No. 3 QU Acrobatics & Tumbling Hosts No. 2 Oregon On Sunday, Feb. 19

Sunday, February 19

Hamden, Conn.

12:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

Oregon

No. 3 QU Acrobatics & Tumbling Hosts No. 2 Oregon On Sunday, Feb. 19

2/16/2017 12:21:00 PM | Acrobatics & Tumbling

By: QU Sports Information

No. 3 QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY BOBCATS
Record: 0-1 NCATA: 0-1 ecac: 0-0
Head Coach: Mary Ann Powers

No. 2 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON DUCKS
Record: 1-0 NCATA: 0-0
Head Coach: Chelsea Shaw

Date: Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: TD Bank Sports Center | Hamden, Conn.
FREE LIVE VIDEO: Quinnipiac All-Acess

Nationally-ranked No. 3 Quinnipiac hosts No. 2 Oregon in a NCATA match-up at the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden, Conn.

WATCH IT LIVE
Quinnipiac's match-up against Oregan can be seen live on Quinnipiac All-Access. Former Quinnipiac Acrobatic & Tumbling stand-outs Danielle Burns and Cera Orner will serve as commentators for Sunday's meet against Oregon. Burns and Orner both graduated from Quinnipiac in 2014 after four-year careers with the Bobcats.

FOLLOW IT LIVE
Quinnipiac fans can also follow the Bobcats on Twitter @QUAcroTumbling and on Facebook @QUAcroTumble

THEIR LAST TIME OUT
A thrilling season-opening National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) match-up in Waco, Texas pitting two of the top three nationally-ranked programs ended with two-time NCATA National Champion No. 1 Baylor topping the No. 3 Bobcats, 281.110 – 272.700.

Despite opening the year at 0-1, the Bobcats showed great potential against Baylor, who ran their winning streak to 22 meets. Quinnipiac took two of the five events – the Acro and Toss event – behind a pair of versatile performances by senior captains Allee Tallman (Farmington, New York) and Kelsey Rule (Kendall Park, New Jersey).

Tallman, a 2016 NCATA All-American, led the Bobcats after competing in 10 of the first 13 heats of the day, while she helped the Bobcats to a win in five of them.
Rule, the 2014 NCATA Rookie of the Year and an All-American in the same season, was also part of the highest scores of the afternoon including the Pyramid Heat of the Compulsory Event (9.80); the 6-Element Heat of the Acro Event (9.75); the Synchronized Toss Heat (9.50) and the Open Toss Heat (9.75) and the Duo Tumbling Heat (9.10).
In the 5-Element Heat of the Acro event, Alexandra Williams (Poughkeepsie, New York), Jenna Adams (Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey), Melanie Mancini (Waterbury, Connecticut) and Noelle Brasier (Simi Valley, California) edged Baylor, 9.70-9.55.
Kelsey Rule (Kendall Park, New Jersey), Siobhan Robinson (Palm Harbor, Florida), Erin Redding (Farmington, Connecticut) and Jocelyn Saber(Redding, Connecticut) then took the 6-Element Heat, 9.75-9.35.
Finally, the 7-Element Heat team comprised of Abby Ziser (Pompton Plains, New Jersey), Allee Tallman (Farmington, New York), Erin Redding and Noelle Brasier took a 9.50-9.40 decision to tie Baylor.
In the Toss event, Adams, Williams, Rule, Robinson, Tallman, Brasier, Alyssa O'Connor(Smithtown, New York), Samantha Gormley (Howell, New Jersey), Jordan Sack (Plainview, New York), Jenna Capristo (Wolcott, Connecticut) and Grace Manthey (Anchorage, Alaska) led the Bobcats in the Synchronized Heat.Rule, Robinson, Tallman, Brasier and Redding comprised the Open Heat.
Quinnipiac made an incredible effort in the Tumbling event, as Sack, Mancini,Brianna Gerndt (Sparta, New Jersey) and Chelsea Werner (Shoreham, New York) fell just shot in the Quad Heat before Capristo turned in a rock-solid 9.75 in the Aerial Pass heat that fell just short to the Bears.

SCOUTING THE OREGON DUCKS
Oregon enters the weekend after a season-opening victory against Hawaii Pacific on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 284.98-273.18. The Ducks captured the compulsory, toss, tumbling and team routine to hold off HPU. Oregon enters the season with returning 19 letter winners that posted a 13-3 record in 2016 on their way to an appearance in the NCATA National Championship.

NCATA PRESEASON POLL
Quinnipiac was picked to finish third in the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) preseason coaches' poll. Baylor was picked to finish first with 12 first-place votes followed by Oregon, who received the other first-place vote. Quinnipiac, at third, preceded Hawaii Pacific, Azusa Pacific, Fairmont State, Alderson-Broaddus, Gannon, King, Concordia-Wisconsin, Glenville State, Georgetown College and Adrian.

IN REMEMBRANCE
Quinnipiac acrobatics & tumbling will compete this weekend without assistant coach Manny Bonilla who passed this week following a long fight with cancer. Bonilla played a pivotal role in guiding Quinnipiac's acrobatics & tumbling program to one of the best in the country while also having a profound effect on Bobcats' student-athletes, coaches and staff. Bonilla joined the Bobcats coaching staff in 2013 and had helped Quinnipiac to a pair of NCATA National Championship semifinal appearances. He passed on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017 at the age of 39 after a lengthy battle with cancer. During his treatment, Bonilla was extremely active in several cancer awareness initiatives while Quinnipiac also raised money annual for the Miles for Manny Fund.

ECAC ACROBATICS & TUMBLING
Quinnipiac and NCATA members Alderson-Broaddus, Gannon and King were announced as members of the newly-formed Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Acrobatics & Tumbling League. The formation of the league will signal an additional championship for the sport that continues to grow, nationally.

THE CAPTAINS
Noelle Brasier (Simi Valley, California), Kelsey Rule (Kendall Park, New Jersey) and Allee Tallman (Farmington, New York) will serve as captains for the 2017 season, as voted on by the team's coaching staff and student-athletes.