MARSHALL, Texas – A season that continues to be historic for the East Texas Baptist University acrobatics and tumbling team, the Tigers earned their second win in a season which is a program record. ETBU defeated Texas Lutheran University, 245.425 to 112.375. The 245.425 is the second highest team score total behind the 248.625 scored in the final meet of the 2021 season. ETBU is now 2-2 on the year with two meets left in the 2023 season.
ETBU posted seven 9.0+ scores in the meet with two 9.9 scores which is the most in a meet since posting 10 9.0+s in vs. UMHB (Apr. 6, 2021). This season also continues with record breaking performances as eight scores were either tied or broken vs. TLU. ETBU broke records for Compulsory Event in acro (9.4), pyramid (9.9), and toss (9.75) heats along with the Acro Event in the 7-element (9.35) and in the Toss Event for the 450 Salto (8.8). Records tied were in the Pyramid Event in the open (9.9) and the Toss Event team score at 26.35. ETBU then broke the record for the Team Event with an 88.40.
Opening the Compulsory Event with 35.15 points, ETBU scored 9.0+ scores in three of the four events. They started with a 9.40 in the Acro heat followed with a 9.9 in the Pyramid heat. They then earned at 9.75 in the Toss heat.
The Acro Event brought 24.45 points with a 9.35 in the 7-Element from
Brianna Brown, Jessica Kuhlman,
Mary Kalafatis, and
Kendal McAdoo. They also earned an 8.75 in the 5-Element heat to finish with 86.80 points at the half.
ETBU tied a record for points in the Toss Event with 26.35. A 9.00 was scored in heat three – the Open - by
Kennedy Brady,
Katie Melton,
Ellie Davis, Zoey Conner,
Mallory Golden, and
Jordyn Reeves. An 8.8 was earned in the 450 Salto to tie the record by Kuhlman, Brown, M.Kalafatis,
Rebecca Kalafatis,
Caylin Williams, and McAdoo. They then had an 8.55 in the synchronized heat.
Tumbling gave ETBU 43.875 points in the last event before the Team Event.
Macie Goff recorded an 8.925 in the aerial pass for the best score in that event. Brown then had an 8.40 in the open pass.
ETBU finished with a team record 88.40 in the team event for a final of 245.425.
M.Kalafatis and Brady were honored after the meet for senior day in their final home meet of 2023.
There are two more meets left in 2023 for ETBU as they go to Mary Hardin-Baylor on March 25 and then to Saint Leo University (Fla.) on April 2.
Records Tied/Broken vs. TLU.
9.4 in Compulsory acro heat (bests 9.30 from Feb. 22, 2023 vs. UMHB)
9.9 in Compulsory pyramid heat (bests 9.85 from April 6, 2021 vs. UMHB)
9.75 in Compulsory toss heat (bests 9.70 from Mar. 8, 2022 – APU & Apr. 6, 2021 – UMHB)
9.35 in Acro 7-Element heat (bests 9.30 from Feb. 22, 2023 vs. UMHB
9.9 in Pyramid Open heat 3 ties record (four times)
8.8 in Toss 450 Salto (bests 8.7 – twice in 2023 and 2021 season)
26.35 in Toss Event ties record for event scoring (vs. UMHB – Apr. 6, 2021)
88.40 in Team Event breaks record of 84.51 (vs. Concordia-WI – Mar. 12, 2020)
