FLORENCE, SC – The Francis Marion University Acrobatics and Tumbling Team came up short in their first home tri-meet against Limestone University and King University (TN) on Saturday (March 2). Limestone defeated both teams with a final score of 268.680, while King recorded a score of 242.155 and Francis Marion finished with a 202.330.
 
The Patriots will return to the mats on Monday, March 11, against Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., at 6 p.m.
 
Beginning in the compulsory event, junior bases Mikayla Brown and Trinity (AJ) Lunn, freshman top Alyssa Durrans, freshman base Olivia Blanda, freshman tumbler Hailey Gaither, sophomore base Emma Barnes, sophomore top Alexandria Mitchell, freshman base Jaliyah Douglas, freshman base Alyssa-Naomi Pippins, freshman tumbler Priscilla Vega, sophomore base Camille Diaz, senior base Arianna Williams and freshman top Kaylee Rowell competed in the pyramid heat of compulsory. With a start value of 10.00, Francis Marion registered an 8.80.
 
Durrans, Mitchell, Douglas, Brown, Pippins, Lunn, Blanda, Rowell, Williams, Gaither, and Barnes also competed in the toss event of compulsory, recording a 7.90 while Limestone tallied a 9.55 and King posted a 9.20.
 
FMU (0-6) exited the compulsory event with an event total of 27.60, trailing King's 33.40 and Limestone's 37.10.
 
Brown, Blanda, and Vega performed an assisted climb up layout into a hand-to-hand for heat one of the acro event to score a 7.50 out of 8.90. In heat three of acro, the Patriots scored a 7.15 out of 8.70. Finishing the acro event, Francis Marion totaled 19.20 points and a running total of 46.80.
 
King (2-4) collected 26.55 points during the acro event while Limestone (5-0) led with 27.80.
 
In the three pyramid event competitions, Francis Marion registered 23.85 points out of a possible 28.50. The Patriots scored a 7.45 in heat one, 8.00 in heat two, and 8.40 in heat three. Entering halftime, Limestone led with 93.95, followed by King (86.55) and Francis Marion (70.65).
 
Brown, Douglas, junior base Madison Dykes, Pippins, Durrans, and Gaither all took part in heat one (450 Salto) of the toss competition, listing their highest score of the toss event at 8.25 out of 9.00. In heat three (Open), Mitchell, Blanda, Rowell, Gaither, Williams, and Barnes executed an Arabian pike for a 7.20 out of 8.70.
 
With a start value of 51.00, FMU scored 44.100 points during the tumbling event competitions. Limestone led once again with 53.450 points, followed by King's 46.825 points.
 
Entering the final competition of the meet, the team event, with a start value of 93.78, FMU registered 65.53 points. Limestone claimed 93.73 points out of 104.33 and King tallied 83.78 points out of 99.43.
 
Francis Marion's 202.330 final score was the highest of the season for the first-year program.