FULLERTON, Calif. -- The Vanguard STUNT team upped its winning streak to three at the HIU Royal Rumble today before taking its first defeat of 2026.  Vanguard earned a 29-7 win over Northwest Nazarene, but fell to Trevecca Nazarene 22-17.  The Lions go to 3-1 on the campaign.

VU 29  NNU 7
The Blue and Gold trumped the Nighthawks with a 3-0 lead in the first quarter of partner stunts and increased the advantage to 7-1 with a 4-1 victory in the second frame of pyramids and tosses.  VU showed so solid technical skill in the third period of jumps and tumbling, beating NNU 7-3 to enter the fourth interval of the combined routines ahead 14-4.  The Lions almost tripled NNU's output, taking the period 15-4 to make it three victories in a row.

TNU 22  VU 17
The Lions faced a deficit early on against Trevecca, as the Trojans held a 2-1 lead after one routine.  VU took two points on the third routine, but could not tally a point on the fourth, resulting in TNU leading 3-1.  The Trojans increased their advantage to 10-5 after a 6-2 triumph in the second frame, but the Blue and Gold did not get dismayed.  The squad had a point on each routine in the third to set the gap to 14-9 entering the fourth period.  The Lions grabbed a point in their favor in the second routine of the fourth, making the score 19-15, but TNU then grabbed a third point in the third act, putting the deficit at 22-17.  Unable to catch the Trojans, but wanting to put an exclamation mark on the day, VU called routine eight, the hardest on offer, but could not get any points.  However, it was the first routine eight the team has attempted in a competition in program history in the fourth quarter.

What was Said? "The team learned a lot and came together.  There were no losses this weekend," said Head Coach Salonia Harper.  "They competed against themselves all weekend, and that is what I have been asking for.  Everyone really displayed grit and a championship mindset."

What's Next?  The Lions have their first home games a week from today, as they face Cal Poly SLO and Jessup t 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.