NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Malone University STUNT team started the 2026 season with a pair of victories at Saint Mary's College to move to 2-0 overall. The Pioneers defeated Lewis University (1-1) by a score of 32-16 and the host Belles (0-2) by a lopsided 23-2 score.
 
MALONE vs LEWIS RECAP:
Malone's first match of the day came against the Lewis Flyers. The Pioneers took a 5-3 lead in partner stunts and scored more points than Lewis in three of the four rounds. Malone increased their lead to 11-5 at halftime thanks to a 6-2 difference in scoring during pyramids and tosses.
 
Coming out of the break, the Pioneers took rounds one, two and four of the jumps and tumbling events to go up 18-10. Malone turned it on during team routine and outscored the Flyers 14-6 and won the game 32-16. The new scoring format for STUNT this season allowed the program to set a new high mark for points in a game during this contest.
 
Danielle Blankenship, Megan Reifsnyder and Makenna Jurkowski were involved in all 32 of the team's points, a new career-high for all. Cecilia Herrington and Macy Taylor tallied seven points in the jumps and tumbling portion of the scoring and finished with 27 and 24 points, respectively. Julia Gartner scored 29 of the team's 32 points.
 
MALONE vs SAINT MARY'S RECAP:
The Pioneers were unmatched in the first half of the second of two contests and led 7-0 at the break. Malone netted three points in partner stunts and four in pyramids and tosses.
 
The shutout continued through the third quarter as well with a 4-0 difference in jumps and tumbling. Saint Mary's avoided the goose egg with a pair of points during team routine, but this one was all Pioneers in a 23-2 blowout.
 
Blankenship, Reifnsyder and Jurkowski were joined by Gartner in scoring all 23 points. Other double-digit scorers included Herrington (20), Taylor (19), Emily Wilhelm (15), Oneal Everett (15), Allison Smith (15), Eden Marquis (15), Alyssa Walker (13) and Ella McCoy (12).
 
UP NEXT:
The next games for Malone will be at home on Saturday, February 14. Ashland University and Ursuline College visit Osborne Hall for a Quad Match beginning at 11:00 A.M.