EDMOND, Ok. -- The 2023 STUNT NAIA Division National Championship Tournament began Saturday and the second-seeded Vanguard Lions went 1-1 on day one. Vanguard beat Hope International 17-12 but came up just short against the Jessup Warriors, falling 14-13. With the loss, VU will need to be perfect Sunday against Hope to set up a rematch against Jessup in the title fight. The Lions are now 12-5 overall.
What Happened? Facing Hope in the first game of the day, Vanguard entered with the confidence that the Royals had yet to beat VU in the history of the two programs. But that memo was not passed to HIU, who forced a tie in three routines in the first quarter of partner stunts. The Royals continued to make inroads in the second quarter of pyramids and tosses, winning one routine outright and drawing even in the other two to enter halftime with a 6-5 edge. The Blue and Gold got over their early woes and reset smartly in the third quarter of jumps and tumbling, winning the frame 3-1 to jump ahead 8-7 in the match. The long routines of the fourth quarter landed for Vanguard, as the Lions won the fourth period 9-5 to claim the match 17-12, putting VU up against Jessup with a spot in the championship match on the line.
The Warriors and the Lions ended up competing in the closest matchup of the season between the two programs, as the top-two squads in the bracket put on a show. JU was better in the first half though, as the Warriors went into halftime ahead 7-2, with the Lions tallying just one point in each quarter. That turned out to be the difference, as VU again made a push in the second half. The Blue and Gold took maximum points in the third period, with Jessup scoring once, to bring the gap down to 8-6. That meant everything was on the line in the fourth quarter and the Lions stepped up to win the frame 7-6, but that left the team one tantalizing point short, as Jessup won 14-13 to reach the championship game.
What's Next? The Lions will face the Royals Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m. and if the team wins, VU will square off against Jessup one last time at noon for the STUNT NAIA Division crown.
