By Jeffrey Swindoll
Sports Writer
Ahead of their first NCATA team tournament as the one-seed, Baylor claimed eight titles in the 2015 NCATA Individual Event Finals at Fairmont State University in Fairmont, W. Va. Thursday.
The Bears posted the most individual winners (eight) of any school at the NCATA individual national championships, doubling the next team total (four) achieved by Oregon on Thursday.
Sophomores Allie Williams, Kaelyn Cowan, Alexa Crumpton and junior Sydney Evans won the ‘5 Element’ title. Baylor also claimed the first and second of three heats in the pyramid event by freshmen Shayla Moore, Lauren Sturm, Madison and Meredith Aldis, sophomores Kiara Nowlin, Miranda Girouard, Alyson Johnson, Williams, Crumpton, juniors Courtney Pate, Devyn White, Evans and seniors Bresha and Britta Pierce.
Baylor nearly claimed sweep in the tumbling events, winning five of the six: duo (Sturm and Pate), trio (Moore, Nowlin and freshman Toni Bronisevsky), quad (Moore, Nowlin, Bronisevsky and senior Keegan Johnson), aerial (Nowlin) and 6 Element (Nowlin).
The No. 1 Bears also took home two individual season awards. Nowlin was named the NCATA outstanding athlete, while Moore took home Freshman of the Year. This is the first time Baylor has captured national player and freshman honors.
Moore, Nowlin and Keegan Johnson were also named 2015 All-Americans for their performance. This is Johnson’s second All-American honor.
The 2015 NCATA National Championships continue at 11 p.m. today as all eight teams are in action in the quarterfinals of the team championships. Baylor faces eight-seed King at 1:45 p.m.
