WACO, Texas (April 16, 2016) – The Hawaii Pacific Acrobatics & Tumbling team garnered a slew of awards and distinctions Saturday night as part of the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association Individual Event Finals held at Baylor University's Ferrell Center.
 
The Sharks landed three student-athletes on the NCATA All-American team: Andrea Miceli, Nancy Miceli (both seniors from Orlando, Fla.) and Shawna Uehara (senior from Kamehameha). Additionally, Uehara was named NCATA Most Outstanding Player, while HPU teammate Nicole Saiki, a junior from Moanalua High School, earned the Louise Goodrun Academic Achievement Award.
 
In the individual event competition, the Sharks took home national championship trophies in Seven-Element Acro, Pyramid Twist Heat, Pyramid Release Heat and Tumbling Open Heat.
 
In Seven-Element Acro, Dani Geurin, Rikki Quintana, Nancy Miceli and Uehara posted a score of 9.90, which beat out Baylor (9.80), Oregon (9.65) and Quinnipiac (9.55).
 
Tiny Saiki, Nancy Miceli, Uehara, Haley Turner, Lexi Vincent and Kristin Holass teamed up for the Sharks in the Pyramid Twist Heat and posted a mark of 9.95, good enough to best Quinnipiac and Azusa Pacific (9.85 apiece).
 
In the Pyramid Release Heat, HPU scored a perfect score of 10.00 as the team of Saiki, Uehara, Andrea Miceli, Erin Robbins, Joely Smith, Vincent, Victoria Lyn Aguirre and Holaas fended off Quinnipiac (9.95), Oregon (9.90) and Azusa Pacific (9.80).
 
HPU claimed the Tumbling Open Heat with a near-perfect mark of 9.975 thanks to the solo effort of Nancy Miceli, who beat out competitors from Baylor (9.85), Oregon (9.75), Quinnipiac (9.625) and Azusa Pacific (9.6).
 
The Sharks move on to the team competition which kicks off Sunday with a quarterfinal matchup against Azusa Pacific at 7 p.m.
 
2016 NCATA ALL-AMERICANS
Alia Nolan – Alderson-Broaddus University
Jamie Montgomery – Azusa Pacific University
Kaelyn Cowan – Baylor University
Shayla Moore – Baylor University
Kiara Nowlin – Baylor University
Andrea Miceli – Hawaii Pacific University 
Nancy Miceli – Hawaii Pacific University
Shawna Uehara – Hawaii Pacific University
Sonia Stone – King University
Taylor Galvin – University of Oregon
Nicole Seybold – University of Oregon
Allee Tallman – Quinnipiac University
 
2016 NCATA MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER
Shawna Uehara – Hawaii Pacific University
 
2016 NCATA FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Lisa Wagaman – Gannon University
 
2016 LOUISE GOODRUM ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Nicole Saiki - Hawaii Pacific University
 
2016 NCATA COACH OF THE YEAR
 
Mary Ann Powers – Quinnipiac University