Oregon coach Chelsea Shaw has said before that every meet comes down to the team routine. Against Hawaii Pacific on Friday, that’s exactly what happened.
The Ducks posted their highest team routine score (99.27), but it wasn’t enough. Hawaii Pacific recorded a 101.10 in the final event to win the meet 282.050 – 280.295.
Oregon – four-time defending National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) champions – fell to 5-2 on the season with the loss. Hawaii Pacific improved to 5-1, ending its season on a five-meet winning streak.
Hawaii Pacific jumped out to 96.90 – 95.50 through the first three events. In the pyramid event, Oregon tied its season-high score with a 29.6.
After halftime, Oregon used a strong tumbling event to take its first lead of the meet. Senior Kisa Chapman and freshman base Taylor Galvin both notched 9.8’s in their respective individual heats to lead the Ducks.
The Ducks took a 181.025 – 180.95 lead into the team routine, but Hawaii Pacific’s strong team routine sealed the Oregon loss.
Oregon gets a break before heading to Baylor on April 12 – a month after the Ducks fell to Baylor at home on March 12. Baylor (5-0) will attempt to remain perfect on the year when it faces Azusa Pacific at home on Saturday.
Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @JoeJHoyt