The Oregon acrobatics and tumbling team had lost only two meets in the past four years, coming into this season.
On Sunday, the team closed out the regular season as it fell 284.245 – 274.640 to No. 1 ranked Baylor. The loss marked the third of the season for Oregon and the second to the Bears.
Oregon dropped to 5-3 with the loss as Baylor ended its season undefeated at 9-0.
“I felt like our girls really executed well today,” Baylor coach Felecia Mulkey told the Baylor Athletic Department. “We had had a couple of misses at the Oregon meet early in the first half that had set us back a couple points. ”
Baylor got out to a 38.30 – 37.95 lead in the compulsory event and never looked back. Baylor won every event on the day, but headed to the team routine with just above a two-point lead.
In the final event, Baylor scored over 100 points for the third time this year while the Ducks posted a 93.49.
“I’m proud of these girls for staying focused,” Mulkey said. “It can be difficult keeping your focus going into the end with the lead.”
Oregon, the reigning four-time National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association champions, will attempt to defend its title at the championship meet on April 23 at Fairmont State University (Fairmont, West Virginia).
Head coach Chelsea Shaw said before the meet that records don’t matter going into the championships.
“You can go into the tournament ranked eighth and come away with a championship,” she said. “It doesn’t really matter what’s happened up to now, it’s going to matter when we get there.”
Mulkey told the Baylor Athletic Department that her team, despite being undefeated, still has stuff to work on.
“We are looking forward to the national championships where we will peak,”
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