KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Amidst the craziness of building a foundation for her first-year program, head coach Karah Paull could finally take a step back last April and be proud of all the Kutztown University acrobatics & tumbling program had achieved.
 
The Golden Bears went 3-3 in their inaugural season, culminating with a victory over East Stroudsburg in which KU set a season-high 219.750 meet score. There were growing pains along the way, but those were offset by strong performances that provided optimism for the level the program aims to compete at, now and in the future.
 
Once the 2022 season concluded, Paull's focus was squarely on what she can do to help Kutztown take the next step forward. The Bears will get the chance to test themselves once again in their opening meet of 2023 when they travel to fourth-ranked Quinnipiac, Saturday, Feb. 11.
 
Quinnipiac is one of two top-five opponents the Maroon and Gold squared off with last season. The Bobcats visited Keystone Arena for the season opener in 2022, already a well-established program. Kutztown was finding its way, with a majority of the roster hitting the mat in a collegiate competition for the first time. While not much has changed on Quinnipiac's side, Paull knows her student-athletes' priority is on executing their program to the best of their ability.
 
"We returned from winter break and hit the ground running," Paull said. "With only a few weeks between getting on the mat and our first meet, the urgency to be prepared for this opening meet was heightened and I'm pleased with how the team has responded."
 
The challenges facing a start-up program are not solved in months. Paull and Kutztown are continually looking to increase the talent and depth within the program. When any injuries arose last season, the Bears simply didn't have the overall numbers to plug replacements into their lineup. That's still a concern in year two, but Paull is excited about the roster composition as a whole.
 
"It's a nice mix this year with an equal amount of returnees and newcomers," Paull noted. "We're really excited to pick up where we left off, essentially. The goal for all of us is to be scoring higher than we were last season, but as long as we're improving every meet, I'll consider that a success."
 
Kutztown excelled in the pyramid and toss heats of the compulsory event last season. The Golden Bears averaged 9.310 in the pyramid across five meets, highlighted by a season-best 9.750 against ESU in the finale. KU also averaged better than 9.0 in the toss (9.030) with a high of 9.600 in the same ESU meet.
 
Paull anticipates her team will be strong in those areas again and cites the tumbling event as one where the Golden Bears needed to make gains. With multiple incoming freshman expected to contribute on that front, Paull expects a step up in performance.
 
For the second straight campaign, the Golden Bears feature no seniors. Among the returnees are juniors Abby Kiely (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) and Paige Saxey (Clearfield, Utah/Clearfield), along with sophomores Shayla Anderson-Buchanan (Philadelphia, Pa./New Hope Christian Academy), Allison Fernandez (Westfield, N.J./Westfield), Natalie Harkins (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem), Savannah Paige (Palmyra, Pa./Hershey), Tiffani Lincoln (Oneonta, N.Y./Oneonta), Ashley Ryan (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) and RoseMary Werkheiser (Easton, Pa./Easton). KU also picked up a transfer from Mars Hill in sophomore Destiny Satterlee (Shenandoah Junction, W.Va./Jefferson).
 
Making up the freshman class on this year's team are Hannah Fortuna (Itasca, Ill./Lake Park), Sydney Gibbons (Cresson, Pa./Penn Cambria), Catherine Lewis (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford), Cecilia Marshall (Bellingham, Mass./Home Schooled), Jordyn Osner (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown), Emilee Stelma (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Valley West), Haley Sullick (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood), Briana Walker (Bristow, Va./Patriot), Maddie Welsh (York, Pa./Central York) and Julia Yeager (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg).
 
Following the opening meet at Quinnipiac, Kutztown will travel to preseason No. 2 Gannon Saturday, Feb. 18. The Golden Bears went toe-to-toe with the Golden Knights into the late stages of last year's meet.
 
Paull says the tough early season schedule is something she relishes and motivates her team. "We have everything to gain when we go up against these elite programs," she said. "The girls go out there and see where we are and where we want to be and one of our goals this season is to continue to bridge that gap."
 
Kutztown is set to open its home schedule against Stevenson Thursday, March 2, at 6 p.m. The Golden Bears will also be at home to take on preseason No. 15 West Liberty Saturday, March 25, at 2 p.m., and Caldwell/East Stroudsburg in a tri-meet Thursday, April 6, at 6 p.m.
 
"We're going into this season with a full-on internal focus," Paull said. "We're continually looking to get better and be the best version of ourselves."