ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University acrobatics and tumbling team posted their best score of the season, finishing with a split at their home opening tri-meet. The Thunder finished the day with 217.405 points, finishing ahead of East Texas Baptist University with 199.475 and just behind Concordia University Wisconsin with 221.685.
It what would become the theme of the night Trine started off with a season best performance in the Compulsory Event. They had a score of 30.70 to win the event. Their best scores came in the pyramid heat with a 9.45 and in the toss with a 9.10. The Falcons had 30.15 in the event and the Tigers finished at 26.60.
A fall in the final heat of the Acro Event gave the win to CUW. The Thunder finished with a score of 22.45 compared to a 23.80 by the Falcons and a 23.10 for ETBU. Trine did come up with the ninth best score in program history during the "5 element" heat, posting a 9.10.
The Pyramid Event was decided by razor thin margins. Concordia Wisconsin won with 27.80, with the Tigers finishing second with 27.75 and Trine finishing with 27.70. Again, the first heat was impressive, the sixth best showing in the inversion heat with a 9.45. They also had a strong 9.35 in the synchronized heat.
Out of halftime, the Thunder cut into CUW's lead by winning the Toss Event. The home side had a score of 24.75 with the Falcons coming second at 24.05. Trine's 8.85 in the "450 salto" heat was the seventh best in program history. They had a 7.85 in the second heat and 8.05 in the third. The total score was the best of the season for the team.
Trine won the Tumbling Event as well, posting a season best 40.875 for the day. The Falcons were second with a score of 40.775 and ETBU finished third with a score of 40.475. The best scores came in the aerial pass with an 8.10 and the open pass with an 8.275. The aerial was the best of the season by over a point. The quad pass improved on the best season score by 2.5 points with a 6.75.
The Falcons and Thunder were separated by just a tenth of a point heading into the Team Event. A fall during one of the elements in the final event was costly with Trine finishing with a 70.93, five points behind CUW. Despite the loss inside of the meet, that score does mark a new high for the season.
The team finishes the day 3-2 after the split in the meet. They will finish the home portion of their slate on Sunday, March 22 when they host Adrian College. That meet is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
