KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University acrobatics & tumbling team closed its 2024 meet schedule with a 262.105-256.760 setback against Iona on Saturday at Keystone Arena.
 
Though the Golden Bears put up the second-highest meet score in program history and set a new team event benchmark, it was a tough finish down the stretch. Kutztown (6-3) held a slim margin for much of the afternoon until the Gaels (5-2) took control in the tumbling event.
 
Kutztown got off to a great start in the compulsory event with a program record 9.45 in the acro heat. The Bears scored over 9.35 in each of the first three heats and outscored Iona 36.25-35.90 in the event. Contributing to KU's record acro heat score were Allison Fernandez (Westfield, N.J./Westfield), Abby Kiely (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro), Tiffani Lincoln (Oneonta, N.Y./Oneonta), Cecilia Marshall (Bellingham, Mass./Home Schooled), Jordyn Osner (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown), Destiny Satterlee (Shenandoah Junction, W.Va./Jefferson), Paige Saxey (Clearfield, Utah/Clearfield), Maddie Welsh (York, Pa./Central York) and Julia Yeager (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg).
 
Karah Paull's team extended its lead to more than a point with a 27.50-26.15 advantage in the acro event. They did so behind a 9.85 in the 5-element heat which was comprised of Sienna Barbarisi (New Providence, N.J./New Providence), Hannah Fortuna (Itasca, Ill./Lake Park), Kiely, Lincoln and Osner. Kutztown scored 9.8 or better in the heat in its final three meets and 9.65 or better in all seven competition dates this year.
 
Iona outscored KU by 1.3 points in the pyramid event, closing to within 91.60-91.20 at the half. The Bears performed well with a 9.85 in the open heat and a 9.25 in the synchronized heat.
 
The Golden Bears' still led at the conclusion of the toss event but by a mere tenth of a point, 117.600-117.500. KU's top score in the event came in the open heat, where it produced a 9.05. The team's 25.90 score in the event was a new season-high.
 
A 9.350 aerial pass from Saxey was the high point for Kutztown in the tumbling event but excellence from the Gaels proved too much to overcome. Iona was nearly six full points better over the course of the event, backed by a 9.725 in the aerial pass, a 9.575 in the 6-element pass and a 9.075 in the open pass.
 
A school record 90.760 in the team event allowed the Bears to pull back more than half of a point at the end but the Gaels emerged with the victory in the first-ever meeting between the teams.
 
During Saturday's meet, the team got to enjoy a bit of history when it honored the first senior class in program history. Student-athletes honored during Senior Day ceremonies were Kiely, Satterlee and Saxey.
 
Kutztown's six wins this season are a new single-season record. The Golden Bears have finished each of their three seasons with a .500 or better record. In addition to its winning meet record, a number of new event and heat records were established along with a record meet score of 256.830 during a victory at Glenville State.
 
There may still be more history to write this season as the postseason approaches. Kutztown's acro 5-element heat was in contention to earn the at-large berth for that heat to the NCATA National Championships Individual Event Final at Fairmont State University on Sunday, April 28. To earn an at-large berth, KU must hold the highest score in the heat (or season average in the event of a tie) among non-championship qualifying teams.
 
The 2024 championship field and at-large qualifiers will be announced on Monday, April 15.