Greenville, S.C.----Wingate University is joining the Conference Carolinas as an associate member in the sport of acrobatics and tumbling, league officials announce this week. The Bulldogs added acrobatics and tumbling as their 25th sport earlier this year. Wingate will begin its inaugural season and its first year of competition in the 2023-24 academic year.
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate director of athletics Kelley Kish
 
"We are thrilled to have Wingate acrobatics and tumbling competing in the Conference Carolinas. The footprint of the conference teams and the competitive level is a perfect fit as we start our program. Wingate acrobatics and tumbling student-athletes will take pride in representing our institution in Fall 2023 as part of Conference Carolinas."

Conference Carolinas commissioner Chris Colvin

"We are excited to unveil that Wingate has continued to help us lead the way and grow the amazing sport of acrobatics and tumbling. We are truly thankful that they have accepted our invitation to join our conference as an associate member. Wingate gives us another strong institution working with Conference Carolinas, while also giving us the opportunity to continue to extend the acrobatics & tumbling footprint."

Conference Carolinas' acrobatics and tumbling programs

Nine programs will compete in Conference Carolinas acrobatics and tumbling during the 2022-23 academic year. The nine include Belmont Abbey, Chowan, Coker, Converse, Emmanuel, King, Lander, Limestone and Mars Hill. Three primary conferences are represented, as Lander is a member of the Peach Belt, while Coker, Limestone and Mars Hill are Wingate's neighbors in the South Atlantic Conference.
 
The list will grow to 11 teams in the 2023-24 academic year, as Conference Carolinas primary member Erskine will relaunch its program along with the addition of Wingate.
 
Looking back at Conference Carolinas' acrobatics and tumbling in 2022
 
The most recent 2022 spring campaign was the second season of acrobatics and tumbling for the Conference Carolinas. Four Conference Carolinas teams were nationally ranked among the top 15 over the course of the 2022 spring season.
 
Converse and Limestone both advanced to the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) national championship field. In addition, Belmont Abbey, Coker and Lander all had at-large qualifying scores for the national event finals.
 
The league captured its first-ever national championships at the 2022 national event finals held at the University of Oregon. Converse earned the national championship in the six-element of the acro event, while Limestone claimed its national title in the open heat of the pyramid event. 

By the numbers
 
Wingate is the 42nd NCAA school to sponsor acrobatics and tumbling as an intercollegiate sport. Twenty-nine of the 42 institutions are members of Division II, like Wingate. The Bulldogs are the ninth DII school in the Carolinas with the sport, joining SAC members Coker, Limestone and Mars Hill. At present, the Conference Carolinas and the Mountain East Conference are the only NCAA conferences to sponsor the sport of acrobatics and tumbling.
 
The Bulldogs will have 25 intercollegiate sports with the addition of acrobatics and tumbling. Wingate adds a sport for the third time in three years. Women's triathlon joined the WU lineup in June 2020; the Bulldogs finished second in last November's national championships. Field hockey came on the scene in August 2021; Wingate will begin competition in September.
 
On the horizon
 
The Bulldogs will begin acrobatics and tumbling competition in early 2024. A typical schedule includes eight to 10 dual or tri-meets, culminating with the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) national championships in late April/early May.
 
Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as eight master's and five doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; and the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 25 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 14 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
(Conference Carolinas assistant commissioner for external relations Brian Hand contributed information to this article.)