Texas Lutheran Upsets No. 12 Hawai'i Pacific, Wins Tri-Meet for First Time in Program History

MARSHALL, Texas -- The Texas Lutheran Acrobatics and Tumbling team continues to soar to new heights as it passes the mid-way point of the program's third season as they continue to surpass milestone after milstone. The program erupted for a new program-best score of 244.225 to secure the first ranked win in program history over No. 12 Hawai'i Pacific and winning the first tri-meet in program history by beating meet host, East Texas Baptist, on Wednesday. The meet marks the tenth consecutive meet that Texas Lutheran has eclipsed the 200-point mark.

The Bulldogs (3-2) won the event and were followed by Hawai'i Pacific with 241.415 points while East Texas Baptist (0-3) took third with a score of 195.520.

Texas Lutheran fell just short of a program-high in the compulsory with a score of 33.70, including a 9.00 in acro, 9.45 in pyramid, and 9.70 in toss out of the highest possible value of 10. Hawai'i Pacific would win this event with a total score of 36.35.

Texas Lutheran would respond by winning the acro and pyramid events to carry the lead at halftime. Texas Lutheran entered halftime with 90.20 points with Hawai'i Pacific in second with 83.75 points and ETBU in third with 73.55. Texas Lutheran won the acro event with a score of 27.05 that included a 9.50 in the 5-Element heat and a 9.25 in the 7-Element heat. The Bulldogs would begin to pull away in the pyramid event with a score of 29.45 to Hawai'i Pacific's 22.35 and ETBU's 28.70. The 29.45 is a new program-high for the Bulldogs, aided by a 9.85 in inversion, 9.70 in synchronized, and 9.90 in the open pyramid heat.

TLU would lead both teams entering halftime, leading Hawai'i Pacific 90.20-83.75 with ETBU in third with 73.55 points.

The Sharks took the toss event, with event scores being 27.65, 25.70 from TLU, and 25.10 from ETBU. The toss was highlighted by earning a 9.35 in the open toss with a 9.40 starting value. 

The Sharks continued to chip away at the Bulldogs lead through the tumbling event and would take a one point lead entering the team event. Hawai'i Pacific took the tumbling event, outscoring TLU 51.825 to 46.575, with ETBU finishing third with a score of 35.300. A 9.375 from Gracen Bunch (Georgetown/Georgetown) in the aerial pass and a 9.225 from Phoenix Cosley (Round Rock/Hendrickson) would prove to be huge as the two teams battled to the end for the win.

Texas Lutheran would secure the win by winning the team event with a score of 81.75, a new-program high, outscoring Hawai'i Pacific in the meet's most consequential moment by a narrow margin of 81.75-78.19.

TLU will return to Marshall for a rematch with East Texas Baptist on March 26 at 6 PM. All streaming links will be available on tlubulldogs.com.

For more information on Texas Lutheran Acrobatics & Tumbling, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter and Instagram (@tluacrotumb) and as always you can find updates on all Texas Lutheran athletics on tlubulldogs.com and all official TLU social media channels (@tluathletics on Twitter, @tlu_athletics on Instagram and TikTok, and @tlubulldogs on Facebook).