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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 28, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;color:black">No. 1 Baylor A&T Sweeps Weekly Awards from NCATA</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white">Bears earn all three awards for the first time since 2021<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Madelon Allen; 254-252-7168, </span><a href="mailto:madelon_allen@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">madelon_allen@baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">WACO, Texas –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Baylor acrobatics & tumbling earned all three
weekly awards from the NCATA, the organization announced Wednesday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">BU had Riley Chimwala named Athlete of the Week, Jordan Gruendler earn Specialist and Payton Washington earn Freshman after the third
week of competition. This is Chimwala’s second Athlete accolade of the season.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The last time the Bears swept the NCATA’s weekly awards was in 2021 when Kamryn Kitchens (Athlete), Emily Tobin (Specialist) and Chimwala
(Freshman) each earned an accolade.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Senior base Chimwala competed in 10 heats and the team event to help Baylor defeat No. 2 Oregon. She helped BU earn seven scores of 9.75
or higher, including a 9.95 in the compulsory pyramid and 9.90 in synchronized pyramid.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Gruendler, a junior top, shone in the acro event for the Bears. A score of 9.95 was earned in the seven-element acro heat, where she
performs the “ring,” followed by an arch and one-handed arch, which a young fan lovingly named the “spider.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Gruendler and Washington both serve as tops in the 9.85-scoring five-element acro heat, where Chimwala is the sole base.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Washington, a top and tumbler, competed in eight heats overall as well as the team event against the Ducks. She contributed to five scores
of 9.75 or higher for the Bears across multiple events, including a 9.0 in the synchronized pyramid and a 9.95 in the six-element solo tumbling pass.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Chimwala, Gruendler and Washington were integral in the 183.335 to 175.835 win over No. 2 Oregon. The Bears head on a two-meet road trip
this weekend where they will face new DI opponents Iona and Long Island in New York on March 3 and 5, respectively.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor acrobatics & tumbling, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok and Instagram:
@BaylorAcroTumb.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><a href="http://www.BaylorBears"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;text-decoration:none">- BaylorBears</span></i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;text-decoration:none">.com</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">
-<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 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">VB, A&T, BaylorBears.com</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>
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