MARSHALL, Texas – Taking one event from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the first home acrobatics and tumbling meet of the year, East Texas Baptist stayed with the Crusaders until the very end, 249.60 to 232.005. ETBU is now 1-1 on the year.
 
Student-athlete Katie Melton said, "We really put in the work this past week and we gained 17 points back from our last meet and we are very excited to see how far we can go in the next 15 days before our next home meet. I'm proud of every one as our tumbling hit, our skills hit, and we are just excited to see where we can go from here."
 
ETBU pushed UMHB throughout the meet in one of the closest meets in their series. In the final event, the team event, ETBU came away with the win by 0.33 points, 82.83 to 82.50.
 
The meet started off with the compulsory as ETBU recorded 9.4 or better in three of the four heats. They started off with a 9.20 in the acro heat just behind UMHB's 9.25. They then posted a 9.70 in the pyramid heat again just 0.05 behind the Crusaders. The toss heat brought ETBU a 9.50 which was 0.05 better than UMHB. ETBU then finished with a 2.65 in the tumbling heat which put them behind UMHB, by five points, 36.00 to 31.05.
 
In the acro event, ETBU finished with 24.50 to UMHB's 26.75. Brianna Brown, Jessica Kuhlman, Mary Kalafatis, and Kendal McAdoo scored a 9.30 in the 7 element as the top score. ETBU Then had an 8.20 in the 5 element and 7.00 in the 6 element.
 
It was the pyramid event that brought the top heat score of the night for ETBU as they posted a 9.90 in the open portion of the event. Kennedy Brady, Brown, M.Kalafatis, Rebecca Kalafatis, Macie Goff, Katie Melton, and Kaylee Morton all came together to beat UMHB by 0.10 in that heat. ETBU then had a 9.15 in the synchronized heat and a 9.10 in the inversion for 28.15 points to UMHB's 29.90.
 
Coming out of halftime, ETBU scored 23.55 points in the toss event. They collected 8.45's in both the 450 Salto and the Open with a 6.65 in the synchronized.
 
They fell behind in the tumbling event to UMHB, 48.55 to 41.925. Their top heat was the open pass with an 8.450 by Goff.
 
The meet ended with excitement when ETBU won the team event by 0.33 points.
 
ETBU will be back home on Thursday, March 9, when they host Azusa Pacific University at 6:00 p.m.