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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – </span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">January
31, 2022<br>
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</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor A&T Voted Preseason Favorite in NCATA Preseason Coaches’ Poll<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Reigning national champion Baylor starts season on Saturday<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> Madelon Allen, 254-252-7168, </span><a href="mailto:Madelon_Allen@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">Madelon_Allen@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> <b> </b><br>
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WACO, Texas –</span></b><span style="background:white"> The Baylor acrobatics and tumbling team has been named the favorite in the NCATA Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the organization announced Monday.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The Bears were voted first on 29 out of 31 ballots to be named the preseason favorite for the fast-approaching acrobatics & tumbling season.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">BU, the reigning and six-time national champion, starts its season on Saturday in the Ferrell Center with a start time of 5 p.m. against No. 14 Mary-Hardin
Baylor. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Baylor will face No. 3 Oregon at the end of February at home as well as No. 5 Hawaii Pacific on April 10. On the road for a good portion of the season,
the Bears will travel to ETBU, Saint Leo, No. 4 Quinnipiac, No. 14 UMHB as well as No. 3 Oregon to close the season before the championships.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">QUOTABLE – head coach Felecia Mulkey<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">“The rankings being released means that the season is here and that gets me fired up! It is exciting to be ranked number one. I’m grateful for my
colleagues that voted us into that position. This changes nothing about how we approach the season. Practice by practice, meet by meet, we are trying to improve each day. Our goal is to peak at the right time. We can’t wait to see everyone at the Ferrell Center
this weekend to start the season.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor acrobatics & tumbling, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorAcro.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">2022 NCATA Preseason Coaches’ Poll<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">1. Baylor (29) - 463 <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">2. Azusa Pacific (1) - 411 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">3. Oregon (1) - 410 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">4. Quinnipiac - 366 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">5. Hawaii Pacific - 321 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">6. Gannon - 318 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">7. Converse - 241 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">8. Fairmont State - 237 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">9. Limestone - 231 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">10. King - 208 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">11. West Liberty - 108 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">12. Presbyterian - 88 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">13. Belmont Abbey - 76 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">14. Mary-Hardin Baylor - 61 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">15. Frostburg State - 49 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">- BaylorBears.com -<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#385623">Madelon Allen</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#385623"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">| </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Associate
Director of Athletics Communications (VB, MTEN, A&T)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">C: 254-252-7168<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="159" height="44" style="width:1.6562in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D816C4.6AA26BA0" alt="signature_170426126"><o:p></o:p></p>
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