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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 28, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">No. 1 Baylor A&T Earns Host of Accolades from NCATA<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white;mso-highlight:white">Bears swept DI major awards<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Madelon Allen; 254-252-7168,
</span><a href="mailto:madelon_allen@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">madelon_allen@baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">FAIRMONT, W.Va.<span style="color:black"> –
</span></span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">No. 1 Baylor acrobatics & tumbling earned a host of NCATA major awards, including a sweep of the major awards, announced on Sunday by the organization.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Riley Chimwala earned Athlete of the Year, Jordan Gruendler was named Specialist of the Year and Payton Washington is Freshman of the Year for the NCATA among Division I programs.
This is Gruendler’s second-straight season earning Specialist of the Year. Gannon swept the DII awards while UMHB swept for DIII.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Chimwala finished her senior regular-season slate having contributed 775.20 points for Baylor. With her on the mat, the Bears averaged a 19.47/20.00 points in the Acro event, 29.14/30
in pyramid and 18.98/19.80 in Toss.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Gruendler, a junior top, earned the Specialist award for her prowess in the Acro event, where she averaged a 9.87/10 in heat one and 9.69/10 in heat three. In the regular season,
she had a high score of 9.95 against Long Island in the five-element heat and a high score of 9.95 in the seven-element against Oregon at home.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Washington, a top and tumbler, competed in a total of 60 heats as a freshman. She had a season-high 9.95 in heat 1 of acro at Long Island and a season-high of 9.95 in the synchronized
pyramid at Iona. She competes as a top in both the 450 salto toss and the synchronized toss, averaging a 9.73 and 9.41, respectively. In the tumbling event she consistently competes in two heats, averaging a 9.929 with a high score of 9.975 in the six-element
pass.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Chimwala, Gruendler, Washington and Bayley Humphrey were each named NCATA All-America. It was Humphrey’s third time being named All-America, and Chimwala’s fourth. A total of 62
student-athletes were nominated for the distinction from 21 institutions and only 16 individuals were selected.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Gruendler was also named to the NCATA All-Academic Team, consisting of just eight student-athletes from eight programs across the NCATA from 32 nominations. Each member of the 2024
All-Academic Team had at least a 3.70 cumulative grade-point average or higher. A junior, Gruendler holds a 3.97 cumulative GPA, studying Psychology with a minor in French.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">In addition, the NCATA also announced its 2023 Academic Honor Roll, which includes all active Acrobatics & Tumbling student-athletes with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30
or higher. The Bears had 30 student-athlete named to the Honor Roll, the second-most out of all teams by just three.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor acrobatics & tumbling, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorAcroTumb.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" 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">- BaylorBears</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">.com
-</span></i><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;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;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;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Associate
Director of Athletics Communications <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">VB, A&T, BaylorBears.com</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">C: 254-252-7168<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><img border="0" width="159" height="44" style="width:1.6562in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DA9979.32AC0DC0" alt="signature_3434785376"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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