Augustana University has announced the addition of two sports beginning with the 2021-22 school year. Men’s swimming & diving and the NCAA emerging sport of women’s acrobatics & tumbling are set to bring the Viking Athletics offerings to 21 sports.
“A key part of our strategic plan, Viking Bold: The Journey to 2030, is to provide new opportunities for students that also help fuel enrollment growth,” Augustana University President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin said. “These two sport additions do just that, and we’re excited about the student-athletes these programs will attract as we continue building momentum here at Augustana.”
The men’s swimming & diving team will be led by current women’s team Head Coach Lindsie Micko. Now in her fifth year with Viking swimming & diving, Micko started the team from scratch after being hired in 2015. Since then, she has coached two student-athletes to three All-America honors, one NSIC Swimmer of the Year, three NSIC Freshmen of the Year, along with 27 All-NSIC honorees.
The program will be the 10th men’s varsity sport at Augustana and will be the only Division II men’s program in the state of South Dakota.
“Men’s swimming and diving will be a great complement to what Coach Micko has been building on the women’s side,” Augustana Director of Athletics Josh Morton said. “It’s also exciting to add an NCAA emerging sport for women at the same time. Acrobatics & tumbling will be a great addition not only for the Augustana community, but for Sioux Falls as well, and we’re proud to be part of a university that is always looking at unique and innovative ways to grow and serve students.”
Acrobatics & tumbling was added to the NCAA emerging sports list in August of this year after receiving backing from the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics in 2019. Augustana becomes the 36th institution nationwide to offer the sport, the 25th in NCAA Division II, and the first in the region. The Viking acrobatics & tumbling team will be the 11th women’s varsity sport at Augustana.
Acrobatics & tumbling is the evolution of different disciplines of gymnastics, which includes the athletic aspects of competitive cheerleading. The format was created at the collegiate level to address the interest and abilities of young women competing in this skill set. Individuals and small groups execute acrobatic lifts, tosses and tumbling.
Meets include six events, all of which are competed on the floor and in varying group sizes.
"We are thrilled to welcome Augustana to the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) family, and honored to be part of the growth of their athletics department,” NCATA President Dr. Renee Baumgartner said. “During this challenging time, all new opportunities being created for young women to compete at the collegiate level are important and exciting."
Augustana Athletics will begin its search for a coach immediately and plans to have the successful candidate in place to recruit a team for the Spring 2022 season.
For more information regarding acrobatics & tumbling, please visit thencata.org.