Ducks Face Another Top-Five Clash on Senior Day

Friday, March 14

Eugene, OR

6:00 PM

University of Oregon

Mary Hardin-Baylor

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The Oregon Ducks take on the Gannon Golden Knights at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon on March 7, 2025 (Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com)

Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com

03/12/25 | Acrobatics & Tumbling

Meet Notes

EUGENE, Ore. – The fourth-ranked Oregon acrobatics and tumbling program will face No. 5 Mary Hardin-Baylor at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 14, at Matthew Knight Arena to wrap up the home schedule.

MEET INFO
When: Friday, March 14
Where: Matthew Knight Arena | Eugene, Ore.
Time: 6 p.m. PT
Watch: https://www.bigtenplus.com/en-int/livestream/umhb-at-oregon/1883402
Live Results: https://goducks.com/sports/2022/2/28/acro-scores

THE DUCKS vs. THE CRUSADERS
Friday marks the second meeting between Oregon and Mary Hardin-Baylor after the two sides squared off last season the NCATA Championships. The Ducks beat the two-time-reigning NCAA DIII champs in the quarterfinal matchup West Virginia, 262.745-259.655. UMHB comes to Eugene with a 3-1 record, their lone loss to top-ranked Baylor in the season opener, and sports a 258.038 scoring average.

TOP-FOUR CLASH GOES TO THE DUCKS
After some miscues early, Oregon used a dominant second half to secure its first ranked win of the season over No. 3 Gannon, 276.565-263.465. The Ducks held a slight edge at the break but outpointed the Golden Knights in all three events afterwards to seal the win. Tumbling was the Ducks' biggest strength of the night as UO posted a 58.025 total for the event - the highest mark since the 2017 season. The Ducks sealed the win with a 97.240 team event score, the second-highest score UO has posted this year and third-highest under head coach Taylor Susnara.

KEEPIN' IT 10.0
The Ducks earned their first 10.0 of the season last time out against Baylor, scoring perfect in the open pyramid heat. UO employed a technical tweak to that heat, rotating Oregon's group - Blessyn McMorris, Bella Swarthout, Brylie Hoover, Emily Rezner and Selah Bell - 90 degrees to face the team's sideline, and it resulted in a flawless mark a week after earning a 9.90. The Ducks have now gone perfect 16 times in the open pyramid and the 26 times in the pyramid event all-time.

GAME RECOGNIZED
After receiving honorable mention recognition following each of the first two meets, Angelica Martin was named the NCATA Freshman of the Week on Wednesday. The freshman has stunned in the five-element acro with fellow first-year Cassidy Cu, scoring a 9.65 last time out against Gannon. Martin competes in five of six events for the Ducks and has helped the Ducks raise their average scores in four of those from a season ago. She is the second Duck to take home NCATA weekly honors after Blessyn McMorris was named the Athlete of the Week following the Ducks' season-opening win. Briya Alvarado was also named honorable mention Specialist of the Week this week, her first weekly recognition of the season.

» Martin is the first Duck since Bella Swarthout last season to earn honorable mention Freshman of the Week multiple times and take home Freshman of the Week honors.
» McMorris earned Freshman of the Week honors three times in 2022 before being named the Freshman of the Year.

OPENING WITH A BOOM
The Ducks opened the 2025 season in style by beating Morgan State, 281.205-256.145. Both Oregon's team total and team event score (99.18) were the program's highest since the 2021 season and highest under head coach Taylor Susnara. UO's total was also the highest in a season-opening meet since the Ducks scored 281.480 to start the 2015 season.

» The Ducks continued to shine in the pyramid event, scoring 29.65 against the Bears. UO has now scored 29.00 or better in nine of 11 meets dating back to last season.
» The Ducks' team event tally was just the fifth score of 99.00-plus since the 2018 season.

AMONG THE BEST
The Ducks entered the 2025 season ranked No. 4 in the NCATA preseason coaches poll, their fourth time being ranked in the top five under Coach Susnara. Oregon was one of four teams, alongside No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 Quinnipiac and No. 3 Gannon, to receive at least one first-place vote. Already with one ranked win under their belts, the Ducks will look to climb up the rankings throughout the rest of the season as all five of UO's remaining regular-season meets are against teams ranked in the top eight.

SPECIAL GROUP, SPECIAL DAY
Oregon will recognize its nine senior team members following Friday's meet and honor all of their contributions to the acrobatics and tumbling program over the last four years. This year's senior class includes Haley Ellis, Rachel Furlong, Alexis Giardina, Bethany Glick, Brylie Hoover, Blessyn McMorris, Morgan Sweeney, Mia Tims and Riley Watson.