This story first appeared in the Spring 2023 edition of The Augustana. 

On Feb. 4, the Augustana Acrobatics & Tumbling (A&T) Team took to the mat for its inaugural meet — a first for South Dakota and the region. In front of a packed crowd at the Elmen Center, the Vikings hosted the University of Oregon Ducks — a founding member of the sport.
 
This was a moment nearly three years in the making for Augustana Athletics. The groundwork for Augustana's A&T program was laid in 2020. At a time when colleges and universities across the country were eliminating sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Augustana announced the addition of the sport on Nov. 19, 2020, along with the men's swimming & diving program.
 
"Acrobatics & tumbling is a great addition for the Augustana community and Sioux Falls, and AU Athletics is proud to be part of a university that is always looking at unique and innovative ways to grow and serve students," Director of Athletics Josh Morton said.
 
Recognized as an NCAA emerging sport, acrobatics & tumbling is the evolution of different forms of gymnastics, as well as the athletic aspects of competitive cheerleading — primarily recruiting women who competed in these sports in high school. It is not uncommon, though, for divers, track & field and weightlifting athletes to be members of an A&T roster. Individuals and small groups execute acrobatic lifts, tosses, pyramids and tumbling. 
 
Acrobatics & tumbling was created for the collegiate level, and first held competition in 2010 with six founding schools. It has since taken off, with more than 50 institutions sponsoring the sport.
 
'Compete to win'
 
In July 2021, Kaelyn Cowan was named Augustana A&T's inaugural head coach. Cowan, who was a national champion as both a student-athlete and assistant coach, immediately got to work building the program and recruiting a team.
 
"The main component was a blend of quantity and quality," Cowan said. "I would explain my goals and that this is a first-year program and we would be learning from the beginning. But, I also said that, at Augustana, we compete to win.
 
"The culture for our acrobatics & tumbling team focuses on four 'buckets,' as we call them. These buckets are communication, accountability, respect and discipline. Every athlete knew these buckets and the expectation behind each before they committed to Augustana. They understood the expectation of being a Viking."
 
As Cowan established the culture and expectations, along came the commitments.
 
"The talent came," Cowan said. "The Midwest has impeccable athletes from gymnastics and competitive cheerleading backgrounds. Acrobatics & tumbling was just not well-known in the area when I first began to recruit. My job was to explain to these athletes what this sport was about and why Augustana was the place to be. Augustana sells itself once the athletes get on campus."
 
In November 2021, Cowan announced a signing class of 17 student-athletes. That class grew to the inaugural roster of 24 student-athletes, featuring a well-blended mix of area graduates and nationwide talent.
 
"Being part of an inaugural team is an exciting experience," said Raena Rost '26, a base/tumbler. "I feel honored to be part of something new and groundbreaking. Acrobatics & tumbling gives female athletes another avenue to compete at the collegiate level. 
 
"I love having the chance to work with other talented athletes toward a common goal and learn and grow from the experience," Rost, a Madison, South Dakota, native, continued. "The Augustana community has been so supportive, and it's been so fun to see the excitement about the A&T team all around campus."
 
The team met for the first time in September 2022 when practices began.
 
"I would say two different emotions came to the surface when I finally saw 24 student-athletes sitting in front of me," Cowan said. "The first was pure excitement. Coaching is my job, and I had not been able to fully interact with athletes every day. I was excited to finally begin to set the dream that Augustana began to embark on almost two years prior into full motion.
 
"The second emotion was a sense of peace. The athletes were here. They were on campus. We had completed our first class."
 
'Truly something special'
 
In January, a few weeks before the inaugural meet, Augustana A&T held a showcase — allowing the team to perform in front of a crowd for the first time. Augustana faculty, staff, fellow student-athletes and families showed up to the Elmen Center to get their first glimpse of the sport.
 
In February, the team returned to the Elmen Center for its inaugural meet against the fifth-ranked University of Oregon Ducks. The contest marked the first competition between these two universities in any sport.
 
"Never in my life did I think I would compete against the Oregon Ducks in any sport," Rost said. "Oregon is known in the acro & tumbling community as being one of the top teams. Not only was it exciting to compete against them, but exciting to watch them in person."
 
As the crowd piled in, it was obvious that this new sport was catching on in Sioux Falls.
 
"I was so nervous before the meet, but seeing the stands full of students, faculty, family and friends helped calm my nerves because I knew our team had so much support," said Rost.
 
"One word comes to mind — proud," Cowan added. "Our team came into a gym with an enormous crowd and competed. They held a composure that I have only seen with veteran programs. They trusted in themselves, their training and, more importantly, each other. I have never seen a team like Augustana Acrobatics & Tumbling season one, and it is truly something special."
 
As the meet progressed, it became clear that Augustana A&T was not just composed. They were there to compete.
 
"I was proud of the coaching staff," Cowan said. "Sophia Gardner (graduate assistant), Maggie Kadrlik (strength & conditioning) and Alexis Hildahl (athletic training) have been on board with the processes from the beginning. They understood the goal, and they knew that each athlete had it in them to be part of the best start-up program in the country."
 
Although the final score did not favor the Vikings in the inaugural meet, two weeks later, in only their second meet, Augustana traveled to Mequon, Wisconsin, and recorded their first win in program history against Concordia University Wisconsin — the 2022 Division III Champions.
 
"We want to be the best version of Augustana Acrobatics & Tumbling that we can be," Cowan continued. "We use #WeWork as a team motto. We are working to be better athletes. We are working to be better teammates. We are working together. Our goal is to outwork everyone else in every capacity."
 
As the inaugural year moves toward the second, Cowan expects the growth to continue but the foundation to remain.
 
"Year two will be no different when it comes to the culture and values of this team," she said. "We will always refer back to our buckets and be the hardest workers in any room. We are adding so many talented athletes to the talent we already have. Our goal will be to raise the bar and continue to grow each day."