MARS HILL, NC – Despite delivering multiple season-best marks on Thursday night (April 2), Francis Marion University suffered a 246.025-225.115 loss at Mars Hill University in the season finale of Conference Carolinas acrobatics and tumbling.

Mars Hill established a 35.00-28.95 edge following the compulsory portion of the event. FMU's totals included a pair of season-best scores with a 9.70 in the pyramid and 9.65 in the toss heat.

In the acro event, Francis Marion scored a 9.10 in the 5-element behind a performance by fifth-year Mikayla Brown, juniors Keirstyn Rogers and Bethany Tymes, sophomore JaLin Nelson, and freshman Eilee Gonzales. The Mountain Lions still managed to outscore the Patriots in all three heats to win the event by a 26.15-24.85 margin.

During the pyramid portion, the Patriots scored an impressive 9.30 in the inversion event before setting a season-high score of 9.60 in the synchronized heat en route to a 26.80 mark. Mars Hill scored a 29.25 to head into halftime with a 90.40-80.60 advantage.

The Lions won the initial two sessions of the toss event following the break. Francis Marion won the open portion of the toss with a score of 9.15 with the squad of Gonzales, Nelson, Tymes, junior Jaliyah Douglas, sophomore Destiny Keve, and freshman Daijah Parrish. Mars Hill captured the event by a narrow margin of 27.00-26.20.

Gonzales produced a team-best score in the 6-element pass with a 9.275 mark to win that heat. The Lions secured the tumbling event by a total of 47.825-43.625.

Mars Hill finished the event by winning the team event by an 80.80 to 74.69 count, which was a season-best score for the Patriots.