WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Oct. 27, 2016 – West Liberty University President Dr. Stephen Greiner announced today that the university is adding Acrobatics and Tumbling as the school’s 17th intercollegiate sport.
The Hilltoppers expect to begin their first season of Acrobatics and Tumbling competition in the spring of 2018. A nationwide search for the school’s first head coach is already under way.
“We’re very pleased to add Acrobatics and Tumbling to our varsity sports lineup,” Dr. Greiner said. “This will open the door of opportunity for many female high school student-athletes to not only continue pursuing their passion at the highest level as a Lady Hilltopper but to use that passion to fuel their pursuit of a college degree.”
Thanks to the more than 8 million young women competing in the similar skill sets of gymnastics or cheerleading, Acrobatics and Tumbling has blossomed into one of the nation’s fastest growing intercollegiate sports. More than 300 female student-athletes currently compete at the varsity level across all three NCAA divisions and the NAIA and that growth is accelerating.
West Liberty is the 16th school to add Acrobatics and Tumbling as a varsity sport in the six short years since the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) was established to serve as the sport’s governing body. In addition to providing leadership, governance and education for the sport at the collegiate level, the NCATA is working closely with NCAA staff and the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics to reach NCAA emerging sports status, with the goal of reaching NCAA championship sport status.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome West Liberty University to the NCATA and to increase opportunities for young women to compete at the collegiate level,” NCATA President Dr. Renee Baumgartner said. “The addition of West Liberty will raise the level of competition in West Virginia yet again as the fourth Mountain East Conference member school.”
As Dr. Baumgartner noted, West Virginia has been especially fertile ground as three other MEC schools – Fairmont State, Glenville State and West Virginia Wesleyan – have also added the sport along with non-MEC member Alderson-Broaddus.
They join two-time defending national champion Baylor as trailblazers along with Adrian, Mich. (D3), Azusa Pacific, Calif. (D2), Concordia-Wisconsin (D3), Converse, S.C. (D2), Gannon, Pa. (D2), Georgetown, Ky. (NAIA), Hawaii-Pacific (D2), King, Tenn. (D2), Quinnipiac, Conn. (DI) and Oregon (DI).
With six events taking place on a mat at center court and as many as 24 student-athletes in action at the same time, depending on the event, Acrobatics and Tumbling brings an entertaining high-energy atmosphere to any arena. The fast-paced meets last from 90-120 minutes with all events judged based on the execution of skills, similar to judging in the Olympic sports of diving or gymnastics. Team scores are calculated for each event and combined at the end of the meet to determine the winner.
“When we were exploring the feasibility of making this move, I was impressed by the passion and enthusiasm the people in the A&T community have for growing the sport on a national level,” co-interim athletic director Lynn Ullom said. “It’s exciting to be in on the ground floor of a sport that is truly dedicated to giving more young women the chance to excel athletically and academically. I think we’re all looking forward to watching this sport continue to grow and mature here at West Liberty.”
Noting that West Liberty recently signed on as the first-ever presenting sponsor of Saturday’s OVAC Junior High Cheering Championships, OVAC Executive Secretary/Treasurer Tom Rataiczak also applauded the move.
“The addition of the collegiate sport of acrobatics and tumbling at West Liberty University gives kids who spent their whole career cheering a chance to take it to the next level and continue their hard work,” Rataiczak said. “One thing you notice right away is that girls are very passionate about the sports of cheering and tumbling and this allows them a new opportunity right here in the Ohio Valley.”
ABOUT WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
West Liberty University is a forward-looking, four-year public university steeped in a rich heritage as West Virginia’s oldest institution of higher education and offering nearly 70 undergraduate majors and 30 programs. Graduate programs include the Master of Arts in Education, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, the Master of Professional Studies, the Master of Science in Criminology and the online MBA degrees. For more information on WLU, please call 1.866.WESTLIB (1.866.937.8542).
For more information on the new sport of Acrobatics and Tumbling, please contact Coach Ullom at 304.336.8320.