Acrobatics and tumbling, competitive cheerleading programs added

9/3/2025 11:30:00 AM

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.--Westminster College President Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson and Director of Athletics Jason Lener '93 have announced the addition of women's acrobatics and tumbling (A&T) and co-educational competitive cheerleading as the College's 23rd and 24th intercollegiate athletic programs. Both varsity sports are set to begin competition in the 2026-27 academic year.

"The addition of acrobatics and tumbling and competitive cheer marks another significant step in our vision of expanding student involvement and positioning Westminster athletics for success," said Richardson. "We are committed to creating positive, fulfilling on-campus experiences for students while celebrating and elevating campus spirit and believe adding these programs allows us to do that."

Acrobatics and tumbling, which became an emerging sport in 2020, quickly grew its NCAA sponsorship from 27 schools in 2020-21 to more than 40 in 2023-24. It is a fast-paced, team-based discipline in which athletes perform a series of synchronized skills in events such as acrobatics, pyramid, toss, tumbling and team routines. Meets feature six events and typically span 90 to 120 minutes, with skills scored on difficulty and execution. The sport is currently governed by the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) and draws participants from gymnastics, cheerleading, diving and other strength-based sports.

Competitive cheerleading is an acrobatic, team-based sport focused on stunting, tumbling, jumps, dance and performance. The intense judged competitions typically involve a two-minute 30-second routine—with a variety of composed musical remixes and timed-out sound effects—that is scored based on a combination of creativity, difficulty and execution.

The acrobatics and tumbling program will be led by Pittsburgh native and Norwin High School graduate Hannah Chrisman, currently serving as a sports performance coach in the College's Wellness Center. A three-time national champion at Baylor University, Chrisman earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Baylor in 2022 and a master's degree in sport and performance psychology from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania in 2023. She has served as a NCATA official since 2022.

"It's an incredible honor to launch the Acrobatics and Tumbling program at Westminster and to be a part of something new and exciting for our athletic community," said Chrisman. "As both a head coach and a sport performance coach, I'm passionate about developing the whole athlete: not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. By helping our student-athletes strengthen their mindset, we'll create a team that's confident, competitive, and prepared for success even beyond the sport. I am excited to welcome driven individuals who are ready to compete at the collegiate level in a rapidly growing NCAA sport and to be a part of something truly impactful."

Nationally recognized coach Becky DeGraaf will lead the new competitive cheer program. A head coach with Grove City-based Ntense Competitive Cheer, she owns certifications from the Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and USA Cheer. DeGraaf also holds U.S. All Star Federation (USASF) "Green Light" status and is certified through Level 4. A native of Volant, Pa., she earned a bachelor's degree from Slippery Rock University in 2009.

"I am very excited for the opportunity to build a large, successful competitive program within the athletic department," said DeGraaf. "This team is going to compete regionally and nationally and will join other varsity teams at the College in being competitive and also active and visible throughout our community."

"Westminster has had a well-established sideline program for decades, which has been and will continue to be wonderful representatives of the College," said Lener. "However, understanding competitive co-ed cheerleading's surge in popularity, along with its steady growth in participation, we know this will help us continue to attract a diverse group of students to Westminster."

More information about the two new athletic programs will be available at athletics.westminster.edu. Chrisman can be reached at chrismhe@westminster.edu while DeGraaf can be reached at degraarl@westminster.edu.

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