Video Highlights

THE BASICS
Score: King (Tenn.) 252.875, at Gannon 249.425
Records: King (Tenn.) (3-2), Gannon (1-3)
Location: Erie, Pa. | Hammermill Center
The Short Story: The Gannon acrobatics and tumbling team suffered a heartbreaking loss to King (Tenn.) Tuesday evening at the Hammermill Center. Coming down to the final event of the team routine, the Tornado rallied for their third consecutive win by defeating the Lady Knights, 252.875-249.425. The Maroon and Gold claimed 13 of the 20 total heats, while winning three of the six events in the dual.
 
PDF Scorecard: Click here
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Through the first three events, Gannon won five of the 10 heats. The two squads also tied the release heat in the pyramid event. King (Tenn.) and Gannon split the first four heats in the compulsory event. The Lady Knights best performance in the event came in the pyramid heat with a score of 9.55. The heat featured freshman Kelsey LeClair (Temecula, Calif. / Temecula), junior Lindsey McKnight (Erie, Pa. / Mercyhurst Prep), freshman Michaela Soper (Fallston, Md. / Fallston), sophomore Ciara Rand (Goodyear, Ariz. / Verrado),   freshman Devynn Shook (Wallingford, Conn. / Mark T. Sheehan), freshman Brittany Lawson (Stratford, Conn. / Bunnell), freshman Kaitlyn Heath (Marietta, N.Y. / Marcellus), freshman Taj Beard (McDonough, Ga. / Eagles Landing), junior Kayla Telego (Knox, Pa. / Keystone), freshman Elizabeth Martin (Chicago, Ill. / Von Steuben Metro Science Center), freshman Mackenzie Mraz (New Castle, Pa. / Laurel), freshman Hayley Nejman (Erie, Pa. / Villa Maria Academy), junior Kimberlee Adkins (Sharpsburg, Ga. / Lovejoy), sophomore Angelina Grandinetti (Fayetteville, N.Y. / Fayetteville-Manlius) and freshman Rachel Robinson (Lago Vista, Texas / Vista Ridge). Following the split in the compulsory event, the Lady Knights trailed the Tornado, 32.65-31.65.
 
Despite winning two of the three heats in the acro event, the Lady Knights remained behind the Tornado, 60.94-60.20. The five-element team of McKnight, Nejman, Robinson and Beard tallied GU's best score of 9.80 in the event. The Lady Knights managed to edge out the Tornado, 9.20-9.19, in the seven-element heat.
 
In the pyramid event, Gannon was only able to win one of the three heats. In the salto heat, freshman Chelsea Cowan (Erie, Pa. / Mercyhurst Prep), Mraz, Nejman, Grandinetti, Robinson, Lawson, Martin and Soper outscored the Tornado, 9.80-9.70. The squads tied in the last heat of the event, the release heat, with identical scores of 9.55.
 
Trailing King (Tenn.) through the first three events, Gannon managed to sweep all three heats in the toss event to pull ahead 115.050-114.640. The Lady Knights inched closer to the Tornado with a score of 8.85-8.50 in the first heat of the salto toss. The Maroon and Gold captured the lead during the synchronized heat, recording a margin of 8.60-7.50 for a 106.100-105.74 advantage. The first team in the heat included McKnight, Shook, Mraz, Grandinetti and Robinson with the second group comprised of Cowan, Martin, Heath, Nejman and Lawson.
 
Gannon won five of the six heats in the tumbling event to extend their lead to 166.325-163.765. The trio pass of McKnight, Heat and Nejman dominated the heat with a score of 8.600-7.900. To conclude the event, Beard captured one of the Lady Knights' best scores of the day in the open pass. She tallied a score of 9.475-8.725 to secure the Lady Knights' 51.275-49.125 victory in the event.
 
Although Gannon won 13 of the first 19 heats, the outcome was settled in the final event. Entering the finale, King (Tenn.) trailed the Lady Knights, 166.325-163.765.  Earning a score 89.11 in the team routine, the Tornado rallied for a 252.875-249.425 victory over the Lady Knights. GU posted a team-routine score of 83.10.
 
The Lady Knights and Tornado now share a 1-1 mark in the all-time series.
 
UP NEXT
For the third consecutive meet, Gannon will remain at home. The Lady Knights conclude their stretch of home meets with a tri-meet March 21. GU will host Alderson Broaddus and Concordia (Wis.) at 7 p.m.