KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- The third season of Kutztown University acrobatics & tumbling got off to a strong start, Saturday, as the Golden Bears established a program record meet score in a 250.430-235.160 victory over East Stroudsburg and a 276.235-250.430 setback against fourth-ranked Gannon at Keystone Arena.

Kutztown was neck-and-neck with the Warriors throughout the meet before pulling away in the second half behind a strong showing in the tumbling event. Gannon, meanwhile, showed why it is one of the nation's elite teams as it looks to return to the NCATA National Championships.

Besides surpassing its former meet scoring record of 249.280 set last March 25 in a win over No. 15 West Liberty (the program's first win over a ranked program), the Golden Bears (1-1) registered six new meet heat records and a meet event record in tumbling.

The Maroon and Gold turned in its first record performance of the day in the 5-element heat of the acro event. Sienna Barbarisi (New Providence, N.J./New Providence), Hannah Fortuna (Itasca, Ill./Lake Park), Abby Kiely (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro), Tiffani Lincoln (Oneonta, N.Y./Oneonta) and Jordyn Osner (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) combined for a 9.75, while using a 10.00 start value for the first time. The former high score for KU in the heat was 9.35 against Gannon back in its inaugural season of 2022.

Just prior to halftime, Kiely, Lincoln and Osner teamed with Destiny Satterlee (Shenandoah Junction, W.Va./Jefferson), Paige Saxey (Clearfield, Utah/Clearfield) and RoseMary Werkheiser (Easton, Pa./Easton) for a 9.65 in the open heat of the pyramid event. Gannon distanced itself at the break with a score of 95.20, followed by the host Bears at 86.95 and ESU at 84.70.

Allison Fernandez (Westfield, N.J./Westfield), Hannah Fortuna (Itasca, Ill./Lake Park), Cecilia Marshall (Bellingham, Mass./Home Schooled) and Maddie Welsh (York, Pa./Central York) joined Osner and Werkheiser to put forth a record-tying 8.70 in the 450 salto to open the toss event and the second half.

Where the Golden Bears really shined was in the tumbling event, though. Kutztown set a new event record with a score of 50.950 that included heat records in the duo pass, quad pass, 6-element pass and open pass.

Satterlee and Lincoln got it started with a record 8.600 in the duo pass. Fernandez, Saxey, Briana Walker (Bristow, Va./Patriot) and newcomer Elaina Blackstock (Brookhaven, Pa./Sun Valley) were responsible for the record 8.200 in the quad pass. Lincoln turned in a 9.45 in the 6-element pass and Saxey put up a 9.025 in the open pass.

Kutztown finished off the meet with a strong showing in the team event, scoring 87.08 of a possible 99.23 for the second-highest event score in program history.

While the Golden Bears won't return to Keystone Arena until Tuesday, April 2, against Caldwell, they'll next be in action in two weeks when they head to Georgian Court for a 6 p.m., start on Friday, Feb. 23.