |
Brooke McAfee |
NCATA All-American |
| 2022 |
Cameron King |
NCATA Freshman of the Week // Week 9 |
| 2022 |
Morgan Bramble |
NCATA Freshman of the Week // Week 7 |
| 2022 |
Marita Mausser |
NCATA Specialist of the Week // Week 4 |
| 2021 |
Jessica Rubbio |
NCATA All-American |
| 2021 |
Jessica Rubbo |
NCATA Athlete of the Week // Week 3 |
NCATA Academic Honor Roll
AT DUQUESNE
| Season (2) |
NCATA Academic Honor Roll Selections (54 • 1 NCATA All-Academic Team) |
| 2026 |
27 • 1 on NCATA All-Academic Team |
| 2025 |
27 |
AT LIMESTONE
| Season (4) |
NCATA Academic Honor Roll Selections (99 • 2 NCATA All-Academic Team) |
| 2023 |
32 • 1 on NCATA All-Academic Team |
| 2022 |
32 • 1 on NCATA All-Academic Team |
| 2021 |
21 |
| 2020 |
14 |
