Freeport grad helps Duquesne's 1st-year acrobatics and tumbling team reach national rankings

Like any college freshman, Freeport grad Abby Eberle had to get accustomed to her new surroundings, schedule and academic expectations. She also had to juggle all of that with being a college athlete.

But there was one other “new” factor that made Eberle’s first year of college unusual: She was joining a sports team that was in its inaugural season. The Duquesne acrobatics and tumbling team wrapped up its first season in the spring, a season that exceeded expectations.

“It’s an original experience,” Eberle said. “It’s hard. You’re coming into college, and you’re trying to navigate classes along with being a first-year acro team. And we really didn’t have a lot of upperclassmen to help pave the way.

“Not only were we navigating college together for the first time, we were navigating how acrobatics and tumbling works and how to get to practice on time and all sorts of basic things.”

Eberle and her teammates performed like veterans. The Dukes ended the season ranked No. 12 in the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association poll.

“Definitely exceeded expectations,” coach Michaela Soper said. “Starting something new from the ground up, you really don’t have a standard. You’re kind of setting that as you go.

“I know the team themselves … were really trying to put their name on the map, but I don’t know if we expected us to be nationally ranked that first season.”

Acrobatics and tumbling combines skills of gymnastics and cheerleading and features synchronized skills such as tumbling, pyramid formations and lifts. Meets are divided into six events: compulsory (a set of basic skills), acro, pyramid, toss, tumbling and a team event, which is a choreographed routine set to music and incorporates all of the disciplines.

Scores, much like gymnastics, are based on a skill’s degree of difficulty and the precision with which it is executed.

Eberle spent 13 years as a competitive cheerleader and thought her career as an athlete would be over once she entered college. She felt like she had come to “the end of my road” with cheerleading.

Then she was approached by Soper with the opportunity to compete for Duquesne.

“It kind of reopened my eyes and … it’s a whole new sport,” Eberle said. “It’s completely different. I can take my old skills and old talents that I love doing but apply it to something completely new, completely fresh. It’s so cool.”

Soper said Eberle was a valuable part of the team, able to execute each of the three positions: base, top and tumbler. Mostly she was a top or a tumbler, but, Soper said, she never hesitated if she needed to perform as a base.

“She’s not a base,” Soper said, “but she does jump into those basing positions without fear.”

Duquesne’s 33-woman roster had only two non-freshmen, one of them being grad student Abby McDermott. A Leechburg grad, McDermott competed at Division II Glenville State for four years before spending her final season of eligibility with the Dukes.

Despite growing up in neighboring communities, Eberle and McDermott didn’t know each other until they met at Duquesne. Eberle said McDermott’s leadership was invaluable.

“Our team actually calls her ‘Mama McDermott’ because she’s the oldest teammate,” Eberle said. “But she really did take on like an older sibling figure to the rest of the team.”

After such a successful maiden voyage, the Dukes are hoping to move up a notch next season. Eberle said she and her teammates are keeping in close contact over the summer to make sure everyone is staying in tune. Eberle is working out periodically with Seneca Valley grad Mia Dipner.

The next goal would be to make the NCAA Tournament, something Eberle said is well within reach.

And after what the Dukes accomplished this spring, it seems tough to bet against them.

“I remember sitting at practice and our coaches telling us that we were going to be nationally ranked at the end of the season, and it was so cool,” Eberle said. “It just wasn’t something that was 100% sure would happen as a first-year team. It was cool to see all of the hard work pay off.”