SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Belmont Abbey acrobatics and tumbling team moved to 3-0 on the season with a 267.645-254.570 victory at Saint Leo Friday evening in its first nonconference meet of the season.
 
The 267.645 is the second-highest score in a single meet in program history and is the fifth time all-time that the Crusaders have surpassed 260 points or more in a meet. The current program-best mark is 273.990, set last season at the tri-meet at Lander.
 
Friday's meet was the season opener for Saint Leo.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Event 1 – Compulsory
The Crusaders got off to a good start in the opening event finishing with a total of 37.35 over the four heats. The two strongest heats came in the Pyramid and Toss, with scores of 9.8 and 9.7, respectively. Saint Leo held a slim 37.45-37.35 lead after the first event.
 
Event 2 – Acro
Belmont Abbey scored a 9.0 or higher in all three heats. The best score came in Heat 1 with a 9.55 scored with the team of Erena Chaples, Madeliene McCauley, Kristin Fary, Blythe Terrell and Lauren Phillips. Additionally, the team of Isabella Schrout, Gracie Grady, Bri Camp, Lauren Pipes and Emily Wueste earned a 9.45 in Heat 3. Belmont Abbey took a 65.35-62.4 lead going into the third event.
 
Event 3 – Pyramid
The Crusaders earned their highest scores of the night of the events with three heats scoring a 28.7 in the event. The highest individual heat score came from this event with The Abbey earning a 9.9 in Heat 3. Belmont Abbey extended its lead to 94.05-90.35 at halftime.
 
Event 4 – Toss
Belmont Abbey put together a score of 26.4 in the Toss event led by a 9.0 in Heat 1. McCauley and Chaples both helped the Crusaders earn that score along with Amiya Shazier, Deanna Woolard, Anna Audet and Sarah Brady. Belmont Abbey led 120.450-116.300 entering the Tumbling event.
 
Event 5 – Tumbling
The Crusaders scored an 8.25 or higher in all six heats including a pair of scores above 9.0. Anna Davis had one of the 9.0's by earning a 9.15 in the Aerial Pass (Heat 4) with Shazier's 9.225 in the Open Pass (Heat 6) being the other. Belmont Abbey finished with a 52.175 total in the event and led 172.625-164.75.
 
Event 6 – Team Event
Belmont Abbey closed the night with one of its strongest performances in the team event with a 95.020.
 
UP NEXT

• The Crusaders return home to face Fairmont State at 6 p.m. March 11 at the Wheeler Center.
• It will be the first meeting between the two programs.