A&T Opens Up Season At Quinnipiac
2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Acrobatics & Tumbling
WACO, Texas - The reigning national champion Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling will start off the 2016 National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) season on the road against the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Sunday, Feb. 14, at 12 p.m. CT in Hamden, Conn.
"We are a little more talented than we were last year. A little more experienced," said head coach Felecia Mulkey. "We have some great freshmen that are coming in, as well as all the returners. I think something that we have to keep in mind is that the sport is new and it continues to evolve and continues to grow. All of the programs are getting better just as we are, so we want to stay at the top of the heap if we can."
In the Bears' lone matchup with the Bobcats last season, Baylor came away with the tri-meet victory, 262.405 to 253.590, that also featured Concordia University Wisconsin, who came in third 212.34. The Bears welcome 13 newcomers to the acrobatics & tumbling program for 2016 along with the 28 returning letterwinners from the 2015 NCATA championship squad.
"We need to execute on the floor. First meet on the road, there are good and bad pieces to that. There is a lot more focus on the road because there are fewer distractions. I'm looking for them to show up and execute. Quinnipiac is known for being very crisp and clean, they typically do not make a lot of mistakes. We have added a lot of difficulty to what we had last year so we want to go out and execute that well and get as few deductions as possible."
The team got their first feel for the 2016 season by holding an exhibition during the halftime of the men's basketball game last Monday, Feb. 1.
"They just want to represent Baylor well, especially since we are hosting the national championship. They want to put a product out there on the floor that everyone can be proud of."
A&T meets consist of six events: Compulsory, Acro, Pyramid, Toss, Tumbling and Team Routine. Teams compete in a predetermined rotation order throughout each event. Events are immediately scored by officials and overall standings are displayed on a scoreboard.
The competition may be viewed online at: QuinnipiacBobcats.com.
The Bears will return home next week to face Oregon in a national championship rematch on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 1 p.m. (CT).
Follow @BaylorAcroTumb on Twitter for updates throughout the season.
