Lander University

Acrobatics & Tumbling 4/12/2026 8:17:00 PM Hailey Franklin - Assistant Sports Information Director

Lander Stuns Top-Seeded Wingate to Capture First Conference Carolinas Title

FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. - The second-seeded Lander Acrobatics & Tumbling team delivered a historic performance Sunday evening, rallying past top-seeded Wingate Acrobatics & Tumbling 257.680-257.010 to claim the program's first-ever Conference Carolinas championship.

In a meet that lived up to its billing, Lander (9-2) erased a halftime deficit and surged in the final two events to avenge its only conference loss of the season, a narrow 252.365-251.925 defeat to Wingate (10-1) during the regular season.

Wingate held a slim 94.425-93.300 advantage through the compulsory, acro, and pyramid events. Lander started the meet off strong, posting a 36.925 to Wingate's 36.800 in compulsory. The Bulldogs edged Lander in acro (28.200-27.900) and held steady in pyramid, but the Bearcats remained within striking distance entering the second half.

The momentum shifted during the toss and tumbling events. Lander capitalized on cleaner execution in the toss, posting a 27.650 to Wingate's 26.675. The decisive swing came in tumbling, where Lander's consistency across passes, highlighted by a 9.700 in the open pass and 9.625 in the aerial, helped narrow the gap.

Trailing entering the team event, Lander delivered under pressure. The Bearcats posted an 85.430 in the team event compared to Wingate's 83.910, sealing the comeback victory in dramatic fashion.

Lander finished with a meet total of 257.680, narrowly surpassing Wingate's 257.010 in one of the tightest championship results in recent conference history.

Earlier in the day, Lander set the tone in the individual event finals, capturing a meet-best seven event championships, the most of any program in the field. The Bearcats earned first-place finishes in the five-element acro, six-element acro, 450 salto toss, synchronized toss, quad tumbling, aerial tumbling, and open tumbling, showcasing depth that carried into the team championship.

The victory marks a milestone moment for Lander, which entered as the No. 2 seed but left no doubt in the final rotation, completing a season defined by resilience and growth with a championship breakthrough.

For Wingate, the loss marks its first of the season, closing an otherwise dominant campaign just short of a conference title.

Hear from Head Coach Sarah DiSpaltro following the team's historic first-ever conference title victory.

Shop the championship gear now!

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