Augustana to host 2025 national acro & tumbling championship

Augustana University was announced as the host site for the 2025 National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association national championship in late September. The event will be hosted in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the first time in the associations’ history and take place in the Elmen Center. 

“We got the bid, and since it’s the national championship, I think it’s even more surreal because we have people coming from all over the country,” Head Coach Kaelyn Dillon said. 

The national acrobatics and tumbling championship will bring together National Collegiate Athletics Association divisions one, two and three and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics athletes to compete for the title. More than 50 teams and at least 1,400 student-athletes are set to take to the mats this season.

The top eight teams in the nation will travel to Sioux Falls in April to compete for the national title. 

Additionally, teams will have the ability to compete in an individual event if they do not rank within the best of the country overall. 

President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin is proud of how the team has evolved since its inaugural season. In the first year of the program, the Vikings hosted the No. 5 Oregon Ducks for their first meet of the season in the Elmen Center. 

In 2024, the team hosted Dillon’s alma mater, the Baylor University Bears. 

“[Acro and Tumbling] was competitive out of the gate, just like hockey,” Herseth Sandlin said. “I think it says a lot about our student-athletes, who are recruited from all over the country and how competitive they are. I think it says a lot about our athletic administrators and, operationally, how well they conduct events that both the Oregon and Baylor folks and a lot of other programs saw when they’ve been here with us.” 

The sport initially gained traction in 2009 when six colleges and universities introduced the program. The first national championship wasn’t held until April 2011. 

Since 2009, membership has increased exponentially. By 2014, the NCATA membership reached double-digits. As of 2024, 53 programs have 

joined NCATA. 

Junior top and tumbler Natalie Homerding has been with the program since its inaugural season. 

“It’s really amazing to see how much we have improved since year one,” Homerding said. “We made a big impression in our inaugural season, but we have continued to push ourselves and keep growing. The fact that we went from a team that has basically never done acrobatics before to being ranked top 10 within two seasons really speaks to our work ethic and discipline, and it makes me proud to be a part of it.” 

The Vikings will kick off their third season against Missouri State in Springfield, Missouri, on Feb. 15. 

The first home meet will take place as the Vikings welcome the Gannon University Golden Knights to the Elmen on March 3. 

The NCATA national championship will take place from April 24 to the 27. 

“I mean, I am biased, but I think it’s the coolest thing for people to watch, and I don’t think people realize until they sit down and watch that they can see what these athletes and what these ladies can do,” Dillon said. 

“We want to get everybody out here, and, you know, ‘skol vikes’ always, but it’s going to be a really great opportunity for students and community members to see some really great acrobatics and tumbling.”