Let’s play a game.

There’s a team whose eight-game schedule includes only top-10 teams. The group is nearly one-quarter freshmen, and the coaching staff is learning too. Their record at the end of the season sits at .500, but they still made it to a national semifinal, where they lost to the nine-time defending champions. 

At season’s end, two amongst them were All-Americans, they captured individual awards beyond records and lost out to the eventual victors. It’s a great season, right?

But, for all of that, there’s a different question that lies at the heart of the season for that team. In the eyes of Oregon acrobatics and tumbling, was it a disappointment?

Oregon head coach Taylor Susnara doesn’t think so now.

“Honestly,” she said, “I think if you asked me before the championship, I was highly disappointed — having the three losses on our record and going forward to the championship after being ranked second last year…as the head coach I wasn’t necessarily fully disappointed in the team [and] I think I’m growing as a head coach.”

Oregon’s schedule was among the hardest in the nation. After the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) Championships, it faced No. 1 Baylor three times, No. 3 Quinnipiac once, No. 5 Mary Hardin-Baylor once, No. 6 Azusa Pacific once and No. 9 Hawaii Pacific twice. 

None of the teams that it faced were unranked, or even outside the top 10 at season’s end.

For all of that, a final record of 4-4 might just be reasonable. It’s not quite the level that the Ducks’ preseason No. 2 ranking implied, but it was enough to push Oregon to a national semifinal where they very well could’ve advanced.

It’s just always about the Baylor Bears.

“They are a very talented program … they’ve been ranked number one for years,” Susnara said. “I think it’s no secret that Coach Fee [Felecia Mulkey] and her staff is doing something really bright over there in Waco, you know, and it’s something that I have a fire to just kind of end to put it lightly.”

That’s not to say success didn’t come. On the final day of the Championship, when individual event titles were competed, the Ducks captured four trophies. They dominated, too.

Ava Gowdy, Brylie Hoover, Italie Macchiavello and Cami Wilson brought home the open toss — one of Oregon’s strongest events this year — before the team captured three titles in the tumbling section.

Mallory Kent and Rachel Furlong posted a 9.575 in the duo tumbling pass, and Kaylie Barrera, Alexis Giardina and Rickelle Henderson’s 9.175 in the trio tumbling pass grabbed that one for the Ducks, who’ve now won it four times straight. Their success continued into the quad pass — Emma Keogh, Katie Keogh, Camille Mantoani and Riley Watson punched in an 8.55 to capture the Ducks’ third trophy of the event. The four overall titles are the most Oregon has won in a single iteration since 2019.

“It’s definitely actually not something that we talked about much,” Susnara said. “We talk a little bit [mid-season] about how you can qualify for event finals and what that means for the championship. We ended up qualifying for 10 total heats, which is a pretty big deal, and to get four of them is huge.”

Makena Carrion and Giardina were named All-Americans in the wake of the championships. They’ve both been influential throughout 2024 — Carrion’s role as a top in the pyramid and acro events saw the Ducks score a perfect 10 in the regular season, and Giardina was everywhere for Oregon. Listed as a top, base and tumbler (the three available positions on an acro team), Giardina competed regularly in eight heats across the disciplines.

“We definitely knew it was a goal for Makena,” Susnara said. “[And] Alexis — she just works really hard. She wasn’t super forward about wanting to be an All-American, but her work ethic and her overall impact on the team just kind of led her to that and I think it was well deserved for both of them.”

For all of that individual success, it was a successful season for the team’s culture. 

“I think this season was unique in that we didn’t necessarily have the best results throughout but we felt really satisfied at the end,” Susnara said. “I’ve been here for a long time, and I think if you asked any of our athletes, they just felt like this year was kind of the first year that they really felt like the culture was really solid and that we were kind of a big family and so for me pulling on my heartstrings was kind of the highlight for me.”

That’s what Susnara’s focused on next year: holding onto everything they’ve built, on — and off — the mat.

Plus, maybe stick it to the Bears.