AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific executed its team event to near-perfection, rallying to beat Hawai'i Pacific and complete a regular-season sweep of the Sharks with Friday night's 4.31-point margin of victory. The Cougars tallied a final score of 271.720 to HPU's total score of 267.410, and it did so despite trailing after each of the first five events heading into the team event.
Although Hawai'i Pacific won four of the first five events of the meet, Azusa Pacific's comeback actually began in the middle of the tumbling event. Entering the third of six tumbling heats, the Cougars trailed by a margin of 3.5 points before the quad tumbling pass of Beth Magee, Hannah Steffen, Rachel Shier, and Katrina Gonzalez scored an 8.700 to chip six-tenths of a point off the overall lead.
Ashleigh Pitts matched HPU's Makayla Garland with a score of 9.775 in the solo aerial tumbling pass, and Heather Hovander followed with a 9.675 in the solo six-element tumbling pass before Steffen closed out tumbling with a meet-high score of 9.800 in the solo open tumbling pass. Hovander and Steffen combined to gain another six-tenths of a point to pull the Cougars within 2.3 points on the overall team score heading into the team event.
Azusa Pacific scored 97.47 points in the team event with a start value of 107.32, while HPU followed with a score of 90.86 points on a start value of 105.61 points. The swing of nearly seven points delivered the come-from-behind win for the Cougars.
What It Means: Azusa Pacific improves to 3-0 for the first time in the program's eight-year history. The Cougars have also registered two team event scores of 97.47 points or higher in three meets this year. Azusa Pacific has now won three consecutive matchups with HPU dating back to last year's National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association quarterfinals.
Top Performances: The Cougars notched eight heat scores of 9.55 points or better (out of 10 possible points in each heat), including four efforts scored at 9.75 or better. Steffen's open tumbling pass scored a team-high 9.80, which was also matched by the compulsory toss. Pitts scored 9.775 in the aerial tumbling pass, while the Cougars' open pyramid scored 9.75.
What's Next: At the halfway point of the regular-season schedule, Azusa Pacific is home for two of its final three meets of the regular season. The Cougars host Quinnipiac on Tuesday, March 13, then visit Baylor on March 24 before returning home to take on first-year program Converse (S.C.) College.
