STUNT is headed to their first National Championship as an NCAA DII sport at the end of this month. Nationals will take place April 26 through 28 in Missouri, where the team will get to showcase the work they've put in all season. 

This season has been very unique for the STUNT team. Becoming an NCAA sport and sporting a new coaching staff has called for change and adjustments. “It has definitely had its challenges, but I am loving every aspect of this new journey,” said assistant coach, Janae Magpale, who joined the team this year. 

Concordia STUNT is one of the few DII programs in California, so they did a lot of traveling this season to play against other schools. This brought on its own set of challenges that the team has learned to navigate. “There are different scoring and rules in other states. The lack of consistency in judging can be hard,” said junior, Lindsay Pineiros. 

“Since STUNT is now an NCAA sport, it has become more competitive and the intensity level has amplified. We are now following new regulations and learning to maneuver in a different atmosphere,” said Magpale.

One of the benefits that has come with joining the NCAA is receiving more coverage and recognition. “We've started to get the social media coverage and support from students and staff that we deserve,” said flyer/tumbler Christian Greene. The team is happy to see more and more people showing up to games and learning about their sport.

“By being recognized as our own sport it allows people to focus on what STUNT really is and appreciate our athleticism, skills and hard work.,” said sophomore Abigail Anderson.

The team's regular season came to an end on April 3. in their game against California Baptist University. With a few weeks to reset, the team is reflecting on the season and moving forward. “We had a rocky start, but we came back from a short break and everyone's mindsets had shifted. It's nice to know that even if we have a rough start, we can turn the season around,” said Greene.

These next weeks will not be easy on the team. The women are focusing on what will get them the best results at nationals. “There will be a lot of repetition,” said Greene. “We’re going to be perfecting the routines we have down, and maybe adding in one more.” 

Performing the same routines as all the other teams means that the women will need to be as close to perfect as possible. “A lot of other teams have the same levels down that we do, so we’ll be trying to set ourselves apart from them to have the best shot possible,” said Pineiros. 

“Practices are getting more intense, and the pressure is on for these girls. As coaches, we are really focusing on making sure they are healthy and prepared for anything,” said Magpale.

Follow along with STUNT as they head to Nationals by checking out @cui_stunt and @cuigoldeneagles on social media!

Tags: Stunt

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