UMHB Awaits No. 2 Ducks at NCATA Championships

EUGENE, Ore. – The second-ranked Oregon acrobatics and tumbling team returns to the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling (NCATA) National Championships this week, opening competition on Thursday against No. 7 Mary-Hardin Baylor in Sioux Falls, S.D.

MEET INFO
When: Thursday, April 24
Where: Elmen Center | Sioux Falls, S.D.
Time: 11:30 a.m. PT
TV/Stream: ESPN+

WHEN TO WATCH
The eight-team, single-elimination tournament begins on Thursday, April 24. The Ducks will compete in the second quarterfinal meet at 11:30 a.m. PT, and if victorious, will compete in the first semifinal meet at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 25. Semifinal winners will then battle for the national title on Saturday, April 25, at 3 p.m. Event finals will take place on Sunday, April 26, starting at 8 a.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP MINDSET
Oregon is back in the NCATA National Championships for the 14th time. The Ducks have reached the NCATA Championship Finals nine times in that span, winning four consecutive national titles from 2011 to 2014 and finishing as national runners-up five times. UO sports a 21-9 record all-time at the national championships and has won its opening meet in the tournament 11 times. Oregon also boasts 56 event titles, winning the open toss and duo, trio and quad tumbling crowns a season ago, and 29 Ducks have been recognized as NCATA all-Americans.

» This marks the fifth time Oregon has earned the No. 2 seed at the NCATA Championships.
» The Ducks have reached the national championship meet each of the previous four times they were ranked second, taking the title home in 2012 and finishing as runners-up in 2023, 2019 and 2016.

DÉJÀ VU AGAINST THE CRU
The Ducks will open the NCATA Championships against seventh-seeded Mary Hardin-Baylor, Oregon's opponent from the quarterfinal round a season ago. Oregon topped the Division III champions in the first-ever meeting between the two programs, winning 262.745-259.655 in a tightly-contested matchup to advance to the semifinals. The two squads squared off again earlier this season at Matthew Knight Arena, and Oregon used a strong opening half and a start value advantage in the second to secure the 275.180-256.005 win over the Crusaders on senior night.

» A quarterfinal win would lead to another rematch from this season on Friday, against either No. 3 Quinnipiac or No. 6 Iona.

KEEPIN' IT 10.0
The Ducks earned their both of their 10.0 scores this season against Baylor, scoring perfect in the open pyramid heat both times. UO employed a technical tweak to that heat after the first meet of the season, rotating Oregon's group - Blessyn McMorris, Bella Swarthout, Brylie Hoover, Emily Rezner and Selah Bell - 90 degrees to face the team's sideline, and it resulted in a flawless mark a week after earning a 9.90. The Ducks replicated that success in the regular season finale while posting its highest pyramid total since the 2018 season. The Ducks have now gone perfect 17 times in the open pyramid and the 27 times in the pyramid event all-time.

» Oregon scored a 9.80 or higher in the open pyramid in all seven meets so far this season, going 9.90-plus four times.
» The Ducks are averaging 9.907 in the heat this season, the best mark under Coach Susnara and second highest in program history.

SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST
UO closed the regular season on a high note, posting its highest score of the season in a 287.795-283.305 loss at Baylor earlier this month. In front of an NCATA-record crowd of 2,351 fans, the Ducks set season highs in five of six events and recorded their second perfect 10.0 in the open pyramid. The Ducks' scores in acro (29.30), pyramid (29.75), tumbling (58.275) and team event (99.430) were all the highest marks recorded under Coach Susnara.

» UO's tumbling score against the Bears was the program's highest since 2017, while its pyramid total was the best since the 2018 season.

ROAD WARRIORS
Oregon put together a come-from-behind victory in their first road meet of the season against No. 2 Quinnipiac, winning 275.180-256.005. The Ducks, who never led the meet until the very end, scored a 91.830 in the team event to cap a strong second half and stretch the winning streak to three meets. The Ducks followed it up with one of their most complete meets of the season, beating No. 6 Iona 270.30-257.370. Opposite of its first road meet, UO never trailed against the Gaels en route to its fourth win in a row.

SWEET ENDING ON SENIOR NIGHT
The Ducks closed the home season in style with a 275.180-256.005 win over No. 5 Mary Hardin-Baylor for UO's second ranked win in a row. Oregon never trailed against the Crusaders, using high scores in acro and pyramid to build a first half lead and set up a dominant second half. The Ducks scored a 29.00 in the acro event, their highest mark since the 2022.

TOP-FOUR CLASH GOES TO THE DUCKS
After some miscues early, Oregon used a dominant second half to secure its first ranked win of the season over No. 3 Gannon, 276.565-263.465. The Ducks held a slight edge at the break but outpointed the Golden Knights in all three events afterwards to seal the win. Tumbling was the Ducks' biggest strength of the night as UO posted a 58.025 total for the event - the highest mark since the 2017 season. The Ducks sealed the win with a 97.240 team event score.

OPENING WITH A BOOM
The Ducks opened the 2025 season in style by beating Morgan State, 281.205-256.145. Both Oregon's team total and team event score (99.18) were the program's highest since the 2021 season and highest under Coach Susnara. UO's total was also the highest in a season-opening meet since the Ducks scored 281.480 to start the 2015 season.

» The Ducks continued to shine in the pyramid event, scoring 29.65 against the Bears. UO has now scored 29.00 or better in eight of nine meets dating back to last season.
» The Ducks' team event tally was just the fifth score of 99.00-plus since the 2018 season.