Written by Saul Galvan

EUGENE, Ore - In just two seasons, Oregon Acrobatics and Tumbling have once again become an elite program under head coach Taylor Susnara. Last season, the Ducks made their return to the NCATA National Championship for the first time since 2019, as the No. 2 seed. The year before that, the Ducks managed to secure the No. 5 seed in coach Susnara’s first season as head coach. Despite being unable to pull off the upset for top-seeded Baylor in the championship last year, this program has made significant strides into becoming one of the top-ranked programs in the nation. On Saturday, Oregon will kick off its 15th season in program history against Hawaii Pacific. 

Young roster: This year's roster features many experienced returners but also a lot of new faces competing in their first season. Underclassmen make up more than half of the current roster, including 15 freshmen and two transfers. Compare this to last season when there were 23 upperclassmen and only seven freshmen. One of those freshmen, Bella Swarthout, is already being highly praised as a top athlete and could play a big part in this years’ team. Coach Susnara said Swarthout has been progressing well in practice and will be seen on the mat in this weekend’s opener. Other notable athletes include junior base/tumbler, Alexis Giardina and All American Senior tumbler, Makena Carrion. Even with the many new additions to the roster, this team is filled with so many talented athletes who can step up at a moment's notice. 

Familiar face returns added to the coaching staff: 

This past offseason, Coach Susnara brought back 2023 NCATA All-American Kaly Nowak as her assistant coach. Nowak was a shining star in this program, competing from 2020-2023 before being hired as Susnaras' assistant after graduating. She has already made her voice heard in practice and complements the passion and aspiration coach Susnara has for her squad. “I think sometimes she is the more intense one in practice,” said coach Susnara. “She brings a lot of experience and a unique perspective which is going to elevate the program in the coming years. She challenges me”. Nowak was a triple threat as a student-athlete at Oregon, competing as a base, top, and tumbler. Not only was she named an All-American in her last season, but she was also awarded the Pac-12 Tom Hanse Conference Medal. The award is given to a senior male and female student-athlete from each school based on a combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics, and leadership. In a season where many new faces will face the challenge of competing right away, having coach Nowak’s leadership and recent experience will certainly be an advantage to the Ducks

Schedule Outlook: 

The Ducks have six meets scheduled before the NCATA National Championships in April. Oregon will face off against Hawaii Pacific twice, one at home and one on the road. They’ll also take on Quinnipiac in their second home match and finish off their season in California against Azuza Pacific. This team's biggest opponent in recent years will be the two matchups against top-ranked Baylor. Last season, Oregon lost in all three meets with Baylor, including the National Championship. Baylor has taken the title in seven consecutive seasons, taking over Oregon as the top team in the NCATA. The last time Oregon won a match against Baylor was in 2021 when the Ducks squeaked by the Bears and won by just 0.975. Since then, Oregon and Baylor have faced each other seven times and the Ducks have been unable to come up with an upset over the Bears. Even though they are the #2 seed, Oregon will still need to put on a good performance in both meets vs. Baylor and claim victories in their other matchups to put themselves in a good position come April. If the Ducks can finally knock off the Bears, it could do a lot for their confidence and put them at #1 in the rankings. 

There is so much potential for this young and talented roster. Execution over perfection will be key. The Ducks' preseason ranking puts them in a good spot to start the season and not feel like they have to make a huge leap for that #1 spot. The Ducks control the fate of their season, as they’ll need strong showings in each of their matchups to retain their ranking and prepare themselves for the NCATA tournament at the end of the season. Saturday’s season opener against the Sharks is set for 7:00 at Matthew Knight Arena.