Claire Rogers: Senior Claire Rogers is SM East’s first athlete to commit to college for acrobatics and tumbling

Navy blue and bright yellow floats rode the streets of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Trumpets were blaring, students were cheering, cheerleaders were tumbling and senior Claire Rogers was standing on the sidewalk beaming. 

Augustana University was hosting their annual Viking Parade — their version of a homecoming parade. Rogers was thrilled her soon-to-be college would have a similar tradition to “Lancer Day.”

Rogers committed to Augustana University for what the National Collegiate Athletics Association refers to as a newcoming sport — acrobatics and tumbling. Currently, only 50 NCAA colleges offer this program in all divisions. 

“I went the weekend they had their parade after I got accepted on the team,” Rogers said. “I was

so happy, and I definitely knew this was going to be my future.” 

According to Rogers, acrobatics and tumbling is a mix of gymnastics and cheer. Teams compete in six different events — compulsory, acro, pyramid, toss, tumbling and team event — performing stunts, floor passes and synchronized tumbling routines. 

This was fitting for Rogers who knew she wanted to pursue gymnastics but didn’t think her body could handle the strain of the sport anymore. Once she reached the highest level, she couldn’t keep up with the rigorous demands and sprained ankles, turning to acrobatics for a sport that would be easier on her body. 

“The team practices 10 hours a week, so it’s definitely downgrading from gymnastics 20 hours a week,” Rogers said. “It was just a lot, and I couldn’t do that anymore.”

Conveniently, Rogers has a friend a year older than her, Charlotte Novak, who committed to Augustana University for acrobatics and tumbling and was able to answer any questions about the program. After watching Novak, she knew she was up for the tumbling and stunting that comes with acrobatics. 

Rogers attended camps at Augustana University to get a feel for a sport she’d never competed in, she met the current team members and coaches and began her recruitment process. The campus’ small feel with fewer than 3,000 students stood out to her. 

“The team followed me on my gymnastics [Instagram] account, so that definitely helped a lot,” Rogers said. “They watched me throughout that, and then [Novak] gave me a good word to the coach.”

When Rogers received her offer from Augustana University in October for acrobatics and tumbling, she was ecstatic. She got an email granting her a place on the team, and after an official visit — and a Viking Parade — Rogers committed to the school. 

“I just love how new [the sport] is and it’s really unique,” Rogers said. “It would be really cool to tell my kids I did this sport too.”