By Kalena Reynolds | Staff Writer
No. 1 seed Baylor acrobatics and tumbling kept their dominant streak rolling, downing No. 4 seed Augustana 279.325 to 256.465 in the NCATA Championship semifinals Friday night at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The undefeated Bears (11-0) extended their winning streak to 49 meets with a win over the Vikings (7-1). The green and gold started off strong at the Elmen Center, with a 9.05-point advantage in start-up value.
In the Compulsory section, the Vikings played a strong game against Baylor. They both executed the required skills with a start value of 10 in each heat. The Bears picked up the strength in the Acro heat, scoring 9.425 against the Vikings’ 8.95.
As the meet entered the Toss heat, the Vikings held strong with a 9.65 against Baylor’s 9.90. Ending in Compulsory, the Bears finished with an 8.60, bringing the green and gold’s lead up to 37.75 to 36.55.
As the points favored the Bears’ side, the Optional portion and Pyramid events of the meet went head-to-head, with both teams holding start-up values of 10 in each heat. Going into the half, the Bears stood strong with a five-point lead.
Shifting into the second half, junior tumbler Aliyah Thomas and sophomore tumblers Payton Washington and Gigi Rendino boosted the lead to 10 points through the Tumbling event.
The Bears ended strong in the Team event, securing a 97.15 to 84.39 victory over the Vikings. During the 279.325 to 256.465 win over Augustana, Baylor recorded three Perfect 10’s and Washington’s 9.975 score in the Open Tumbling Pass ties Baylor’s all-time high at a Championship meet.
Vying for their 10th straight national championship, the Bears will take on No. 2 seed Oregon at 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
