AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific went on the road and cruised to a 33-point win over Concordia University Wisconsin, following up last week's season-opening performance to post the first-ever 2-0 start to a season in the program's eight-year history as a National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association founding program.
Although its overall score (263.925) was lower than its sensational season opener, the Cougars rolled to a sweep of all six events and won 19 of 20 heats in the competition with the fourth-year program from Concordia Wisconsin, which tallied a final score of 230.620.
With the win, Azusa Pacific is now 2-0 for the first time in program history. In 2012 and 2014, the Cougars won their season opener and split tri-meets with Oregon and Quinnipiac to start those years with a 2-1 record.
What It Means: Azusa Pacific, which was ranked third in the NCATA preseason coaches poll, takes on Hawai'i Pacific again and hosts Quinnipiac before meeting a higher-ranked opponent when it visits top-ranked Baylor on March 24.
How It Happened: Azusa Pacific rolled to a four-point lead in the opening event (compulsory and added two full points to the margin in the acro event. The Cougars won 17 consecutive heats to start the meet, building up its lead through the pyramid and toss events until CUW scored its first heat win in the second-to-last individual tumbling heat (6 element). Heading into the team event, Azusa Pacific held a commanding lead of 18 points, and a solid team event score of 89.60 on a start value of 107.00 added another 15 points to the final margin.
Top Performances: The Cougars produced eight heats scoring 9.50 or better, including an aerial solo tumbling pass from Hannah Steffen (9.575) and the open solo tumbling pass from Heather Hovander (9.625). Three of Azusa Pacific's top four heat scores came in the three heats comprising the pyramid event, with Steffen and Hovander appearing in the 10-athlete synchronized heat which scored a meet-high 9.85 points.
Ashleigh Pitts, Rachel Shier, Madison Turner, and Jamie Nolta scored 9.70 on the five-element acro heat, which was the Cougars' highest-scoring acro heat for the second consecutive meet.
What's Next: Azusa Pacific returns to the mat with a road rematch at Hawai'i Pacific, which also lost at Oregon following last week's opener. The Cougars return home on March 13 to take on a fellow NCATA founding member, Quinnipiac.
