Story By: Sarah Turner

On Thursday, Feb. 12, Montevallo Falcons Acrobatics & Tumbling returned to Central State Bank Arena for their season opener, hosting the nation’s 11th-ranked team, the Saint Leo University Lions. Despite a strong effort, the Falcons fell 259.840-244.565 in a hard-fought meet.

Now in just its second season, the newest addition to the Montevallo athletics family continues to make strides. The Falcons posted a 3-5 record in their inaugural campaign last year, an impressive showing for a first-year program. Two of those victories came against in-state competitor Talladega College, the only other acrobatics and tumbling program in Alabama, while the third win came over East Texas Baptist.

This spring marks another milestone for the program as Montevallo officially joins Conference Carolinas, making the Falcons eligible for postseason competition for the first time. The Conference Carolinas championship will be held in April in Franklin Springs, Georgia.

Preseason-ranked fifth in the conference, the Falcons return much of last year’s roster. Sophomores Lexie Cole, Rilyn McAllister and Katie Quinn were all named to the Conference Carolinas Players to Watch list.

“Honestly, we were surprised, but we were very, very happy and grateful to be ranked that high,” assistant coach Mel Low said. “We’re hoping to keep it up throughout the season.”

Veteran leadership will also play a key role, with seniors Corrine Wilcox, Payton Roach and Katlyn Smith guiding an otherwise young squad looking to build on last year’s foundation. Head coach Kati Horstmann further strengthened the roster in the offseason, adding eight true freshmen expected to contribute across multiple events.

Nationally, the sport is gaining a lot of attention, as acrobatics and tumbling was approved in an official NCAA vote to become a fully sanctioned championship sport across all three divisions. The first NCAA A&T championship is set for spring 2027.

Against Saint Leo, Montevallo showed resilience throughout the meet. The Falcons opened strong in the Compulsory event, narrowly trailing the Lions 36.35-35.90. Saint Leo gained momentum in the Acro event, where a few minor mistakes proved costly for Montevallo. The Falcons’ strongest performance of the night came in the pyramid event, where they finished less than a point behind the Lions.

Despite the loss, Low was encouraged by her team’s performance.

Next, Montevallo begins its Conference Carolinas slate, and expectations remain high.

“We want to make it to the conference quarterfinals at least, and we’re hoping to reach the semifinals as well in our first year,” Low said.

The Falcons will return home on March 14 to face the Lander University Bearcats, the Conference Carolinas preseason No. 1 team, in a meet that will also serve as Senior Day.