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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: The Oregon Ducks logo before the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl college football game between the Liberty Flames and the Oregon Ducks on January 1, 2024 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Oregon did not put together its cleanest meet Sunday, but the Ducks still did what good teams do when things are a little off. They found a way to beat another top-10 opponent.
No. 2 Oregon knocked off No. 4 Iona, 268.105-265.210, at Matthew Knight Arena, giving the Ducks their third top-10 win of the season and moving them to 4-1 on the year. It was not a performance that left Oregon fully satisfied, but it was another result that showed just how much talent this team has, especially when the tumbling event hits.
That was the difference again Sunday.
The Ducks built an early edge by taking the compulsory event 38.25-37.55, with Oregon nearly maxing out the toss heat at 9.950. From there, though, the meet got a little uneven. Oregon flashed some huge scores in the acro event, especially from Cassidy Cu and Angelica Martin, who posted matching 9.950s in the five-element and seven-element heats. But a lower score in the six-element heat opened the door for Iona to edge ahead.
That became the theme of the afternoon. Oregon had standout moments, but not enough consistency to fully take control early. Even after trimming the deficit in pyramid, the Ducks still went into halftime trailing and then lost the toss event by a narrow margin.
Then tumbling arrived, and Oregon looked like Oregon again.
The Ducks dominated the event 57.025-52.150, flipping the meet in their favor with one of their strongest stretches of the afternoon. Sophia Wing and Carly Garcia got things rolling with a 9.450 in the duo pass. Nya Womack followed with a 9.675 in the aerial pass. Morgan Willingham added a 9.800 in the six-element pass, and Briya Alvarado closed with a 9.900 in the open pass.
That surge gave Oregon enough cushion to survive a slight loss in the final team event, where Iona narrowly outscored the Ducks 89.160-89.030. Because of the work Oregon had done in tumbling, it did not matter in the end.
Cu and Martin deserved plenty of attention beyond the final score. Their consistency helped keep Oregon afloat during a meet that otherwise felt a little uneven, and their pair of near-perfect acro scores were some of the cleanest moments the Ducks produced all day.
The bigger takeaway, though, is that Oregon can still beat a team like Iona without being at its best. That is both encouraging and a little frustrating. The Ducks are clearly talented enough to stack quality wins, but there is still another level available if they can tighten up the execution and avoid relying on the other side to make mistakes.
Up Next
Oregon will get its next chance to soar on March 25, when the Ducks head to Honolulu to face Hawaii Pacific.
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