EDMOND, Okla. – For the second season in a row, the best STUNT program in the nation resides in Rocklin as on Sunday, Jessup University won its second consecutive NAIA STUNT National Championship.
"We're so excited right now," said head coach
Alexis Blunk. "As a third-year program, to be able to have back-to-back national championships is just so amazing. We have a great group of kids who work really hard, and they've been working their butts off all year long to repeat that championship title."
It was déjà vu for the Warriors as awaiting them in the championship game for the second season in a row were the Lions of Vanguard University. Different this time was the two teams' paths to Sunday's championship game, as the Warriors advanced via two victories on Saturday, with the Lions taking down Hope International 16-11 Sunday morning to keep their season alive.
One year ago, it was Jessup needing a victory over HIU to secure a spot in the championship round.
The Warriors wasted no time testing the skill of their opponents on Sunday, calling routines six and eight in the opening quarter. Jessup scored off both, with the Lions forfeiting on routine eight.
Jessup swept the first seven points of the match before the Lions finally scored, sending the contest into the half with the Warriors leading 7-1.
Sunday's meeting with the Lions was the second in 24 hours between the two GSAC schools, as Jessup narrowly took down VU 14-13 on Saturday to advance to Sunday's championship. In yesterday's battle, it was quarter three that saw the strongest performance out of the Lions, and Sunday was no different.
Vanguard put four points on the board in jumps and tumbling, but the Warriors stymied any chance of a threat as three of the routines ended in a tie. With Vanguard edging past Jessup 4-3 in the third, Jessup ended the final quarter holding a 10-5 advantage.
On the importance of taking three points in the third, Blunk added, "It was super important. We knew that we had to start off strong in quarters one and two if we wanted to have a big enough gap going into quarter three. So that's what we did. Quarter three has not been our strong suit this year, but we knew that if we can at least tie those routines, we could keep that gap, and then we'd be able to pull away from them in quarter four, hopefully."
The gap was just what the Warriors needed as the first two routines of quarter four saw each team score a pair, sending the game into the final two routines with Jessup leading 14-9. Needing two more points to secure a title, the Warriors capitalized off routine five, pulling ahead 16-10 to clinch the championship.
Both sides would tie on routine eight to wrap up the match, ending the day with a 17-11 victory and a trophy to boot.
For the Warriors, a team who failed to win a game two seasons ago, they end year three 18-1, with the lone loss coming at the hands of NCAA Division I National Champions Cal Baptist.
Now the sights are set on team four, a roster that sees just four graduating seniors depart.
"We're just going to keep working hard next year," added Blunk. "We want to start playing the top Division II teams so that way we're ready to go and hopefully win another national championship when we move up to Division II."
The 2024 season is expected to be Jessup's final season in the NAIA, as the Warriors have submitted an application to join NCAA Division II. Blunk and the Warriors will look to leave the NAIA as back-to-back-to-back champs.
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Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
