After its first bye week of the regular season, No. 4 Oregon acrobatics and tumbling (1-1) is gearing up for its third meet of the year, against No. 3 Gannon University (2-3). The Knights head to Eugene looking to snap a two-meet losing streak, while the Ducks are aiming for a bounce-back after dropping their first ranked meet of the season to No. 1 Baylor two weeks ago.
A must win?
For Oregon, the season wasn’t over after its loss to the Bears on Feb. 22. There was too much of the season left to go, and while the opportunity was great, the loss wasn’t devastating.
However, winning on Friday begins to enter the realm of necessity. The Ducks have just four regular-season meets remaining, and while Gannon hasn’t lived up to its third-overall ranking, a high seed in the NCATA Championship will likely take more than just a .500 record.
Plus, it doesn’t get easier from here for Oregon. The Ducks won’t face another unranked team for the rest of the year, and any victory will get them back on track in the race for championship spots.
Event to watch
It’s always the most important event of the meet, but the team event is the one to watch when Oregon takes the mat on Friday. The Ducks put up a four-year high mark (99.180) in their season opener against Morgan State University despite an incomplete skill in the acro portion, and then couldn’t overcome a similar error against Baylor.
“I think we have a lot to work on in our bye week as far as consistency,” Oregon head coach Taylor Susnara said after the Baylor meet. “I think that we let a little bit of the nerves get to us, just at the end. It was neck and neck.”
They’ve been solid throughout the first five events, but composure and execution when it matters most will be a key to success against the Knights. Keep an eye on the acro skills that Oregon typically competes near the front sideline when the Ducks compete.
Around the NCATA: Keeping an eye on the top eight teams
No. 1 Baylor (4-0) stayed undefeated with a 276.630-241.865 victory over No. 7 Azusa Pacific University on March 1 in Waco.
No. 2 Quinnipiac University (3-0) was on bye last week after a 257.600-220.170 win over No. 14 Long Island University on Feb. 22.
No. 5 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (2-1) has bounced back from a season-opening loss to Baylor with back-to-back wins over Texas Lutheran University and No. 7 Azusa Pacific. The Cru scored exactly 260.185 in both meets.
No. 6 Fairmont State University (5-0) has just one ranked win: a 246.785-239.395 victory over Gannon on Feb. 23.
No. 7 Azusa Pacific (2-2) owns a ranked victory over No. 12 Hawaii Pacific University and two ranked losses to Baylor and UMHB. The Cougars have just two remaining regular-season meets, against No. 11 Augustana University and No. 6 Fairmont State.
No. 8 Iona (2-1) has two ranked wins, over No. 14 LIU and No. 15 Duquesne University. The Gaels’ lone loss is to No. 2 Quinnipiac.
