FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The West Virginia Wesleyan (5-3) acrobatics & tumbling team fell to Frostburg State in the semifinal round of the Mountain East Conference Championships on Friday at Joe Retton Arena in Fairmont, W.Va.
 
How It Happened
Wesleyan’s pyramid heat and toss heat teams scored a 9.300 and a 9.350 respectively in the compulsory round. Frostburg State edged WVWC in the compulsory round, 35.500-34.075.
 
Wesleyan bounced back and won the acro round, 27.750-26.875. Each heat scored higher than a 9.000. Kayla Gandy, MEC Second-Team honoree Emily Dengel and MEC First-Team winner Tiara Stokes posted a 9.400 in the 5 element event. MEC Second-Team athlete Joniah Howell joined Gandy, Stokes and Caitlin Josef in the 6 element routine that scored 9.275. To conclude the acro event, Sydney McKinnon, Alejandra Ditchen, Kayla Wade, Megan Miles and RayAnn Nadolski recorded a 9.075 in the 7 element performance.
 
All three pyramid heat teams earned point totals higher than 9.300. The inversion pyramid team scored a 9.350 while the synchronized team captured a 9.325. The open pyramid team produced a 9.525 to cap off the pyramid event. Wesleyan trailed Frostburg State 91.100-90.025 at intermission.
 
The 450 salto team of Ditchen, Miles, Wade, Stokes McKinnon and Josef began the second half with a 9.150. The synchronized toss team scored an 8.000 while the open toss team posted an 8.925 in the final event of the toss portion of the meet. Frostburg State won the toss event 27.075-26.075.
 
In the tumbling event, the duo pass team of Gandy and Ditchen edged Frostburg State with a score of 8.300. The quad pass team of Nadolski, Dengel, Howell and Bowe won their event 7.425-7.350. Gandy scored a 7.650 in the aerial pass while Howell posted an 8.175 in the six element. Ditchen turned in an 8.675 in the open pass. Frostburg State won the tumbling event 51.350-46.375.
 
Wesleyan completed the team event first with a score of 81.010. Frostburg State recorded a team event score of 85.600. Frostburg State advanced to the MEC Championship with a 255.125-243.485 victory.