SAN ANTONIO — Facing a pair of rivals on the same day is a tough task for any team, but adding the emotion of Senior Day and the day takes on an even bigger challenge. The St. Mary's University STUNT team gladly faced the challenges and won the day, defeating St. Edward's 20-2 and Texas Woman's 24-19 on the first day of the Rattler Invitational.
Prior to the first game, the Rattlers (4-6, 2-0 LSC) honored the 15 seniors on the roster, taking time to celebrate the inaugural recruiting class in St. Mary's history.
Alecka Brown (Helotes, Texas),
Kailey Carder (San Antonio),
Morgan Cassias (San Antonio), Sydnye Forde-Richardson (Houston),
Tiffany Gomez (El Paso, Texas),
M'Lynn Griego (Jourdanton, Texas),
Sanaa Johnson (Helotes),
Courtney McClellan (New Braunfels, Texas),
Jocelyn Mendez (Mission, Texas),
Yanelle Nicholson (Helotes),
Riley Smith (Canyon Lake, Calif.), and
Isabel Soto (San Antonio) are all wrapping up their fourth season with the Rattlers, while
Maria Fernandes (Katy, Texas),
Izabella Grinnell (Pasco, Wash.), and
Victoria Gutierrez (Laredo, Texas) will forego their final year to pursue postgraduate degrees.
The Rattlers conclude the second annual invitational on Sunday, playing Texas A&M-Kingsville and rematching with the Pioneers.
St. Edward's Recap, 20-2
After the emotions of Senior Day ceremonies, the Rattlers focused right in, nailing routine 7 in the second round of the first quarter. It is the first time this season that the Rattlers have attempted 7 in the first period.
The Rattlers scored a point in each routine of the first quarter, while they scored on routines 3 and 4 to bookend the rounds in the second quarter for a 6-0 halftime lead.
During the third quarter, jumps & tumbling, the Rattlers outscored the Hilltoppers 4-1, winning routines 4 and 3 in the first two rounds and earning a 2-point minor-deduction advantage in the fourth round on routine 1 for a 10-1 lead headed into the team routines.
The Rattlers won each point in rounds one and three, and collected four points on routine 1 in the second round for a 10-point quarter and the 20-2 victory.
Texas Woman's Recap, 24-19
With the Pioneers ranked ahead of the Rattlers in the national poll and conference seeding on the line, the two teams pulled out all the stops early, calling routines 4-through-7 in the first quarter. The Rattlers won the point for partner stunts in 4, 5 and 7, while no points were awarded for 6 to give StMU the early 3-0 lead.
In pyramids & tosses, St. Mary's outscored TWU 5-4, as they won routines 1 and 4 by minor deductions, and tied in the third round on routine 2 to double up the Pioneers at halftime, 8-4.
Three of the four rounds in quarter three were decided by two or fewer minor deductions, with the Rattlers winning routines 4 and 6, the Pioneers winning 3, and the teams tied on 5 for the 14-9 tally headed into team routines.
Each team earned 10 points in the final quarter, with the Rattlers pulling off an exciting point in the jumps & tumbling section of routine 7 to send the crowd into a raucous cheer.
