By Zach Babajanof-Rustrian | Sports Writer
No. 1 Baylor acrobatics and tumbling started its quest for a ninth straight NCATA national championship with a 271.170-256.070 win over No. 8 Fairmont State in the quarterfinal round on Thursday night at the Feaster Center in Fairmont, W.Va.
In the first event of the meet — the compulsory event — Baylor (9-0) started off with the early lead, as it earned a 9.675, 9.800, 9.925 and 9.100, respectively. It topped Fairmont State’s (7-3) totals of 9.075, 9.675, 9.500 and 8.375. The Bears were up 38.500 to the Falcons’ 36.625.
In the acro portion of the meet, senior base Bayley Humphrey and junior top Jordan Gruendler executed their routine “boomerang” trick, garnering a 9.