Watch: Duquesne Acro & Tumbling Heads To NCATA National Championship
Last Monday was a waiting game for Duquesne’s Acrobatics and Tumbling Team to see if it had done enough to make the NCATA National Championship and any doubt was answered by a shout which could be heard throughout the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
In its second year of competition, the Dukes secured its first ever championship berth taking on Baylor in last quarterfinal.
“We’ve had a lot of adversity this season, everyone in the nation knows that and just to know that as a second-year program, you’re not expected to make nationals,” sophomore Anna Trent told PSN last week. “Just knowing all of our hard work and seeing our team come together, band together that last meet, I really felt the energy and felt we moved as one unit. Just seeing it all pay off and the NCATA reward us for that was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
Duquesne’s Acrobatics and Tumbling practice was set to begin, but first there were a couple of people who had something to say.
Senior Associate Athletic Director / Administration & Compliance Rick Christensen and Senior Associate Athletic Director / Business, Internal Operations & Facilities – Chief Athletics Financial Officer Joe Setting came to address the team with bags full of Crumbl Cookies to celebrate their accomplishment, though it came with a lighthearted warning to enjoy after practice.
The team hung on every word, from administrators who supported the team through both years and Setting will be joining the team in Azusa, California where the championship meets will be held.
“It was such an encouraging environment right off the bat,” freshman Georgia Clancy reflected. “Being able to step into some of these roles has been such a good experience. Having leaders guide me through this has been awesome and I can’t wait to keep going. Being with this team and seeing it grow and change, and it was already excelling is awesome. Getting to join it and build it into something bigger is awesome. Being part of a team not only at Duquesne being built for women by women is absolutely incredible.”
Duquesne left for California Tuesday afternoon with several student-athletes sending them off. Regardless of how the team’s season concludes, there will also be opportunities for individual event finals accomplishments. Qualifying for that will be based on Thursday’s highest-scoring performers. Ties are broken by season adjusted averages and one at-large selection. That will begin at 1 p.m. EST.
“I don’t think a lot of it has hit us yet, it will in the time to come,” concluded Trent. “It’s one of those things where the coaching staff has been so amazing about focusing on the culture of this program. When you lay a really strong foundation, lay a good culture, all of the fruits of your labor will come to action. It’s one of those things where we relied on each other, on our coaching staff, on our training and trusted the process. It is like a pinch me moment, but also you know when you have a good strong culture and foundation that those things are to come.”
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