Acrobatics & Tumbling | 3/5/2020 3:00:00 PM

    FAIRMONT, W.Va. – West Liberty University's rising Acrobatics & Tumbling program made a national impact on Thursday when sophomore Marissa Cottrill was honored as the NCATA's National Specialist of the Week.
    Cottrill, a returning letter winner from St. Marys, W.Va., earned the honor after helping Coach Kelsey Kyle's Hilltoppers record the first perfect 10.0 score in program history during the Black and Gold's runaway win against Glenville State on Friday night inside the ASRC.
    Competing as a top in the Open Pyramid heat, Cottrill executed the finishing straddle hold to secure the first perfect score ever posted by a WLU Acrobatics & Tumbling in any heat.
    Cottrill was one of three student-athletes to claim Week Four honors from the NCATA. The University of Oregon's Payton Coon was selected as the NCATA Athlete of the Week for the second time this season while Nicolette Tianga of Quinnipiac (Conn.) collected her second straight NCATA Freshman of the Week award.
    The Lady Hilltoppers' A&T squad returns to the mat on March 17 when they host Concordia (Wis.) in a non-conference dual. First event is set for a 6 p.m. start.